33rd 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.

The original construction plan for Sa'ar 4.5-class missile boats included 2 helicopter-equipped ships (INS Aliya and INS Geula) and three ordinary missile boats: Hetz-subclass missile boats called INS Herev and INS Sufa commissioned in 2002 and 2003, raising the number of Sa'ar 4.5 Hetz-subclass missile boats to eight.

Order of Battle

INS Herev [Sword]
Commissioned on May 2002,
comprising modern equipment and weapon systems.

INS Sufa [Storm]
Commissioned on May 2003,
comprising modern equipment and weapon systems.

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