Israel Shipyards

Israel Shipyards Ltd.

Aerial View of Israel Shipyards June 2013
Type	Privately held limited company Previously a Government-owned corporation
Industry	Shipbuilding, Defence
Founded	1959 (1959)
Headquarters	Haifa, Israel
Key people	Samy Katsav (Chairman since 1995), Avi Shahaf (General Manager since 1995)
Products	Missile boats, Patrol Boats, Tugboats, Multipurpose Boats and Cranes
Revenue	₪ 148 million (2007)
Number of employees	378 employees
Website	Israel Shipyards

Israel Shipyards is one of the largest shipbuilding and repair facilities in the eastern Mediterranean.^[1] The company also operates the first and only privately owned port in Israel. The company’s facilities are located at the Kishon Port (part of the Port of Haifa complex) include a floating dry dock with 20,000 tons of lifting capacity and a 900 meters long wharf with 12 meters of water depth.

History

The company was founded in 1959 by the State of Israel to build both military and civilian ships, and to provide marine engineering upgrade, maintenance and repair services. In 1995, following years of underperformance and continued losses under state ownership, the company was privatized and sold to a group of local investors who, since 1998, have returned it to profitability.^[2]

Today Israel Shipyards is controlled by the Shlomo Group (TASE:SHLD), a holding group owned by businessman Shlomo Shmeltzer.^[2]

In May 2013, Israel Shipyard unveiled a new ‘Mini Corvette’ design, the Sa'ar S-72 class; to offer the Israeli Navy a new class, which fits between the Navy’s existing Sa'ar 4.5-class missile boats, and Sa'ar 5-class corvettes. Through the years Israel Shipyards have built 33 Saar 4 and 4.5 class missile boats; 20 were delivered to the Israeli Navy over the years. Last to be delivered were two upgraded Sa'ar 4.5 Hetz-subclass missile boats called INS Herev (2002) and INS Sufa (2003). With the new Mini Corvette the shipyard hopes to expand its offering to meet the evolving requirements, of the Israeli Navy, as well as of international customers overseas.^[3]

Products and services

Naval vessels

Missile boats

• Sa'ar 4-class missile boat
• Sa'ar 4.5-class missile boat
• Sa'ar 72-class corvette

Patrol boats

• Shaldag class fast patrol boat
• ZIVANIT-class hydrofoils Patrol boats
• Police patrol boats

Merchant vessels

• Tugboats
• Bulk freighters

Ship repairs

The Shipyards has capability and experience to design and execute project such as:

• Damage repair of merchant ships
• Jumboizing of container ships
• Conversion and modification of cargo vessels
• Repairs and maintenance of merchant and Naval vessels

Industrial structures

The company uses its facilities to build and deliver non-ship related commissions; recently completed projects include:

• Panamax and Post Panamax container cranes
• Harbor construction and cargo handling installations
• Coal unloading steel piers and cranes for the Orot Rabin power plant
• Industrial large pressure vessels
• Potash storage and loading installation
• Jet bridges for Ben Gurion International Airport's terminal 3

List of ships built by Israel Shipyards (partial list)

