Tiger-class fast attack craft

Missle boats in the German Navy

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Tiger-class vessel S54 Elster

Class overview
Name| Tiger class
Operators|

*  German Navy
*  Hellenic Navy
*  Chilean Navy
*  Egyptian Navy
*  Border Police of Georgia

Preceded by| Zobel class
Succeeded by| Albatros class
Built| 1971–1975
In commission| 1972–2002 (Germany)
Completed| 20
Lost| 1
General characteristics (After last refit)
Type| Fast Attack Craft
Displacement| 265 tonnes (261 long tons)
Length| 47 m (154 ft 2 in)
Beam| 7 m (23 ft)
Draught| 2.70 m (8 ft 10 in)
Propulsion|

* 4 MTU MD 16V 538 TB90 turbo diesel engines, 8,800 kW (11,800 hp) total
* 4 propeller shafts

Speed| 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph)
Range|

* 570 nmi (1,060 km) at 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph)
* 1,600 nmi (3,000 km) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)

Complement| 30
Sensors &
processing systems|

* SMA 3RM 20 navigation radar
* Triton G surveillance radar
* CASTOR II fire-control radar
* Link 11 communications

Electronic warfare
& decoys|

* Decoy and flare launcher
* Electronic countermeasures suite

Armament|

* 1 × OTO Melara 76mm gun
* 1 × Bofors L/70 40mm gun
* 4 × MM38 Exocet launchers
* 8 × naval mines
* The Bofors gun can be replaced with mine laying rails

Notes| The ships have been updated twice (1982–84 and 1990–92), this represents the last update that was performed on all ships.

The Type 148 Tiger-class fast attack craft are a group of missile boats built to a Franco-German design and seeing service in the German Navy. The vessels entered service in the 1970s and served into the early 21st century. While they have been mostly retired from German Navy service, many were transferred to other navies and remained in service longer.

## Design

[edit]

Tiger-class S57 Weihe (P6157), 1985

The vessels had been designed by Lürssen of Germany for Israel. They were a modification of the Jaguar-class fast attack craft, but armed with the French Exocet missile. They were built mainly in France by Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie in Cherbourg (CMN) for political reasons; twelve were built and completed there, while another eight of the boats were laid down by CMH, but completed by Lürssen.

Their export to Israel was also blocked for political reasons, and the boats were commissioned into the German Navy as the Tiger class. A number of other boats were built by CMN for various navies to the same design, which became known as the La Combattante II type fast attack craft.

## Operational history

[edit]

The boats were commissioned into the Bundesmarine in the mid-1970s, replacing the Jaguar-class vessels of the 3rd and 5th Squadrons. At first the boats did not receive names, only numbers, but these were introduced later at the insistence of the crews.[1]

The ships served for 30 years, and received major updates in 1982–84 and 1990–92. After decommissioning, they were scrapped or sold to different countries. No direct replacements were procured as due to the changed operating conditions the Deutsche Marine has reduced the number of these fast attack boats drastically and procured instead a smaller number of corvettes.

## Ship list

[edit]

NATO
pennant
number | German
pennant
number  | Name  | Call sign[citation needed] | Shipyard | Laid down[2] | Launched[2] | Commissioned[2] | Decommissioned  | Status

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

P6141 | S41 | Tiger | DRBA | CMN | 11 October 1971 | 27 September 1972  | 30 October 1972 | 24 September 1998 | sold to the Chilean Navy as Teniente Uribe (LM-39); decommissioned 2014.
P6142 | S42 | Iltis (Polecat) | DRBB | CMN | 2 February 1972 | 12 December 1972  | 8 January 1973 | 15 October 1992 | Transferred to the Hellenic Navy September 1993, commissioned 17 February 1994 as Ypoploiarchos Votsis

(Pennant number P51, then P72)[3]

P6143 | S43 | Luchs (Lynx) | DRBC | CMN | 23 March 1972 | 7 March 1973  | 9 April 1973 | 27 August 1998 | sold to the Chilean Navy for scrapping
P6144 | S44 | Marder (Marten) | DRBD | CMN | 15 April 1972 | 5 May 1973  | 14 July 1973 | 25 May 1994 | Transferred to the Hellenic Navy 16 March 1995, commissioned 30 June 1995 as Plotarchis Vlahavas

(Pennant number P74)[3]

P6145 | S45 | Leopard | DRBE | CMN | 13 September 1972 | 3 July 1973  | 21 August 1973 | 28 September 2000 | Transferred to the Hellenic Navy and commissioned 27 October 2000 as Ypoploiarchos Tounas

