Israel isseeking partial funding from Germany in order to acquire two new missile cruisers worth over half a billion euros. Germany helped fund the purchase of two Dolphin submarines used by the Israel Navy.
The new ships will be outfitted with state of the art weapons systems made by both Israel and the United States, giving them the ability strike various class vessels and submarines as well as inland targets.
The vessels the Israel Navy is interested in are Meko A-200. The 300-foot cruiser can carry a crew of 120 and travel at 27 knots (about 31 mph).
Meko A-200 ships are usually fitted with advance detection and weaponry systems and the new ships are likely to carry the new Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Barak-8 missiles. The 13-feet missiles have a 43-mile range.
According to foreign publications the navy is close to finalizing the deal. Meko vessels are stealth vessels, meaning they have traits making them less visible to enemy radar.
The vessels will also be outfitted with drones and other unmanned aircrafts for the purpose of intelligence gathering.