The Shaldag-class patrol boat ( he, שלדג, ''Kingfisher'') is a small but fast class of

patrol boat A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. There are many designs for patrol boats, and the ...

s developed for the

Israeli Navy The Israeli Navy ( he, חיל הים הישראלי, ''Ḥeil HaYam HaYisraeli'' (English: The Israeli Sea Corps); ar, البحرية الإسرائيلية) is the naval warfare service arm of the Israel Defense Forces, operating primarily in ...

and launched in 1989, it has since seen service with several other navies. Designed for security tasks where high intercept speeds are required, such as interdiction of terrorism and illegal smuggling. Its salient features high speed in rough seas, with good seakeeping and outstanding maneuverability, exceptionally low slamming in all sea states, dry decks at all speeds and very spacious and accessible internal arrangement.

History

The Shaldag class was conceptualized by Israel Shipyards in response to request from the Israeli Navy for a fast patrol boat to protect Israeli waters from terrorist threats.

Design and construction

Flickr - Israel Defense Forces - The Israeli Navy sets sail on another mission in the mediterranean

The hull, deck and deckhouse are of welded marine aluminium alloy, with transverse frames and longitudinals. Integral double bottom tanks contain fuel with an additional gravity fuel tank at the center. The hull is divided into six watertight compartments which meet strict international flooded damage stability criteria.

Armament

The vessels are armed with a

Typhoon Weapon Station The Typhoon is a type of remote weapon station manufactured by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems of Israel, and it shares similar design principles and common technologies with Samson Remote Controlled Weapon Station (Samson RCWS), a land-based ...

, mounting a Bushmaster M242 and electro-optics systems. They are equipped with foredeck and aftdeck rings for

Oerlikon 20 mm cannon The Oerlikon 20 mm cannon is a series of autocannons, based on an original German Becker Type M2 20 mm cannon design that appeared very early in World War I. It was widely produced by Oerlikon Contraves and others, with various models emplo ...

and a single gun mount. There are spigots for 0.5-inch machine guns on both sides of the main deck. The boat is able to accommodate most advanced new weapon systems, such as the rapid-fire stabilized gun mount, remotely controlled by a night vision system. The Shaldag Mark II variants are equipped with Spike ER surface to surface missiles.

Operators

Military operators

* : Operated by Equatorial Guinean Navy. * : Operated by Israeli Navy. * : Operated by the Nigerian Navy. * : Nine units of Shaldag Mk V were ordered in a contract signed on February 9, 2021 under the Navy's Fast Attack Interdictor Craft-Missile (FAIC-M) Acquisition Project. Two of them are expected in September 2022. * : Purchased for the Senegalese Navy. * : 7 Used by the Sri Lankan Navy.

Law enforcement agencies

* : Used by Argentine Naval Prefecture. 4 Shaldag Mk IIs. *: Purchased for the State Border Service (Azerbaijan). * : Used by Cyprus Port and Marine Police. * : Three Shaldag Mk IVs with

Romanian Border Police The Romanian Border Police ( ro, Poliția de Frontieră) is the structure of the Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs responsible for the border security and passport control at border crossing points, airports and ports. Structure Since 2001 m ...

Potential civilian operators

* : The Philippine Coast Guard has considered the use of the Shaldag Mk II.

Subclasses

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shaldag Class Fast Patrol Boat Patrol boat classes Naval ships of Israel