Sa'ar 72 / Reshef
The Israeli Navy had eight large 430-ton (standard displacement) 62-meter missile boats of the Saar 4.5 project (type Hetz ), also built by Israel Shipyards and commissioned in 1981-2003 (three of these boats are radically modernized boats of the Saar 4 project of the previous Reshef type built in the 1970s). Israel Shipyards Ltd. on November 13, 2019 announced that it had signed an agreement with the Israeli Ministry of Defense to design a promising small corvette to replace the Saar 4.5 large missile boats in the Israeli Navy. The new corvette will be developed on the basis of the Saar 72 project, which is being promoted by Israel Shipyards for export, and will be called Reshef type. The name Reshef is primarily a male name of Hebrew origin that means Flame, Spark.
Israel Shipyards was assigned by Israel MOD and Navy to design the Israel Navy– the future advanced combat ship RESHEF class vessel. Reshef will replace the reliable above-20-years-in-service SA’AR 4.5. It will be based on the ISL S-72 proven design and will significantly empower the Israeli Navy capabilities facing future combat demands. The RESHEF will assist in protecting Israel’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the off-shore oil & gas facilities within Israel’s territorial waters. All combat systems onboard the new ship will be of Israel’s defense industry production.
In the late 1960s, Israel Shipyards was the first in the Western world to design and build a fast-attack missile boat: the Reshef Class SAAR 4, commissioned by the Israeli Navy. At that time, it was a new concept to use relatively small, fast missile-equipped craft to meet threats in the Naval arena. The swift action and superior handling of the SAAR 4 was cited by the Israeli Navy as contributing to the successful defense of Israel in the 1973 war. This pioneering success eventually resulted in a second vessel: the NIRIT class SAAR 4.5, a larger, more powerful version of the SAAR 4. Many SAAR class boats are actively serving in the Israeli Navy as well as other Navies around the world.
The Israeli Navy plans to order the Saar 72 project corvettes (and even allegedly already under construction) have been repeatedly reported in the past few years, but the contract for the design of a variant of this corvette for the Israeli fleet only really followed. The new design of the state-of-the-art SA’AR S – 72 brings next generation operational capabilities to future naval warfare.. Key features include medium-size marine helicopter operations, hybrid propulsion, and advanced combat systems ? making the SA’AR S – 72 the most advanced and cost-effective missile corvette available.
Previously reported that the corvette of the new Reshef projectBased on the Saar 72 project, it will have a standard displacement of about 800 tons (that is, almost twice as much as the Saar 4.5 missile boats), 72 m long and 10.25 m wide. Two-shaft power plant consisting of two MTU 16V1163M94 V16 diesel engines with a capacity of 5920 kW each will provide a maximum speed of about 30 knots. Cruising range of economic moves (18 knots) will be 5500 miles, and autonomy - 21 days. The crew will be 50 people with the ability to accommodate 20 additional people (special forces, inspection groups, etc.)
Sa’ar 72 is a new class of Israeli Navy corvettes designed by Israel Shipyards Ltd. as an improved and stretched Sa’ar 4.5-class missile boat. The ship developed to prevent illegal activity and maritime terrorism, provide coastal protection for Naval forces, and protect territorial waters and EEZs. This multi-mission vessel, in a Corvette configuration, is modularly designed for use in naval warfare or as an OPV. When used as an OPV, it can be provided with lighter weaponry. The SAAR S-72 utilizes hybrid propulsion, automatically switching to diesel upon acceleration.
The new corvettes will be equipped with the IAI Elta EL / M-2258 ALPHA (Advanced Lightweight Phased Array Naval Radar) multifunctional radar system with AFAR, installed in the course of modernization on Saar 4.5 missile boats and Saar 5 project corps of the Israeli fleet during the modernization. The armament of the new type corvettes will be reportedly comprised of the Barak 8 anti-aircraft missile system, eight launchers of the new IAI Gabriel 5 anti-ship missiles, 76-mm Leonardo Super Rapid artillery mount, two 30-mm remotely controlled artillery launchers, 324-mm anti-submarine torpedo tubes torpedoes. It is possible to place containerized systems and carry unmanned aerial vehicles. The ship will have advanced EW facilities.
Presumably, the first customer of the Saar 72 project corvettes was Azerbaijan, which ordered two ships assembled at the Turkan shipyard in Baku.
The Reshef Class vessels, which will be based on the ISL S-72 proven design, will significantly empower the Israeli Navy capabilities in the future combat field and will assist in protecting Israel’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) as well as the off shore oil & gas facilities within Israel’s territorial waters. All combat systems on board the new ship will be of Israel’s defense industry produce. According to Israel Shipyards’ Managing Director, Mr. Eitan Zucker “We are proud to be invited by the Israel Navy and MOD to partner in the development of the Navy’s future-vessel and will dedicate ourselves as always to provide the optimal answer to the corps’ needs”.
Israel Shipyards Ltd. announced 26 August 2021 the signing of an agreement for the detailed design phase for the construction of the Reshef Class Vessel for the Israeli Navy. The agreement was signed with the Ministry of Defence as a final step before the ship’s production phase. During this phase, Israel Shipyards will present an engineering plan, adapted to the needs of the Navy. The company’s CEO, Eitan Zucker, said, “We are excited and proud to have reached this advanced stage in the development of the new ship, which will very soon assist in carrying out the missions and meeting the challenges faced by the Israeli Navy in protecting the country’s maritime borders. We welcome the fruitful cooperation with the Ministry of Defence and the Israeli Navy.”
Israel Shipyards Ltd. is one of the largest privately-owned shipbuilding and repair facilities in the Eastern Mediterranean. The manufacturing and repair plant is spread over 330,000 sq. meters with 45,000 sq. meters of under-roof facilities and a wharf length of 900 meters. Israel Shipyards employs about 500 people, including more than 35 engineers in the design department.
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