(Pennant number P76)[3]

P6146 | S46 | Fuchs (Fox) | DRBF | Lürssen | 10 March 1972 | 21 May 197  | 17 October 1973 | 19 December 2002 | Sold to the Egyptian Navy
P6147 | S47 | Jaguar | DRBG | CMN | 29 November 1972 | 20 September 1973  | 13 November 1973 | 28 September 2000 | Transferred to the Hellenic Navy and commissioned 27 October 2000 as Plotarchis Sakipis

(Pennant number P77)[3]

P6148 | S48 | Löwe (Lion) | DRBH | Lürssen | 10 July 1972 | 10 September 1973  | 9 January 1974 | 19 December 2002 | sold to the Egyptian Navy
P6149 | S49 | Wolf | DRBI | CMN | 23 January 1973 | 11 January 1974  | 26 February 1974 | 27 August 1997 | sold to the Chilean Navy in 1997 as Guardiamarina Riquelme (LM-36); decommissioned 2004.
P6150 | S50 | Panther | DRBJ | Lürssen | 30 September 1972 | 10 December 1973  | 27 March 1974 | 29 September 2002 | scrapped 2003
P6151 | S51 | Häher (Jay) | DRBK | CMN | 5 April 1973 | 26 April 1974  | 12 June 1974 | 23 June 1994 | Transferred to the Hellenic Navy 16 March 1995, commissioned 30 June 1995 as Plotarchis Maridakis

(Pennant number P75)[3]

P6152 | S52 | Storch (Stork) | DRBL | Lürssen | 12 March 1973 | 25 March 1974  | 17 July 1974 | 12 November 1992 | Transferred to the Hellenic Navy September 1993, commissioned 17 February 1994 as Antiploiarchos Pezopoulos

(Pennant number P30, then P73)[3]

P6153 | S53 | Pelikan (Pelican) | DRBM | CMN | 11 September 1973 | 4 July 1974  | 24 September 1974 | 25 June 1998 | sold to the Chilean Navy for scrapping.
P6154 | S54 | Elster (Magpie) | DRBN | Lürssen | 29 June 1973 | 8 July 1974  | 14 November 1974 | 27 August 1997 | sold to the Chilean Navy in 1997 as Teniente Orella (LM-37); decommissioned 2014.
P6155 | S55 | Alk (Auk) | DRBO | CMN | 9 April 1974 | 15 November 1974  | 7 January 1975 | 13 May 2002 | sold to the Egyptian Navy
P6156 | S56 | Dommel (Bittern) | DRBP | Lürssen | 13 December 1973 | 30 October 1974  | 12 February 1975 | 19 December 2002 | sold to the Egyptian Navy
P6157 | S57 | Weihe (Harrier) | DRBQ | CMN | 2 July 1974 | 13 February 1975  | 3 April 1975 | 19 December 2002 | sold to the Egyptian Navy
P6158 | S58 | Pinguin (Penguin) | DRBR | Lürssen | 11 March 1974 | 26 February 1975  | 22 May 1975 | 28 June 2002 | scrapped 2003
P6159 | S59 | Reiher (Heron) | DRBS | CMN | 8 November 1974 | 15 May 1975  | 24 June 1975 | 27 September 2002 | scrapped 2003
P6160 | S60 | Kranich (Crane) | DRBT | Lürssen | 9 May 1974 | 26 May 1975  | 6 August 1975 | 24 September 1998 | sold to the Chilean Navy in 1998 as Teniente Serrano (LM-38); decommissioned 2014.

## See also

[edit]

* La Combattante class fast attack craft

## References

[edit]

### Notes

[edit]

1. ^ "Die Schnellboote der Tiger". www.s46-fuchs.net. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2025-07-21.
2. ^ a b c Couhat & Baker 1986, p. 191
3. ^ a b c d e f Saunders 2004, p. 284

### Bibliography

[edit]

* Couhat, Jean Labayle; Baker, A. D. III, eds. (1986). Combat Fleets of the World 1986/87: Their Ships, Aircraft and Armament. Annapolis, Maryland, USA: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-85368-860-5.
* Saunders, Stephen, ed. (2004). Jane's Fighting Ships 2004–2005 (107th ed.). Couldson, UK: Jane's Information Group. ISBN 0-7106-2623-1.

## External links

[edit]

* Schnellboote TIGER-Klase – Marine (Official homepage of the German Navy) (in German)
* Warships on the Web
* S46 Fuchs (in German)
* S51 Häher (in German)
* S58 Pinguin (in German)

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Fast attack craft|

* 149 Silbermöwe
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