32nd Missile Boat Squadron (Haifa)

 boat, squadron (military)

Sa'ar 4.5 (Hebrew: סער 4.5‎) is a class of Israeli Sea Corps missile boats designed and built by Israel Shipyards Ltd. as an improved and stretched Sa'ar 4-class missile boat. There are two different subclasses that are both named Saar 4.5: The first of which initially called Chochit (Hebrew: חוחית‎), but renamed to Aliya (Hebrew: עליה‎); the second of which initially called Nirit (Hebrew: נירית‎) but renamed to Hetz (Hebrew: חץ‎).

Sa'ar 4.5 Hetz-subclass missile boat lacks the helicopter facilities of the Aliya-subclass, but has more weapon systems fitted. It is largely based on the Sa'ar 4-class missile boat with improvements in electronic systems: command and control, detection, classification and identification, fire control system, radar, sonar, electronic warfare and communications. The engines and propulsion systems were also upgraded. The ship itself is 4 meters longer than the Sa'ar 4-class to accommodate the new systems.

INS Kidon, INS Tarshish, and INS Yaffo commissioned in 1994, 1995, and 1998 respectively. Particularly INS Kidon and INS Yaffo were built comprising various older systems that were disassembled from Sa'ar 4-class missile boats with the same names, atop brand new Sa'ar 4.5-class hulls. INS Tarshish possibly also comprised some weapon systems demounted from Sa'ar 4-class missile boat with the same name, atop new Sa'ar 4.5-class hull.

Order of Battle

INS Kidon [Javelin]
Commissioned on February 1994,
comprising various systems dismantled from older Sa'ar 4 INS Kidon hull.

INS Tarshish
Commissioned on June 1995,
comprising some systems dismantled from older Sa'ar 4 INS Tarshish hull.

INS Yaffo [Jaffa]
Commissioned on July 1998,
comprising various systems dismantled from older Sa'ar 4 INS Yaffo hull.

www.israel-shipyards.com/naval-003.asp