Sa'ar 4-class missile boat

The Sa'ar 4 or Reshef-class missile boats were a series of missile boats built based on Israeli Navy designs grounded in accumulated experience derived in the operation of "Cherbourg" (Sa'ar 1, Sa'ar 2, and Sa'ar 3) classes. Thirteen were built at the Israel Shipyards, ten for the Israeli Navy and three for the South African Navy. Another six were built for the South African Navy in South Africa with Israeli assistance.

Chilean Navy Sa'ar 4-class fast-attack craft Angamos and Casma perform tactical maneuvering exercises in the Strait of Magellan
Class overview
Name: Sa'ar 4 class
Operators:
Preceded by: Sa'ar 3 class
Succeeded by: Sa'ar 4.5 class
General characteristics
Type: Missile boat
Displacement:
  • 415 tons
  • 450 tons full loaded
Length: 58 m (190 ft)
Beam: 7.62 m (25.0 ft)
Draught: 2.4 m (7.9 ft)
Propulsion:
Speed: 34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph)
Range:
  • 4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 17.5 knots (32.4 km/h)
  • 1,650 nmi (3,060 km; 1,900 mi) at 30 knots (56 km/h; 35 mph)
Complement: 45
Sensors and
processing systems:
Electronic warfare
& decoys:
Armament:

Sa'ar 4 boats' first battle engagements occurred in the October 1973 Yom Kippur War when two Sa'ar 4 boats, INS Reshef and INS Keshet, engaged Egyptian and Syrian ships and coastal targets. Israel had sold most of its Sa'ar 4 boats to other navies, but INS Nitzachon and INS Atzmaut remained in active Israeli Navy service until 2014.

Variants

Israel

Ten Sa'ar 4-class boats were built for the Israeli Navy. As of 2013 only two remain in service. Three were disassembled, with systems taken for use in the construction of Sa'ar 4.5-class vessels. Three vessels and one hull stripped of systems were sold to Chile. Two vessels were sold to Sri Lanka.

Vessel name Meaning History Fate Status
INS Reshef Spark Launched in 1973.
Commissioned on February 1973.		 Sold to Chile in 1997 as LM-34 Angamos. Active (Chile)
INS Keshet Bow Launched in 1973.
Commissioned on August 23, 1973.		 Sold to Chile in 1980 as LM-31 Chipana. Active (Chile)
INS Romach Lance Launched
in 1974.		 Sold to Chile in 1979 as LM-30 Casma. Active (Chile)
INS Kidon Javelin Launched in 1974. Disassembled. Various systems reassembled atop Sa'ar 4.5 hull in 1994. The old hull sunk as an underwater memorial. Retired
INS Tarshish Tarshish Launched in 1975. Disassembled. Some systems reassembled atop Sa'ar 4.5 hull in 1995. The old hull sold to Chile in 1997 as LM-35 Papudo. In 1998 cannibalized for spares Chilean Navy
INS Yaffo Jaffa Launched in 1975. Disassembled. Various systems reassembled atop new Sa'ar 4.5 hull in 1998. Retired
INS Nitzachon Victory Launched on 10 July 1978.
Commissioned on September 1978.		 Redirected to anti-submarine warfare.
Retired 15 January 2014		 Retired
INS Atzmaut Independence Launched on 3 December 1978.
Commissioned on February 1979.		 Redirected to anti-submarine warfare.
Retired 5 March 2014		 Sunk in July 2016, by 2 Harpoon (missile)s - launched by INS Hetz and INS Herev, in missile test conducted by the 3rd Flotilla.[2]
INS Moledet Homeland Launched in 1979. Redirected to anti-submarine warfare.
Sold to Sri Lanka in 2000 as SLNS Suranimala.		 Sold
INS Komemiyut Sovereignty Launched in 1980. Redirected to anti-submarine warfare.
Sold to Sri Lanka in 2000 as SLNS Nandimitra.		 Sold

South Africa

The Warrior-class strike craft (formerly designated Minister class) in service with the South African Navy are modified Sa'ar 4 (Reshef-class) fast attack craft.[3] In 1974, a contract was signed with Israeli Military Industries for the construction of three of the modified Reshef class vessels at the Haifa facility of Israeli Shipyards. A further three were built immediately after at the Sandock Austral shipyard in Durban, South Africa, with three more being built at the same facility several years later.[4] The imposition of the international embargo on the sale of arms to South Africa on 4 November 1977 forced the project to be carried out under a cloak of security.[4] The South African variants were fitted with Gabriel missiles, known in South Africa as 'Scorpion' missiles, and had two OTO Melara 76 mm guns instead of a single one with a Phalanx CIWS.

Chile

In 1979, the Chilean Navy purchased its first Sa'ar 4, followed by a second in 1980 and a final two boats in 1997.[5][6][7][8] Papudo (ex INS Tarshish) was purchased with several missing systems and due to budgetary constraints was retired in 1998, only a year after entering service.[8] All Sa'ar 4s in service with the Chilean Navy are armed with two OTO Melara 76 mm guns, eight Gabriel missile launchers and two Oerlikon 20 mm cannon with the exception of Angamos which was modernized in 2013 replacing four of the Gabriel missile launchers with four Exocet MM40 launchers.[7][9] Three Sa'ar 4s remain in service as of 2020.

Sri Lanka

In 2000, two of the Israeli boats were sold to the Sri Lankan Navy, forming the Nandimithra class. It is not certain if these boats retain the Harpoon missile capability, however, these boats retained their Gabriel missile capability.[10]

See also

References
  1. Norman Friedman, The Naval Institute Guide to World Naval Weapon Systems Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD, 1989, ISBN 1-55750-262-5, p. 241.
  2. http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/71494/israeli-navy-successfully-tests-long-range-missiles/#KT6jC6EiKdLRPWWU.97
  3. "Warrior class strike craft". May 26, 2005. Archived from the original on November 3, 2007.
  4. Cdr Thean Potgieter (November 26, 2004). "The Secret South African Project Team: Building Strike Craft in Israel, 1975-79" (PDF). University of Stellenbosch. Retrieved 2014-03-22.
  5. "LM-31". armada.cl (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-08-14.
  6. "LM-30". armada.cl (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-08-14.
  7. "LM-34". armada.cl (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-08-14.
  8. "Lancha Misilera". armada.cl (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-08-14.
  9. Defensa.com (2013-07-18). "La Armada de Chile recibió modernizada la lancha misilera LM-34 "Angamos" - Noticias Defensa defensa.com Chile". Defensa.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2020-08-14.
  10. Archived June 21, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
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