Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has been awarded an $80 million contract to an undisclosed Asian country to supply a naval warfare systems suite for Shaldag Mk V Fast Attack Craft.
The three-year contract will see the firm supplying the suite, including: “a Combat Management System, Typhoon & Mini-Typhoon Remote Operating Weapon Systems, Naval SPIKE Missiles, Sea-Com Internal Communication System & BNET Tactical Data Link,” with complete maintenance and support services.
$209M Shaldag Craft Contract
In May, Israeli Shipyards clinched a 10 billion Philippine-peso ($209 million) contract to supply eight Shaldag vessels to the Philippine Navy. The navy is reportedly expecting to receive three in the first quarter of 2022.
The navy had earlier specified that five boats would be made in Israel and the rest in the Philippines. The vessel is intended to replace the navy’s Tomas Batillo class vessels.
The Shaldag
The craft was first commissioned into the Israeli Navy in 1989. Since then, five more navies and four law enforcement agencies have inducted it for a range of functions, including “terrorist interdiction; coastal and internal waterways defense against illegal activities and smuggling; interception of hostile vessels; preventing illegal immigration, and search and rescue operations.”
The boat has a displacement of 95 tons and is 32.65 meters (107 feet) long and 6.2 meters (20.3 feet) wide. It has a top speed above 40 knots (74.08 km/h; 46 mp/h).
West Philippine Sea
One month before the Shaldag deal, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced the deployment of naval vessels to the South China Sea to assert the country’s claim over oil deposits in a contested part of the waterway.
The announcement came after Duterte, who is widely perceived as sympathetic to China, was criticized for his reluctance to confront Beijing over its activities in Philippine-claimed waters.