INS Hetz

Guided Missile Boat / Escort / Patrol Boat (1991)

Naval Warfare

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The INS Hetz proceeds along a multiple-minded mission set, ready to react in an offensive or defensive nature.

Authored By: JR Potts, AUS 173d AB | Last Edited: 08/11/2017 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

An Israeli Naval Ship (INS), the Hetz/Nirit-class Sa'ar 4.5 is a missile boat that was launched sometime in 1991. The Hetz - and her class - are designed with a multiple mission set in mind: "brown water" patrol close to the shore line and "deep blue" water assignments further at sea. The Hetz takes on a coast guard type assignments and, at times, can be called upon to assume destroyer escort duty as a picket boat, in effect expanding the missile defense umbrella covering Israel's coastline against enemy missile, aircraft or a surface warship attack.

Originally, the Hetz Sa'ar 4.5-class missile boat was named the INS Nirit. Two of the original class - the Aliya and Geula - were scheduled to have helipads and hangers built atop the aft deck. They were renamed to the INS Aliya-class. Compatible helicopters included the Sikorsky HH-65, Bell 206, Hughes MD 500 as well as the newest Eurocopter Panther. In 2006, both "heliboats" were sold to Mexico.

The Nirit was last to be launched and received advanced equipment and, when commissioned in 1991, received a name change to INS Hetz. The Romach and the Keshet were then upgraded to the Hetz standard and the Israeli Navy named the Hetz as first in its class. Another two missile boats were upgraded as Hetz Sa'ar 4.5-class the INS Sufa launched in 2002 with the INS Herev following in 2003.

The Hetz was outfitted with three types of missile systems - the Barak, the Gabriel II, and the American-made Harpoon - and could support a layered defense approach with the operator choosing the right weapon for the task at hand. Apart from the Harpoon, the other two defense systems were of wholly Israeli design. The Gabriel II was a short-to-medium anti-ship missile system with a range up to 36km with six such launchers mounted onboard. The Barak was a short-range 10km system designed for anti-aircraft and surface ship suppression to which the Hetz mounted two of these launchers forward. The Boeing Harpoon missile system rounded out the triad and was a proven long-range, surface-to-surface anti-ship missile. The Hetz carried two harpoon batteries of four launchers each having a maximum range of 130km. For closer encounters, the weapons suite was made up of the Vulcan Phalanx Mk 15 25mm CIWS (Close-In Weapon System) or the standard OTO Melara 3 76mm main gun. Fire control onboard for the missile systems and the CIWS 25mm gun was directed by the Thales Neptune air/surface search radar and the Elta EL/M-2221 fire control radar. The ship was also afforded an electronic warfare system in the Elisra NS-9003A/9005 RWR and, as the last level of defense, an Elbit a chaff rocket system was made available.

Specifications

Service Year

1991

Origin

Israel

Complement

53
PERSONNEL

Class

Sa;ar 4.5-class

Number-in-Class

8
VESSELS

Ships-in-Class

INS Aliya; INS Geula; INS Romach; INS Keshet; INS Hetz; INS Kidon; INS Tarshish; INS Yaffo; INS Herev; INS Sufa

Israel

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Offshore Operation
Activities conducted near shorelines in support of allied activities.

Length

202.3 ft
61.66 m

Beam

24.9 ft
7.59 m

Draught

9.0 ft
2.74 m

Displacement

488
tons

Installed Power: 4 x MTU 16V956 TB91 diesel marine engines developing 4,000 horsepower to 4 x shafts.

Surface Speed

34.0 kts
(39.1 mph)

Range

4,799 nm
(5,523 mi | 8,888 km)

8 x Harpoon surface-to-surface, long-range, anti-ship missiles.

6 x Gabriel II surface-to-surface, short-to-medium range, anti-ship missiles.

4 x Barak surface-to-air, anti-aircraft, short range missile system.

2 x 76mm OTO Melara cannons OR 2 x Vulcan Phalanx Mk 15 25mm CIWS.

2 x 20mm Typhoon anti-aircraft cannons

4 x Chaff dispensers

4 x Smoke dispensers

Supported Types

Graphical image of an aircraft Gatling-style rotating gun

Graphical image of an air-to-air missile weapon

Graphical image of an aircraft anti-ship missile

(Not all weapon types may be represented in the showcase above)

None.

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