Sa'ar 5 Class Corvette/Frigate

Sa'ar 5 Class Corvette/Frigate

Type: Frigate

Domain: sea

Country of Origin: Israel

Manufacturer: Northrop Grumman Ship Systems (USA)

First Deployed: 1994

Overview

Israel Navy's principal surface combatant for over two decades, designed and built in the United States with extensive Israeli weapons and sensor integration. Displacement of 1,275 tonnes full load — compact but densely packed with weapons and sensors. Features a pioneering stealth design with sloped surfaces and reduced radar cross-section that was advanced for its 1990s construction era. Armed with 8x Harpoon anti-ship missiles (later supplemented with Gabriel), 64-cell Barak 1 VLS for point defence, Phalanx CIWS, 2x 324mm torpedo tubes, and helicopter deck. The Sa'ar 5 saw combat in the 2006 Lebanon War when INS Hanit was struck by a C-802 anti-ship missile — an incident that accelerated Israel's investment in ship self-defence systems. Three ships in class: Eilat, Lahav, and Hanit. Now serving alongside the newer Sa'ar 6 class. The Sa'ar 5 class has undergone multiple upgrade cycles with improved weapons and sensors.

Technical Specifications

crew~74
typeCorvette / Light Frigate
ships3 in service
speed33+ knots
sensorsEL/M-2218S radar; hull sonar
armamentHarpoon SSM; Barak-1 SAM; Phalanx CIWS; torpedo tubes
displacement~1,275 tonnes
manufacturerNorthrop Grumman (Ingalls Shipbuilding, USA)

Operators

Related sea Weapon Systems