South Korean Ships Instead of Trainer Aircraft (Israeli navy?)

Israel Defense ^ | 1/4/2012 | Arie Egozi

[sukhoi-30mki]

South Korean Ships Instead of Trainer Aircraft

Representatives from the South Korean government and Hyundai shipyards recently visited Israel and offered to construct new surface vessels for the navy

Despite South Korea’s loss in the competition for supplying an advanced trainer aircraft to the Israeli Air Force, which caused considerable disappointment in Seoul, South Korea is offering to procure new surface vessels for the Israeli Navy via Hyundai shipyards. South Korean representatives have already visited Israel and met with the Ministry of Defense to discuss a possible deal.

While there is no budget to construct the vessels, the Israeli Navy needs missile boats that are more advanced and larger than the Saar 5 model currently in use. According to a source involved with the issue, the contacts are preliminary, but ongoing.

Iran’s increased activity in the Mediterranean has compelled the navy to procure additional combat vessels. Until several months ago, it seemed that there was a good chance that Israel Shipyards in Haifa would become the manufacturer for advanced missile boats. While the government has yet to approve large investments for the shipyards, at one point, it seemed that the situation changed and that the chance for an investment was close.

The Ministry of Defense first looked into procuring LCS vessels from the US, but their price skyrokceted, so the idea was abandoned. A later possibility was for Germany to construct vessels; however, this plan also fell through, as Germany was unwilling to fund part of the deal.

Israel Shipyards proposed a program in which it would absorb hundreds of employees while investing in a new manufacturing layout that would allow the company to construct Saar 5.5 vessels, with a displacement of 2,100 tons.

The idea to have Israel Shipyards enter the field of advanced vessels for naval forces relied on projections of an increased global demand and that the navy would seek the procurement of an additional 100 combat vessels within the next decade. These estimates represent an enormous market, and according to experts, it would be enough for Israel Shipyards to accept orders for 10 such vessels to cover the necessary investments for attaining the capability needed to manufacture them.

The Israeli Ministry of Defense even approached the treasury with a request to assist Israel Shipyards with financial aid to turn the company into a central manufacturer of medium-sized combat vessels. However, at present, this plan is stuck.

Representatives from the South Korean government and Hyundai Shipyards arrived in Israel to offer the navy surface vessels with a displacement of 1,300 tons. As is, Seoul is aware that Israel is only interested in the skeleton of the vessel, since various Israeli defense industries would install Israeli-made systems onboard, including radar and missiles.

The discovery of gas and oil fields in the Mediterranean off Israel’s coast also increased the need for new surface vessels. This is a complicated task, primarily because of the considerable threats posed by Hezbollah and other terror organizations seeking to hurt Israeli facilities at sea.

[sukhoi-30mki]

Saar-5 class corvette

[gogogodzilla]

Makes sense. South Korean vessels are very heavily armed, but sacrifice range as a trade-off.

And Israel really doesn’t need long-range vessels, but they do need to have overwhelming firepower... and when the need it, it’s usually ASAP.

[Army Air Corps]

Ping.