INS Lahav

INS Lahav with EL/M-2248 MF-STAR installed
History
Israel
NameLahav
NamesakeBlade
BuilderNorthrop Grumman by Ingalls Shipbuilding
LaunchedAugust 1993
Commissioned23 September 1994[1]
StatusActive
Badge
General characteristics
Class and typeSa'ar 5-class corvette
Displacement
Length85.64 m (280.97 ft)
Beam11.88 m (38.98 ft)
Draft3.17 m (10.40 ft)
Propulsion
Speed
Range3,500 nautical miles (6,500 km)
Complement
  • 64 officers and crewmen
  • 10 aircrew
Sensors and
processing systems
Electronic warfare
& decoys
Armament
Aircraft carriedEurocopter Panther
Aviation facilitiesHelipad and helicopter hangar

INS Lahav (502) (translated as blade) is a Sa'ar 5-class corvette of the Israeli Navy's 3rd Flotilla 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]

It 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]

  1. ^ "INS Lahav". Northrop Grumman Ship Systems. Archived from the original on March 23, 2006. Retrieved 2008-12-29.
  2. ^ a b "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. Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2015.