Dvora-class fast patrol boat

Republic of China Navy Dvora-class patrol boat
Class overview
Name	Dvora class
Builders	IAI-Ramta, Colombo Dockyard Limited CSBC Corporation (Taiwanses variant Hai Ou class)
Operators	Israeli Sea Corps Navy,   Sri Lanka Navy,   Republic of China Navy
Preceded by	Dabur class
Succeeded by	Super Dvora Mk II class
Subclasses	Hau Ou class
In commission	1988
General characteristics
Type	Fast patrol boat
Displacement	45.0 tons full load
Length	21.80 metres (71.5 ft)
Beam	5.50 metres (18.0 ft)
Draught	1.1 metres (3.6 ft)
Propulsion	2 × diesel engines with 4,570 hp (3,410 kW) and two Arneson ASD-16 articulating surface drives.
Speed	37 knots (69 km/h; 43 mph) (max)
Range	560 nmi (1,040 km; 640 mi)
Armament	1 × Oerlikon 20 mm cannon 2 × 12.7 mm machine guns

The Dvora-class fast patrol boat is a fast class of patrol boats built by Israel Aerospace Industries for the Israeli Sea Corps, Sri Lanka Navy, and Republic of China Navy based on the Israeli Dabur class.

Operational history

Sri Lanka

The Dvora class has become the work horse of the Sri Lanka Navy, which has deployed it to counter LTTE operations at sea with 12 Dvoras acquired between 1982 to 1988. ^[1] Since then Dvoras have been made in Sri Lanka and has been the basis for the more advanced Colombo class fast patrol boat built by the Colombo Dockyard Limited and used by South Asian navies to counter terrorism. According to former Mossad officer Victor Ostrovsky another Mossad operative helped supply the Sri Lankan government with Dvoras to patrol its coasts from attack by the LTTE.

Simultaneously, the Israelis were supplying the Tamils with anti-PT boat equipment to use in fighting the government forces. Ostrovsky also alleged that Mossad helped the Sri Lankan government pay for the boats by cheating the World Bank and other investors out of millions of dollars. ^[2]

Taiwan

The Republic of China Navy uses Dvoras as Fast Attack Missile Craft, purchasing two and using them as a pattern for the almost-identical, locally-built Hai Ou-class missile boats (Hai Ou class has three propeller shafts whereas Dvora class has two), 50 built. Both classes, being an anti-ship asset, are armed with additional two Hsiung Feng I anti-ship missiles and have been in ROCN service for over 20 years.

Operators

  Israel

• Israeli Sea Corps - 9 (Initially 10 were in service, 1 decommissioned after collision with a rocky shoal)

  Sri Lanka

• Sri Lanka Navy - 4 (2 acquired in 1984 and 4 in 1986; 3 sunk in 1993, 1995 and 1996). ^[3]

  Republic of China

• Republic of China Navy - 2 original Dvora acquired in the 1980s and 48 local variant version Hai Ou-class (Seagull), retired beginning in 1999 to 2012 (replaced by 30 Kuang Hua VI-class missile boats); originally 26 with 6 gifted to Gambia and Paraguay.

Gambia

• Four units (ex-ROCN/Taiwan Navy FABG-7, FABG-11, FABG-29 and FABG-32) received from Taiwan in 2009 as patrol gunboats. All 4 were originally slated for Republic of Malawi in 2008.

Paraguay

• Two units (ex-ROCN/Taiwan Navy FABG-1 and FABG-2) received from Taiwan in 1994 as patrol gunboats.

References

1. Fontanellaz (2020), p. i.
2. Wirspa, Leslie (1991). "Colombia: Where the guns outrun the mafia" . Index on Censorship. 20 (10: Secrecy And Arms: Uncovering The Weapons Trade): 51–52. doi:10.1080/03064229108535240.
3. Fish, Tim (March 2009). "Sri Lanka learns to counter Sea Tigers' swarm tactics" (PDF). Jane's Navy International. pp. 20–25. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2015.

Bibliography

• Fontanellaz, Adrien (2020). Paradise Afire Volume 3: The Sri Lankan War 1990-1994. Helion & Company. ISBN   978-1913118624.

External links

• www.israeli-weapons.com
• Hai Ou-class [Dvora] Fast Attack Missile Craft, globalsecurity.org

Preceded by Dabur

Dvora series

Succeeded by Super Dvora Mk II