The Israeli Navy has declared one of its four Sa’ar 6-Class warships operational and deployed it into the Red Sea.

The ships, which Israel has utilised in the ongoing war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, are reportedly staffed with around 80 sailors, and cost an estimated NIS 1.8 billion (GBP 370 million).

Each ship, weighing nearly 2,000 tonnes, is equipped with 20 systems, 18 of which are made in Israel.

These systems comprise a modified version of the Iron Dome system, referred to as the C-Dome, along with the Gabriel V and Long-range acoustic device (LRAD) missile systems.

The LRAD system is capable of intercepting cruise and ballistic missiles.

The four Sa’ar 6-class German-made corvettes were ordered for the Israeli Navy in May 2015, with the first one being completed as early as December, 2020.

Each ship was declared operational within just two years, a relatively quick process by Navy standards, considering it took up to 10 years for the previous Sa’ar-5 corvette to be completed.