Israel Purchases Four Advanced German Warships to Protect Offshore Gas Rigs
by JNS.org
JNS.org – Israel has reached an agreement with Germany to purchase four warships for $480 million.
The deal was signed by Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon during a meeting with his German counterpart, Ursula von der Leyen, who is in Israel to mark the 50th anniversary of Israel-Germany relations.
As part of the deal, Germany will provide four advanced Sa’ar-class corvettes to the Israeli Navy over the next five years and will subsidize approximately one-third of the cost. Once the ships arrive, Israeli defense firms will outfit the vessels with the their own technology and weapons systems. The deal is similar to the delivery of German-made Dolphin-class submarines to Israel in recent years.
“Israel is our biggest friend in the Middle East. We have 70 projects with you and there is not a country in the world we have such expansive security relations with like we do with Israel, both bilaterally and in cooperation between the militaries,” von der Leyen said, Yedioth Ahronoth reported.
On the same day that the deal was announced, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin arrived in Germany for a three-day visit, also mark the 50th anniversary of Israel-Germany relations.