Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's Defense Ministry says it has purchased four advanced surface vessels from Germany for 430 million euros ($480 million).
The purchase of the ships was announced Monday in Tel Aviv, as the countries were marking 50 years of diplomatic relations between them.
It's been nearly two decades since Israel replenished its naval ships and military officials are hoping the "Corvette" will become the future combat boat of the Israeli navy. The ships will be provided over the next five years and are also expected to protect Israel's maritime gas fields.
Dan Harel, the Defense Ministry's director-general, said the deal marked a "dramatic jump in the navy's defensive capabilities."
Israel already has four German-made submarines capable of launching nuclear warheads.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
