Israeli Navy’s new corvette warships operational to defend country’s maritime gas assets
In a clear message to Israel’s enemies, the Israeli Navy announced on Sunday that three out of its four new Sa’ar 6-class Corvettes, highly advanced German-produced warships, were operational and ready to be deployed for defending the Jewish state’s highly coveted maritime gas assets. The fourth corvette is expected to be operational in the near future.
While the ships were manufactured in Germany, they have been substantially upgraded with highly-advanced Israeli high-tech military capabilities uniquely designed for Israel’s security needs. The corvettes are fitted with advanced anti-missile systems, radar systems and a variety of offensive combat capabilities. In addition, the new Israeli Navy ships can carry medium-sized helicopters.
Maj.-Gen. Eli Sharvit, former commander of the Israeli Navy, said the Jewish state’s naval arm played a central role in protecting the country’s maritime gas fields.
"The mission of defending Israel's Exclusive Economic Zone and strategic assets at sea is the primary mission of the Israeli Navy," said Sharvit.
“These assets are essential to the operational continuity of the State of Israel, and having the ability to protect them has critical importance. The security needed to protect the EEZ is clear. The best protection method of that space and the assets in it is by ships, and the Sa’ar 6 Corvettes fulfill that operational need in a precise and excellent way,” concluded the Israeli Navy commander.
The comparatively small Israeli Navy has traditionally operated in the shadows of the more prioritized Israeli Air Force and ground forces. However, following the discovery of vast gas fields off of Israel’s Mediterranean coast and growing threats, especially from the Iranian-backed terrorist organization Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Israeli Navy has undergone a substantial upgrade to meet the growing strategic maritime challenges. This includes the expansion of Israel’s submarine fleet.
In January, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced that Israel’s submarine fleet was crucial for the country’s overall security.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
