Israel Buys Five New Missile Ships

Israel Shipyards has secured a $780 million contract to supply five new Reshef-class fast attack craft equipped with missiles to the Israeli Navy, with an option for it to purchase further vessels.

The deal was signed last week at the Israel Ministry of Defence (IMoD) headquarters in Tel Aviv, as per its recent press statement, with the acquisition having been approved by both the Ministerial Procurement Committee and the Joint Committee of Defense Budget in the Knesset.

Under the terms of the contract Israel Shipyards will produce and supply the five new Reshef-class ships to the Israeli Navy between now and 2030. The multi-mission vessel, developed in collaboration with the Israeli Navy, will replace its "Nirit" Sa'ar 4.5-class boats which have now seen four decades of service.

The 76-metre vessels will be based on the design of Israel Shipyards' Sa'ar 72-class corvette and will boast C-Dome, the naval version of the Iron Dome air-defence system developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).

Major General (Res.) Eyal Zami, Director General of the IMoD, commented: "The ‘Reshef’ agreement represents an integration of security, economic, and industrial priorities. These new vessels will strengthen the Israeli Navy's expanding maritime capabilities.

"Manufacturing them locally in Israel will maintain and grow the nation's exclusive strategic production line for combat vessels and enhance operational independence and continuity while securing hundreds of jobs in Israel. Other nations are expected to follow the Israeli Navy's example by seeking to acquire these Israeli-made combat vessels, which will boost defense exports."

• You can read more details on the IMoD's Facebook page