Israel Signed a 430 Million Euros Contract with Germany for 4 TKMS MEKO Patrol Vessels
 
Speaking during the Israel Air Force ceremony on December 25th, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel ordered four new patrol vessels from Germany: "Today, I am pleased to announce that three days ago, we added an important component to our defensive force. We purchased four new Saar vessels from Germany" .
The Israeli Ministry of Defense, through the Procurement Administration and in cooperation with the Navy completed on Monday the negotiations for purchase of four patrol boats. The main goal of this new procurement is the protection of Israel's Economic Exclusion Zone (EEZ) where oil and gas production is booming in the sea off west coast of the country. The volume of the transaction is estimated at approximately 430 million euros.
 
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Naval Industry News - Israel, Germany
 
 
 
Israel Signed a 430 Million Euros Contract with Germany for 4 TKMS MEKO Patrol Vessels
 
The Israeli Ministry of Defense, through the Procurement Administration and in cooperation with the Navy completed on Monday the negotiations for purchase of four patrol boats. The main goal of this new procurement is the protection of Israel's Economic Exclusion Zone (EEZ) where oil and gas production is booming in the sea off west coast of the country. The volume of the transaction is estimated at approximately 430 million euros.
     
The future Israeli Navy vessels are based on TKMS/Blohm+Voss MEKO 80 Patrol Corvette. While the four hulls will be built in Germany, weapon and sensor systems outfitting will highly likely be conducted in Israel. Picture: TKMS
The future Israeli Navy vessels are based on TKMS/Blohm+Voss MEKO 80 Patrol Corvette. While the four hulls will be built in Germany, weapon and sensor systems outfitting will highly likely be conducted in Israel. Picture: TKMS
     
The contract signing ceremony was held at the Ministry of Defense, attended by Defense Ministry Director General (retired) Dan Harel, head of finance Amos sweetbreads, Vice President and Head of Procurement Administration (res) Shmuel Zucker and TKMS CEO Andreas Burmester.

During the negotiations, the Defense Ministry insisted that all weapons systems be produced in Israel so as to ensure the flow of new orders on a significant scale for Israeli defense industries.

According to the German sources, the future Israeli Navy patrol vessels are based on the MEKO 80 designed and built by German group ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS). MEKO 80 patrol corvette is a slightly reduced version of the MEKO 100 (of which 6 were built for the Royal Malaysian Navy and one under construction in Poland for the Polish Navy).

All four vessels will be built in Germany by TKMS while systems outfitting (combat management system, sensors and weapons) will most likely be conducted in Israel. Weapons fit may even include anti-aircraft the new medium-range surface to air missile system Barak 8 and MF-STAR multifunction AESA radar both systems developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).
     
Blohm+Voss Class MEKO 80 Patrol Corvette. According to TKMS website, the resultant fusion of corvette and OPV makes the patrol corvette a cost effective solution for navies requiring a low-cost and economical platform for patrol and policing duties that is also capable of naval missions, including combat. Picture: TKMS
Blohm+Voss Class MEKO 80 Patrol Corvette. According to TKMS website, the resultant fusion of corvette and OPV makes the patrol corvette a cost effective solution for navies requiring a low-cost and economical platform for patrol and policing duties that is also capable of naval missions, including combat. Picture: TKMS
     
"The deal signed today is the most significant event which is a dramatic leap forward in the defense capabilities of the Navy on the strategic sites of the State of Israel in the gas field, a distance of hundreds of miles at sea," said Defense Ministry Director General (retired) Dan Harel. " The transaction also represents a significant economic stimulus to the economy, with nearly a billion shekels will return directly to the Israeli industry and purchased equipment orders. We are happy and proud of the results of the negotiations, which ensured maximum achievements both on the operational and financial aspects ".