INS Oz explained

INS Oz is a of the Israeli Navy's Shayetet 3 Flotilla. She is the second ship of her class.

Development and design

See main article: Sa'ar 6-class corvette. The Sa'ar 6-class corvettes' design is loosely based on the German, but with engineering changes to accommodate Israeli-built sensors and missiles such as the Barak 8[1] and the naval Iron Dome system. Elbit Systems has been awarded the contract to design and build the electronic warfare (EW) suites for the ships.

The Sa'ar 6-class vessels have a displacement of almost 1,900 tons at full load and are 90m (300feet) long. They are armed with an Oto Melara 76 mm main gun, two Typhoon Weapon Stations, 32 vertical launch cells for Barak-8 surface-to-air missiles, 40 cells for the C-Dome point defense system, 16 anti-ship missiles Gabriel V,[2] [3] the EL/M-2248 MF-STAR AESA radar, and two torpedo launchers. They have hangar space and a platform able to accommodate a medium class SH-60-type helicopter.

Construction and career

She was launched on 24 August 2019 at German Naval Yards and ThyssenKrupp in Kiel. She was handed over to Israeli Navy on 4 May 2021.[4] [5] In Haifa in September 2022, the vessel's 76/62 rapid-fire main gun was ceremonially accepted for her and her sister ship Magen.[6] Later in the month a Gabriel V anti-ship missile was successfully test-fired from the corvette.[7]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Opall-Rome. Barbara. Israeli Navy Marks Milestones at German Shipyards. 4 August 2016. defensenews.com. 27 January 2021.
  2. Web site: Sea-to-sea missile test conducted . israeldefense.co.il . Dombe . Ami Rojkes . 29 September 2020 . 27 January 2021.
  3. Web site: Israel tests new sea-to-sea missile . UPI . Adamcyzk . Ed . 25 September 2020 . 27 January 2021.
  4. Web site: Newdick. Thomas. Israel Has Taken Delivery Of Its Most Capable Warship Ever. 2021-03-24. The Drive. 12 November 2020 . en.
  5. Web site: TKMS Hand over Second SA'AR 6 Corvette to the Israeli Navy. 4 May 2021.
  6. Web site: Israeli Navy Accepts Leonardo Main Gun for Saar 6 corvettes . 15 September 2022 .
  7. Web site: Israeli Navy test-fires Gabriel V anti-ship missile from Sa'ar 6 corvette . 22 September 2022 .