In one of the largest deals of its kind, Israel purchased four naval patrol ships from Germany which are intended to be used to secure the Jewish state’s offshore natural gas assets.
The deal was finalized earlier this week Monday between Israeli Defense Minister Mosher Ya’alon and his German counterpart, Ursuala von der Leyen.
According to the agreement, which was signed one day before the two countries marked 50 years of diplomatic relations, Germany will finance one third of the cost of the ships.
Israeli military officials hope that the new German advanced surface vessels will become the future combat boat of the Israeli Navy. It has been nearly two decades since the Israeli Navy has last upgraded its combat boats.
The total cost of the deal is estimated to be around NIS 1.8 billion ($467 million).
Defense Ministry Director General Dan Harel said the purchase of the patrol boats signifies “a dramatic jump in the navy’s defensive capabilities.”
The new ships are equipped to function at a distance of hundreds of miles away from Israel’s coastline. They will be equipped with advanced missile detection systems and are larger and stronger than the ships that Israel currently has in its navy.
Based upon the Corvette models, the patrol ships will serve to protect Israel’s offshore natural gas deposits (Tamar and Leviathan), which have become a security target and somewhat of a problem for the Israeli Navy, who is tasked with guarding the platforms and rigs.
Under current operational procedure, missile ships are tasked with protecting the rigs. However, during times of tension, the missile ships are ordered to remain close to Israel’s shores, especially the northern border.
The recent deal between Israel and Germany is just yet another in a long string of military agreements between the two countries. Israel recently purchased Dolphin class submarines from Germany as part of efforts to bolster its naval might.
Similar to the new German-made submarines, which are slated to arrive in Israel this fall, the new ships will arrive bare, with Israel installing all the internal operating systems. The installation process is expected to take up to a year. The ships themselves will be delivered to Israel beginning in four years time after they are built in Germany and sent to Israel.
In a press conference in Tel Aviv, the German defense minister said Israel “is our biggest friend in the Middle East. We have 70 projects with you and there is not a country in the world we have such expansive security relations with like we do with Israel, both bilaterally and in cooperation between the militaries.”
Reiterating the IDF’s continual defensive posture, Ya’alon emphasized, “The corvettes ships purchased from Germany to protect the gas rigs are meant for protection missions only.”
