Sa'ar 5 |
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Sa'ar 5 |
| Builders: | Northrop Grumman by Ingalls Shipbuilding |
| Operators: | Israeli Navy |
| Preceded by: | Sa'ar 4.5 class missile boat |
| Completed: | 3 |
| Active: | INS Eilat, INS Lahav, INS Hanit |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Corvette |
| Displacement: | |
| Length: | 85.64 m (280.97 ft) |
| Beam: | 11.88 m (38.98 ft) |
| Draft: | 3.17 m (10.40 ft) |
| Propulsion: |
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| Speed: |
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| Range: | 3,500 nautical miles (6,500 km) |
| Complement: |
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| Sensors and processing systems: |
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| Electronic warfare and decoys: |
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| Armament: | |
| Armor: | Steel and aluminum |
| Aircraft carried: | Eurocopter Panther, unmanned helicopter[1] |
| Aviation facilities: | Helipad and helicopter hangar |
Sa'ar 5 (Hebrew: tempest סער) is a class of Israeli Navy corvette, designed based on lessons learned from the Sa'ar 4.5 class ships. Three Sa'ar 5 ships were built by Northrop Grumman Ship Systems (formerly Litton-Ingalls Shipbuilding Corporation of Pascagoula, Mississippi) for the Israeli Navy, based on Israeli designs.
Three such ships have been built, all of which are in service with the Israeli Navy. They are the largest warships in Israel's naval fleet. Although they are "corvettes" due to their small size and crew of only 71, their weaponry and speed are almost comparable to that of a frigate. They are equipped with sonar, torpedoes, missile launchers, electronic warfare capabilities and decoys, a gun mount, and a helipad and helicopter hangar.[2]
The first of class, INS Eilat, was launched in February 1993, followed by INS Lahav in August 1993 and INS Hanit in March 1994.
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During the 2006 Lebanon War, the INS Hanit was attacked by Hezbollah as it was enforcing a naval blockade off Beirut. Hezbollah used an Iranian version of the Chinese C-802 missile. The resulting explosion caused the landing pad to cave in and be engulfed in flames that threatened the aviation fuel storage below, and the flames were not fully extinguished until several hours later. The ship suffered some damage, but stayed afloat, got itself out of the line of fire, and made the rest of the journey back to Ashdod for repairs on its own. The ship was repaired and resumed its combat role three weeks later.[3] Four IDF sailors were killed.
An investigation into the incident by the Israeli Navy concluded that the missile was indeed a C-802 which hit a crane in the rear of the ship. The ship's radar system was not fully functional at the time, and both the ECM and the Barak anti-missile systems were in a two-minute stand-by mode. An officer ordered that the anti-missile defenses be switched off about an hour prior to the attack without notifying the captain. The decision was made due to intelligence assessments that Hezbollah did not have the capability to hit Israeli warships. The malfunction in ship's radar was also discovered, but the staff chose not to inform the captain.[4][5]
In August 2009, the INS Eilat and INS Hanit passed through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea, along with a Dolphin class submarine. The move was seen as a possible warning to Iran.[6]
On 31 May, 2010, the INS Lahav and the INS Hanit participated in the Gaza flotilla raid, meant to stop a convoy of ships from breaching the blockade of the Gaza Strip, along with a missile boat.
Three ships of the Sa'ar 5-class have been built: