Israel and the German government have finalized a deal for the German firm Thyssen Krupp to build four new corvettes for the Israeli Navy at the Kiel shipyards.
The exact details of what model the Israelis settled on is classified, but based on previous talks the ships will probably be either MEKO A100 class (pictured above) or the MEKO CSL's, something more along the lines of a littoral combat ship. The new frigates will be configured with Israeli electronics like IAI’s Elta’s EL/M-2248 MF-STAR radar systems and Israeli weaponry like the new Barak-8 medium range air defense missile. There's also a rear pad for an attack or recon helicopter. The cost of the deal is a billion euros, of which Germany will subsidize 115 million euros. This is a similar type of deal to the one Israel did with Germany to get its six Dolphin-class nuclear capable subs, also built at Kiel.
Israel's strategic mission for the corvettes is the protection of Israel's off shore drilling installations, so they needed a fast ship that can provide decent defense against any attacking enemies as well as surface attack punch. Israel's SOTA Heron UAVs are already operating in maritime patrols and the new ships will augment that.
The work is expected to start in a matter of weeks, as soon as the German parliament’s budget committee gives final approval, which is expected to be forthcoming.
5 comments:
OT
the link for the "pictured above" doesn't work. i'm sure it's just me.
continued OT
i have never understood military procurement. circa 1863, the union army buys canon by the hundreds. do the canon accommodate the canon balls the union army is buying by the thousands?
who knows/cares?
today's generals in procurement are much the same. if it doesn't cost a billion anything, they don't want to entertain it.
i'm sure the issue is that i just don't understand military operations/tactics.
because if it were me, instead of buying four(4)somethings from the hun (touchy feely goody goody) i would buy 166 stilettos. and you know who i would buy them from? build them yourself for crying fking out loud.
the best thing imo to do, as the joos aren't trying to project power into the pacific, is build a dmn patrol torpedo boat. just replace the torpedo launchers with a couple of M-134D systems. if you made them yourself from the original design materials they would cost what(?), 100k each. update/upgrade that to aluminum/steel hull for 200k.
carbon fiber hull?
they could accommodate 18-20 good guys.
but you know why they don't do that?
it doesn't cost a billion somethings.
Hi Louie,
What you're saying about military procurement applies to all government departments and how they spend...i.e., they get X amount of $$ and if they don't spend X amount, they get less next time out.
I see this case is slightly different,however.
These ships are being purchased for a specific strategic purpose, to defend Israel's oil and gas platforms in the Mediterranean. And any attack is going to come from Hamas and Hezbollah, who would attack in one of two ways - either with sabotage or a 'commando' type raid using small boats, or more likely, missile attacks.
Yeah, the M-134D is a nifty electric cannon, but remember that Israel has the drones to handle raids and small boat attacks if necessary. They're now making their own domestic HellFires since Obama stopped shipments for 'State department review' Israel had already paid for in the middle of the Gaza War.
And they also have security on the platforms themselves to repel saboteurs if necessary.
While the corvettes can also handle that and will do interception at sea, a big part of what they're designed to do is to deal with land to sea missile attacks.
The A-100's are made for that. They will carry sophisticated radar and anti-missile defense systems designed for offense (to take out shore based missile sites) and for defense, to take out missiles already airborne.
The boats you're describing aren't really built for that..they're a whole different animal.
IAI’s Elta’s EL/M-2248 MF-STAR radar system is SOTA and is designed even to cope with the Russki-made Yakount anti-ship missiles Iran has tried to get to Hezbollah a couple of times.
So this plugs an important hole.
Also, Israel needed to upgrade its missile corvettes anyway and € 250,000 per ship is not an exorbitant price to pay for a warship of this kind, especially since it's even less with the discount the Germans gave them.
There's also a political element here. As you know (although a lot of Americans don't)almost all of the military aid Israel gets from the U.S. is spent here. That ensures that influential U.S. defense contractors stay in Israel's corner, that and the joint weapons programs lucrative for both sides. It also helps these same contractors when they come up against Israeli companies bidding for defense contracts,like the $20 billion missile defense system Poland is buying that Raphael had the inside track for with David's Sling and pulled out of.
Germany needs exports and needs to keep its shipyards busy. And Germany is also one of Israel's best friends in Europe. The Germans are the only EU country in Western Europe that refused to even consider recognizing Hamas/Fatah land (AKA 'Palestine')in the Bundestag via a UN resolution.
So there's an element of political quid pro quo on both sides.
Take care, OK?
Also, Israel needed to upgrade its missile corvettes anyway and € 250,000 per ship is not an
just for the record, did you leave a "set" of zeros off that number? that would make the visual more accurate.
Whoopsie! Left off a few zeros...
"€ 250,000,000 per ship"
(Maybe I can get a job as a procurement specialist in Washington?)
Still a pretty good deal.The comparable American LCS-5
(Littoral Combat Ships) made by Lockheed Martin costs between between $430 million and $440 million each.
And some would argue that they have a much more limited function than the MEKO and aren't as good.
Regards,
Rob
(Maybe I can get a job as a procurement specialist in Washington?)
if hussein finds out about that, you will be put in charge of obamacare. yourself and ms. joshuapundit will have to relocate to deecee. and you will have to dine with gruber once a week.
Post a Comment