Sa'ar 4.5-class missile boat

INS Sufa in operation Protective Edge
Class overview
Name:	Sa'ar 4.5
Builders:	Israel Shipyards Ltd.
Operators:	Israeli Navy  Mexican Navy
Preceded by:	Sa'ar 4-class missile boat
Succeeded by:	Sa'ar 5-class corvette
Subclasses:	Aliya (Chochit) Hetz (Nirit)
Completed:	2 Aliya subclass 8 Hetz subclass
Active:	· Aliya subclass: INS Aliya, INS Geula · Hetz subclass: INS Romach, INS Keshet, INS Hetz, INS Tarshish, INS Kidon, INS Yaffo, INS Herev, and INS Sufa
General characteristics
Class and type:	Missile boat
Displacement:	498 tonnes (full load - Aliya subclass) 488 tonnes (full load - Hetz subclass) 430 tonnes (common standard)
Length:	61.7 m (202.43 ft)
Beam:	7.62 m (25.00 ft)
Draft:	2.8 m (9.19 ft)
Propulsion:	4 MTU 16V956 TB91 V16 diesel engines 4000 hp (3000KW) each
Speed:	19 knots (35 km/h) (cruise speed) 33 knots (61 km/h) (top speed - Aliya) 34 knots (63 km/h) (top speed - Hetz)
Range:	4,800 nautical miles (8,900 km) at 19 knots (35 km/h) 2,200 nautical miles (4,100 km) at 30 knots (56 km/h)
Complement:	53 officers and crewmen
Sensors and processing systems:	Thales Neptune air & surface search radar Selenia Orion fire-control radar (Aliya) Elta EL/M-2258 ALPHA radar (Hetz) Elta EL/M-2221 fire-control radar (Hetz)
Electronic warfare & decoys:	Elbit chaff rocket launchers Elisra NS-9003A/9005 RWR
Armament:	Aliya subclass: 4 Harpoon anti-ship missiles (in ISC) 4 Gabriel anti-ship missiles 2 Oerlikon 20 mm cannons Phalanx CIWS 2 M2 Browning machine guns Hetz subclass: 8 Harpoon anti-ship missiles up to 6 Gabriel anti-ship missiles or up to 32 Barak 1 surface-to-air missiles Otobreda 76 mm / Typhoon 25 mm naval gun 2 Oerlikon 20 mm cannons Phalanx CIWS 2 M2 Browning machine guns
Aircraft carried:	Eurocopter Panther in Aliya subclass (in ISC)
Aviation facilities:	Helipad and helicopter hangar in Aliya subclass

Sa'ar 4.5 (Hebrew: סער 4.5‎‎) is a class of Israeli Sea Corps missile boats designed and built by Israel Shipyards Ltd. as an improved and stretched Sa'ar 4-class missile boat. There are two different subclasses that are both named Sa'ar 4.5. The first subclass was initially called Chochit (Hebrew: חוחית‎‎), but renamed to Aliya (Hebrew: עליה‎‎). Two Aliya-subclass boats are in service with the Mexican Navy. The second subclass was initially called Nirit (Hebrew: נירית‎‎) but renamed to Hetz (Hebrew: חץ‎‎). As of 2014^[update], eight Hetz-subclass boats are in service with the Israeli Navy.

The first two Sa'ar 4.5 boats were Aliya subclass. Two boats of this version were built and launched in 1980, the first one being INS Aliya, followed by INS Geula. Additionally to the anti-ship missiles, these missile boats were equipped with aviation facilities that could accommodate two (1 on a regular basis) Bell 206, MD 500, or HH-65 helicopters. Eurocopter Panther was the last helicopter deployed on these boats in the Israeli navy. The Aliya subclass are the smallest warships with a helipad and helicopter hangar.