INS Lahav

INS Lahav with EL/M-2248 MF-STAR installed
History
Israel
Name:	Lahav
Namesake:	Blade
Builder:	Northrop Grumman by Ingalls Shipbuilding
Launched:	August 1993
Commissioned:	23 September 1994[1]
Status:	Active
Badge:
General characteristics
Class & type:	Sa'ar 5-class corvette
Displacement:	1,227 tonnes (full load) 1,075 tonnes (standard)
Length:	85.64 m (280.97 ft)
Beam:	11.88 m (38.98 ft)
Draft:	3.17 m (10.40 ft)
Propulsion:	Combined Diesel or Gas 2 MTU V12 1163 TB82 diesel engines General Electric LM2500 gas turbine
Speed:	20 knots (37 km/h) (diesel engines) 33 knots (61 km/h) (gas turbine)
Range:	3,500 nautical miles (6,500 km)
Complement:	64 officers and crewmen 10 aircrew
Sensors and processing systems:	EL/M-2248 MF-STAR[2] Elta EL/M-2221 fire-control radar EDO Type 796 sonar Rafael towed sonar array
Electronic warfare & decoys:	Argon ST AN/SLQ-25 Nixie decoy Elbit chaff rocket launchers Rafael RF corner reflector Elisra NS-9003A/9005 RWR
Armament:	8 RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles 16 Barak 8 surface-to-air missiles Phalanx CIWS 2 Mark 32 SVTTs (6 tubes)
Aircraft carried:	Eurocopter Panther
Aviation facilities:	Helipad and helicopter hangar

INS Lahav (502) (translated as blade) is a Sa'ar 5-class corvette of the Israeli Navy that was built by Northrop Grumman Ship Systems in 1993. She is one of three Sa'ar 5-class corvettes in service with the Israeli Navy and her homeport is Haifa, Israel.^[3]

The contract for the construction of the three ships of the class was signed in the early 1980s. Lahav was the second ship of the class to be launched in 1993 and she was commissioned in September 1994. Lahav took part in the 2006 Lebanon War by blockading Lebanese ports. She has also taken part in numerous NATO exercises including one in April 2008 with the Turkish and American navies.^[4]

She took part in the 2010 Gaza flotilla raid.

The Israeli Navy chose Lahav as the first Sa'ar 5 corvette to be equipped with the advanced EL/M-2248 MF-STAR radar. On 23 September 2014 she was presented to the public with the new radar at Haifa naval base.^[2]

References

1. "INS Lahav". Northrop Grumman Ship Systems. Archived from the original on March 23, 2006. Retrieved 2008-12-29.
2. "Israeli Navy Sa'ar 5 class corvettes fitted with IAI EL/M-2248 MF-STAR multifunction AESA radar". NavalRecognition.com. 20 September 2014. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
3. Toppan, Andrew. "World Navies today: Israel". World Navies today. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
4. "NATO Naval Force Visits Israel for Joint Training Exercise". Jewishvirtuallibraries. 1 April 2008. Retrieved 19 July 2015.

External links

• Eilat Class Sa'ar 5 Multi-Mission Corvettes, Israel