Name	Class	Built For	Launched	Fate	Image
INS Reshef (Spark)	Sa'ar 4-class missile boat	Israeli Navy  Chilean Navy	February 1973	Sold to Chile in 1997 as LM-34 Angamos
INS Keshet (Bow)	Sa'ar 4-class missile boat	Israeli Navy  Chilean Navy	October 1973	Sold to Chile in 1981 as LM-31 Chipana
INS Romach (Lance)	Sa'ar 4-class missile boat	Israeli Navy  Chilean Navy	1974	Sold to Chile in 1979 as LM-30 Casma
INS Kidon (Javelin)	Sa'ar 4-class missile boat	Israeli Navy	1974	Retired - The old hull sunk as an underwater memorial
INS Tarshish	Sa'ar 4-class missile boat	Israeli Navy  Chilean Navy	1975	Sold to Chile in 1997 as LM-35 Papudo
INS Yaffo (Jaffa))	Sa'ar 4-class missile boat	Israeli Navy	1975	Retired
INS Nitzachon (Victory)	Sa'ar 4-class missile boat	Israeli Navy	July 1978	Redirected to anti-submarine warfare
INS Atzmaut (Independence)	Sa'ar 4-class missile boat	Israeli Navy	December 1978	Redirected to anti-submarine warfare
INS Moledet (Homeland)	Sa'ar 4-class missile boat	Israeli Navy  Sri Lanka Navy	1979	Redirected to anti-submarine warfare, sold to Sri-Lanka in 2000 as SLNS Suranimala.
INS Komemiyut (Sovereignty)	Sa'ar 4-class missile boat	Israeli Navy  Sri Lanka Navy	1980	Redirected to anti-submarine warfare, sold to Sri-Lanka in 2000 as SLNS Nandimitra
INS Aliya (Homecoming)	Sa'ar 4.5-class missile boat	Israeli Navy	July 1980	Refitted and sold to Mexico in 2004 as ARM Huracán
INS Geula (Salvation)	Sa'ar 4.5-class missile boat	Israeli Navy	October 1980	Refitted and sold to Mexico in 2004 as ARM Tormenta
INS Romah (Halberd)	Sa'ar 4.5-class missile boat	Israeli Navy	1981	Active
INS Keshet (Bow)	Sa'ar 4.5-class missile boat	Israeli Navy	1982	Active
INS Shlomit	Zivanit class hydrofoils missile boat	Israeli Navy	1983	Sold for scrap metal in September 1991 due to technical unreliability
INS Hetz (Arrow)	Sa'ar 4.5-class missile boat	Israeli Navy	1991	Active
INS Tarshish	Sa'ar 4.5-class missile boat	Israeli Navy	1995	Sa'ar 4-class built in 1974 and converted to Saar 4.5 class in 1994, Active
INS Kidon (Lance)	Sa'ar 4.5-class missile boat	Israeli Navy	1995	Sa'ar 4-class built in 1974 and converted to Saar 4.5 class in 1994, Active
INS Yaffo (Jaffa)	Sa'ar 4.5-class missile boat	Israeli Navy	1998	Sa'ar 4-class built in 1974 and converted to Saar 4.5 class in 1998, Active
INS Herev (Sword)	Sa'ar 4.5-class missile boat	Israeli Navy	2002	Active
INS Sufa (Storm)	Sa'ar 4.5-class missile boat	Israeli Navy	2003	Active
ΛΣ-060	Offshore Patrol Vessel	Hellenic Coast Guard	December 2003[4]	Active
ΛΣ-070	Offshore Patrol Vessel	Hellenic Coast Guard	February 2004	Active
ΛΣ-080	Offshore Patrol Vessel	Hellenic Coast Guard	April 2004	Active
ARM Huracán	Sa'ar 4.5-class missile boat	Mexican Navy	2004	Active
ARM Tormenta	Sa'ar 4.5-class missile boat	Mexican Navy	2004	Active
	Bulk freighters	A commercial customer	2008	A 90m long 15m meters wide bulk freighters
	Bulk freighters	A commercial customer	2009	Active
	Bulk freighters	A commercial customer	2009	Active
	Bulk freighters	A commercial customer	2010	Active
SHALDAG MK-II	Shaldag class fast patrol boat	Israeli Navy		Active
SHALDAG MK-III	Shaldag class fast patrol boat	Israeli Navy		Active
SHALDAG MK-II	Shaldag class fast patrol boat	Equatorial Guinea Navy	2005	Two Shaldag Mk II fast patrol boats constructed in 2004 and delivered in 2005.[5]
SHALDAG MK-III	Shaldag class fast patrol boat	Sri Lanka Navy		Active
SHALDAG MK-III	Shaldag class fast patrol boat	Nigerian Navy[6]		Active

References

External links

• Israel Shipyards home page

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Israel Shipyards.