Premier Golda Meir launched the first Israel-built warship today. The $10 million missile boat Reshef (Flash) slid down the ways of Israel Shipyards Ltd. into Haifa Bay as bands played and several thousand spectators and shipyard workers cheered. The 450-ton diesel-powered vessel, armed with Israel’s “Gabriel” surface-to-surface missiles, depth charges and anti-aircraft guns, is regarded as one of the most sophisticated craft of its type in the world.
Mrs. Meir, who smashed a bottle of champagne across the steel bows, stressed that with the launching Israel reduced once again its, dependence on foreign sources for weapons of war. The Reshef and her sisters now building are developments of the Saar-class gunboats built for Israel in France several years ago. But according to Rear Admiral Benjamin Telem, commander of the Israeli Navy, they are far superior. The Reshef will carry a crew of 45 and will have a speed of 40 knots, 46 land miles per hour.
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