Thyssenkrupp delivers last 2 Sa’ar 6 corvettes to Israeli Navy

ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems has handed over the two ships to the Israeli Navy on 27 July, TKMS announced. The Sa’ar 6-class corvettes had been christened earlier.

This means that the Israeli Navy has now received all four ships that were ordered. Because of the pandemic, the ceremony was held on a small scale. Managing Director Dr Alexander Orellano emphasized the good professional and personal relationship with the Israel Navy in his speech to the guests at the ceremony and to the crews of the new ships.

Dr Alexander Orellano: “In the six years from the signing of the contract until today, we have developed a superior ship together. We have discussed a lot with each other, sometimes even argued. In the end, we, client and contractor, together with built a better ship than originally planned.”

The SA’AR 6-class ships will serve as the Israeli Navy’s backbone for the next 30 years. ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems is constructing the ships in collaboration with German Naval Yards Kiel. Vice Admiral Eliyahu Sharvit of Israel arrived in time for the naming and handover ceremony. As he stated in his speech, the Israeli navy commander-in-chief is pleased with his new ships: “I thank you for your tremendous effort invested in this combined project to ensure its extraordinary success.”

The contract for the delivery of four SA’AR 6 corvettes was signed in May 2015.

After the design phase, the construction phase began with the ship’s steel cutting ceremony in February 2018. Just 15 months after the first steel was cut, the ship undocked. In May 2019, the “INS Magen” as first of class received her name in Kiel and was handed over in November 2020. The second ship, “INS Oz” followed in May 2021. Today, with “INS Atzmaut” and “INS Nitzachon” the order was completed.

The ships will be equipped with radar and weapon systems by the Israeli Navy after their arrival in their homeport.

SA’AR 6-class corvettes:

The 1,900 tons, 90 meters-long ships have the stealthy design of a smaller RCS missile corvette with tailor-made solutions and numerous new technologies onboard. The contract for the delivery of four Sa’ar 6 corvettes was signed in May 2015.

In terms of weapon systems, the Sa’ar 6 will be heavily armed given their small size and displacement:

– Oto Melara 76 mm main gun,
– 2xTyphoon 25mm Weapon Stations,
– 32 vertical launch cells for Barak-8 surface-to-air missiles,
– 2xC-Dome point defence systems (with 20 Tamir missiles each),
– 16 (4xquad launchers) anti-ship missiles (probably Gabriel V)
– 2×324 mm torpedo launchers.
– Each ship will also be outfitted with cyber and electronic warfare systems. The sensor suite includes the EL/M-2248 MF-STAR AESA radar. Magen-class corvettes have hangar space and a platform able to accommodate a medium-class SH-60-type helicopter.

Check out Naval Library App to find out the specifications of the Sa’ar 6 class corvettes.