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Warship

Israel

Israel Shipyards

Sa'ar 5

A stealth-shaped corvette class that formed the backbone of the Israeli Navy's surface fleet for decades, combining a low radar profile with a Phalanx CIWS, Harpoon missiles and a helicopter deck. It is gradually being supplemented by the newer Sa'ar 6 class.

In service since 1994 · 1 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

1,075

4,500

nmi

crew

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

Israeli export-licensed

Israeli MoD (DECA/SIBAT) licensing; active export programme.

Channel: Direct commercial / G2G

Fielded & proven

Limited · 1 operator

In service since 1994. Status: active.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from. Why so few systems publish one →

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Compatible munitions & weapons

Publicly reported weapons the Sa'ar 5 can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.

Barak 1

Harpoon

Gabriel

Full specifications

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Firepower specifications
Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type.	Phalanx CIWS
Torpedo tubes Number of torpedo tubes (submarines and some surface ships).	6 Stronger than 70% of warships

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Physical specifications
Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.	85.64 m

Naval

Displacement, speed, endurance and diving depth.

Naval specifications
Displacement Standard displacement in tonnes, the ship’s size class. Larger hulls carry more but cost more and are less agile.	1,075 t
Full-load displacement Displacement fully loaded with fuel, stores and munitions.	1,275 t
Max speed Top speed in knots (surfaced, for submarines). Higher aids positioning and screening.	33 kn Top 3% of warships
Range Cruising range in nautical miles. Nuclear vessels are effectively unlimited (fuel-wise). Higher means more reach without replenishment.	4,500 nmi Stronger than 29% of warships
Complement Crew size. Fewer eases manning cost; more may indicate a larger, more capable platform.	74
Propulsion plant Machinery type, nuclear reactor, gas turbine (COGAG), CODAG, diesel-electric, AIP.	CODOG (gas turbine + diesel)

Sensors & avionics

Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.

Sensors & avionics specifications
Radar Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art.	EL/M-2218S search radar
Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights.	EL/M-2218S, hull-mounted sonar

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Program specifications
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.	1 Stronger than 45% of warships

Specifications compiled from public Israel Shipyards and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

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