S148 class fast attack craft of the Hellenic Navy, Chilean Navy and Egyptian Navy

Written by D-Mitch

S148 class in service with Armada de Chile.
Photo: Armada de Chile

The S148 class is a type of Fast Attack Craft (FAC) built in 1972-1974 for the Bundesmarine (German Federal Navy) (later German Navy - Deutsche Marine) which serve today in the navies of Greece (Hellenic Navy), Chile (Armada de Chile) and Egypt (Egyptian Navy). The class is a design of Lürssen in Germany but some of them were built in France by Constructions Mécaniques de Normandie in Cherbourg (CMN) due to political reasons of that time as the initial plan was some of them to be purchased by Israeli Navy. In total 20 crafts were built and served with German Federal Navy of which six (6) were transferred to Greece the period 1994-1995 and 2000, six (6) to Chile the period 1997-1998 and five (5) to Egypt in 2002 while the remaining three (3) were scrapped. The class is the older class of FACs in service with the three navies and it is about to be decommissioned and to be replaced by modern vessels; currently in Hellenic Navy they serve three (3) boats which will be replaced after the commissioning of more of Roussen class FACs and in Chilean Navy (Armada de Chile) they serve two (2). It is not known the number of craft that serve with the Egyptian Navy but it is believed that serve around three (3) with plans the vessels to be replaced in the near future as well.