Avoiding BDS: Israel to build five new Reshef class patrol corvettes

The Ministry of Defense, Israeli Navy, and Israel Shipyards marked the beginning of the 'Reshef' vessel production process today (Tuesday) with the traditional 'steel cutting' ceremony launching the production of 5 advanced warships.

The ceremony was attended by Acting Director General of the Ministry of Defense Itamar Graf, Navy Commander Admiral David Sa'ar Salama, Deputy Director General and Head of the Defense Procurement Administration Zeev Landau, Chief Financial Officer of the Ministry of Defense CPA Dekel Cohen, Israel Shipyards owners Shlomi Fogel, Assi Shmeltzer and Sami Katzav, Israel Shipyards CEO Eitan Zucker and other senior officials.

As part of the deal, led by outgoing Ministry of Defense Director General Major General (Res.) Eyal Zamir, Israel Shipyards will supply the Navy with 5 advanced "Reshef" class vessels for approximately 2.8 billion NIS. The new ships are expected to replace the veteran "Nirit" vessels, which will be decommissioned after about four decades of service.

The Reshef is a multi-mission vessel, developed in collaboration with the Navy and the Ministry of Defense, combining weapons systems and innovative technologies from the Israeli defense industry. The first Reshef vessel is expected to be delivered to the IDF in about three and a half years.

The project represents a significant component in strengthening Israel's defense production independence, as part of the Ministry of Defense's policy to expand the local defense industry and promote 'Blue and White' projects. Manufacturing the ships at Israel Shipyards, after decades of purchasing them from abroad, ensures the preservation of strategic knowledge and production capabilities in the field of naval vessels, strengthens continuity of defense production, and is expected to provide jobs for hundreds of workers, most of them in the northern region.

Following October 7 and the war in Gaza, multiple calls have come from countries around the world to partially or completely suspend or boycott Israeli arms sales and parts on the grounds of alleged human rights violations. These countries include Great Britain, France, Spain, and other countries.

In the face of this, Israel has decided to invest increasing amounts of money in producing ammunition and weapons systems locally and with the aid of existing and expanded local industry, so that it can fight any enemy without worrying about orders from abroad being suspended.