A Littoral Combat Frigate For Israel

A Littoral Combat Frigate For Israel

July 18, 2008: The 1,227t/ 1,350 ton Sa’ar 5 Eilat Class corvettes were built by Northrop Grumman in the 1990s for about $260 million each. Their two 32-cell launchers for short-range Barak surface-air missiles, Mk15 Phalanx gun option, and IAI Elta EL/M-2218S and EL/M-2221 GM STGR radars give them moderate anti-air capabilities. Bow-mounted and towed sonars, plus 6×324mm torpedo tubes for ATK’s Mark 46 torpedoes, give them moderate anti-submarine capability. Surface warfare is addressed well, with Typhoon remotely-operated 7.62-30mm gun/missile systems to deal with guerrilla craft, Harpoon or Gabriel anti-ship missiles for use against larger ships or land targets, and a 76mm Oto Melara naval gun option that can be installed in place of the Phalanx CIWS system. The Eilat Class’ helicopter hangar can accommodate H-665A Dauphin/Panther, Kaman SH-2F or Sikorsky S-76N helicopters, and the ship is also capable of launching small boats or USVs like RAFAEL’s Protector series in support of Special Forces missions or other tasks. Some have called them a better model for the USA to adopt, as it seeks an affordable Littoral Combat Ship.