Sa'ar 4-class fast attack craft

	Chilean Navy Sa'ar 4-class fast-attack craft Angamos and Casma perform tactical maneuvering exercises in the Strait Of Magellan
Class overview
Name	Saar 4
Operators	Israeli Navy; Chilean Navy; South African Navy; Sri Lanka Navy; Hellenic Coast Guard;
Preceded by	Sa'ar 3-class missile boat
Succeeded by	Sa'ar 4.5-class missile boat
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	4 MTU 16V 538 diesel engines, four shafts, total of 12,800 hp (9,500 kW)
Speed	34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph)
Range	4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 17.5 kn (32.4 km/h); 1,650 nmi (3,060 km; 1,900 mi) at 30 kn (56 km/h; 35 mph);
Complement	45 officers and crewmen
Sensors and ; processing systems	Elta EL/M-2207/2208 air & surface search radar; Selenia Orion RTN-10X fire-control radar;
Electronic warfare ; & decoys	1 × 45-tube, 4-6 x 24-tubes and 4 single chaff rocket launchers; Elisra NS-9003/9005 RWR;
Armament	2-4 x RGM-84 Harpoon SSM's; and; 4 × Gabriel II SSM's; OR; 6 × Gabriel II SSM's; 1 × 20 mm Phalanx CIWS; and; 1 × OTO Melara 76 mm naval gun; OR; 2 × OTO Melara 76 mm naval gun; 2 × Oerlikon 20 mm cannons;

The Sa'ar 4 or Reshef class missile boats were 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.

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 IV class boats were built for the Israeli Navy. As of 2013^[update] 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.	Sold
INS Keshet	Bow	Launched in 1973. Commissioned on August 23 1973.	Sold to Chile in 1981 as LM-31 Chipana.	Sold
INS Romach	Lance	Launched in 1974.	Sold to Chile in 1979 as LM-30 Casma.	Sold
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-class missile boat 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	Retired
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 Template:Sclass2- (formerly designated Minister class) in service with the South African Navy are modified Sa'ar IV (Reshef class) fast attack craft.^[2] 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.^[3] 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.^[3] 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.

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.^[4]

Greece

The Hellenic Coast Guard uses three Sa'ar 4 patrol boats armed only with a 30 mm gun. A crane is installed at the deck space normally reserved for missiles.^[5]

External links

References

^ Norman Friedman, The Naval Institute Guide to World Naval Weapon Systems Naval Institute Press, Anapolis, MD, 1989, ISBN 1-55750-262-5, p. 241.
^ "Warrior class strike craft". May 26, 2005.
^ ^a ^b 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.
^ [1] Archived 2006-06-21 at the Wayback Machine
^ http://www.israel-shipyards.com/naval-001.asp

[1] Norman Friedman, The Naval Institute Guide to World Naval Weapon Systems Naval Institute Press, Anapolis, MD, 1989, ISBN 1-55750-262-5, p. 241.

[2] "Warrior class strike craft". May 26, 2005.

[Potgieter-3] 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.

[4] [1] Archived 2006-06-21 at the Wayback Machine

[5] ttp://www.israel-shipyards.com/naval-001.asp

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