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By B.C. Kessner
TEL AVIV, Israel--When the Israeli navy Israeli navy takes official delivery of Israel Aircraft Industries' (IAI) first new Super Dvora Mark 3, it will have a mission- reconfigurable fast patrol craft with more power, endurance and maneuverability than anything in its current fleet, and IAI official told Defense Daily International recently.
"The Israel navy wanted something with the flexibility to modify overnight for specific missions while maintaining endurance and speed," Chanan Ben-Dov, director of marketing and business development for IAI's Ramta division, said here last week. "The Mark 3 has more power, more propulsion and more maneuverability."
After a worldwide search, the Israeli navy awarded IAI-Ramta a contract in June 2002 for six Super Dvora Mark 3s, and the company holds an option for up to five more of the craft, Ben-Dov said.
The first Mark 3 from the Super Dvora family of fast patrol, interdiction and attack craft was physically delivered in late July to the Israeli navy and it began sea trials early last month, Ben- Dov said. He referred to the current activity as "joint sea trials" because company technicians and engineers are cruising alongside Israeli navy personnel until the boat is officially handed over.
The Israeli navy has not set a date for the commissioning ceremony, but it could happen as soon as the end of the month, he said.
Systems and performance checks have been conducted at sea almost daily, Ben-Dov said. Additionally, the Israeli navy started training crews on the new craft right away.
"Flawlessly" was Ben-Dov's assessment of how the craft had been performing during the joint sea trials.
The Mark 3 has an Articulating,...