Assad-class corvette

300px Al Tadjier underway in 1983
Class overview
Operators:	Royal Malaysian Navy (as the Laksamana class) Libyan Navy
Built:	1981–
In commission:	1995–
Planned:	10
Completed:	8
Laid up:	2
General characteristics
Class & type:	Assad class corvette
Displacement:	600 tons standard 675 tons full load
Length:	62.3 m (204 ft)
Beam:	9.3 m (31 ft)
Draft:	2.8 m (9.2 ft)
Propulsion:	4 shaft MTU diesel engines, 24,400 hp (18,200 kW)
Speed:	37.5 knots (69.5 km/h)
Range:	4,000 nmi (4,600 mi) @ 18 knots (33 km/h)
Complement:	51
Armament:	6 Otomat anti-ship missiles 1 Surface-to-air-missile - Albatros Selenia Aspide (1 × 4) 1- Otobreda 76 mm 2 - 40 mm Breda Dardo guns 6 - ASW Torpedo tubes

The Assad class corvette were originally built for Iraq during the Iran–Iraq War, by Fincantieri in Italy. Six ships were ordered in 1981. They were completed just before Operation Desert Storm, and were never delivered because of the UN arms embargo. Four of the six ships were sold to the Malaysian Navy as Laksamana Class Corvettes in 1995. The two remaining ships were laid up in La Spezia from 1990, but in 2005 it was announced they would be delivered to the New Iraqi Navy. The deal, however was later cancelled due to the condition of the ships upon inspection.

The Libyan Navy operated four craft but their fate is unknown. The Al Tadjier is believed to have been destroyed by US Navy aircraft. The other ships that served with the Libyan navy were the Al Tougour, Al Kalij and the Al Hudud. All the ships entered service between 1977 and 1979. All the remaining ships were scrapped in 1993.

Bibliography

• Conway's All the Worlds Fighting Ships 1947-1995