INS Sufa - סופה
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INS
Sufa was one of five missile boats of the Sa'ar3 class
Israel had to "steal" from France in 1969, despite these
boats already had been fully paid for. In the 1960's
Israel modernized her navy, and ordered twelve missile
boats from Germany. Three of these were delivered,
and the rest was to be built in Cherbourg. In 1967
President De Gaulle introduced an embargo after tensions
between Lebanon and Israel, and the boats were held back.
Israel solved this by making a false Norwegian shipping
company, registered in Panama, who wished to buy these
boats. This deal was no problem for France and at night
24. December 1969 the boats steamed out of Cherbourg
harbor, all manned by Israeli crew. Sufa served from 1969
to 1988 in the Israeli Navy, and in 1994 she was scuttled
as an artificial reef. The wreck rest today on a depth of
18 to 23 meter outside the marina at Village Beach in
Eilat.
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 Picture : Sa'ar3 class boats on maneuver Originally from skovheim.org Last updated: May 2018 |
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