The first of Israel’s four new Sa'ar 6-class corvettes, INS Magen, is due to reach Haifa naval base in early December, an official in the Israeli Navy stated on 4 November. The vessel is currently undergoing sea trials off Germany, where it was built by ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems.
INS Magen without its Israeli weapons and systems during sea trials in the Baltic. (Israel Defense Forces)
The other three corvettes are scheduled to arrive in 2021: INS Oz in July, INS Atzmaut in September, and INS Nitzhahon in November, the official said.
Commander N (full name withheld), head of the Magen Project, said the ships will have their mostly Israeli-made weapons and systems installed after they arrive. These will include 76 mm main guns, a new type of anti-ship missile that is being developed in Israel and has yet to be identified, and Rafael Typhoon remote weapon stations.
The official confirmed that all the corvettes will be equipped with the C-Dome naval variant of the Iron Dome air defence system, as well as Barak-8 surface-to-air missiles for more challenging and longer-range targets such as supersonic anti-ship missiles. On-board electronic warfare systems will serve as an additional layer of defence, he added, a possible reference to jamming GNSS weapon guidance systems.
The centrepiece of the class’s capability will be its Adir multi-mission radar, the Israeli variant of the EL/M-2248 MF-STAR, and a command-and-control system that integrates the onboard systems and connects the ships to wider Israel Defense Forces’ networks. The new radar will allow us to detect for more than 100-200 km, Cmdr N said.
This will enable the corvettes to perform their primary mission: protecting the offshore gas platforms in Israel’s exclusive economic zone from the emerging threats from Hizbullah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
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