The Ambassador class is a territorial waters missile boat and is, thus, defensive by nature. As a territorial waters vessel, its limited range is not a problem as friendly ports will never be far away.
The Ambassador Mk III is truly an impressive vessel for territorial waters operations with a unit cost of $350M
With 8 anti-ship missiles per vessel, a squadron could muster a very strong anti-surface strike.. These are perhaps the most powerful vessels in this category..
One thing is for sure: the Ambassador Mk III boats are some of the the most well armed and advanced FACM in the world today!
The vessels of this class have impressive firepower and active defense for their small size.. incorporating many technological innovations that allow increased capabilities..The design incorporates stealth technology to minimize radar, infrared, acoustic and magnetic signatures to reduce the chance of detection.
The class’ sensors are as good as can be hoped for[a]in a vessel of this size and the anti-ship capability can be greatly enhanced by off-board sensors which, given the territorial waters regime, can beprovided by land based helos, radar, over-the-horizon radar, aircraft, UAVs,etc. With off-board sensor support, the Ambassadors could remain emission-silent (EMCON) and conduct strikes without ever radiating and being detected.
The Ezzats are the largest and heaviest FACM of the Egyptian Navy having a length of about 62 meters and a maximum displacement of 700 tonnes. The top speed exceeds the 41 knots while the vessel has a maximum range of 2,000 nautical miles at 15 knots. The mission endurance of the FMC is eight days at sea. The crew consists of 36-38 people. Each boat carries also one Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boat (RHIB).
For long range and more specialized antiaircraft and antimissile defense (CIWS) other than the gun and the Phalanx, the vessels have an additional (!) CIWS, the Mk49 Guided Missile Launching System (GMLS) with 21 missiles ready to launch
RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) (Block 1A). Together, missiles and launching system comprise the RAM Mk 31 Guided Missile Weapon System (GMWS). RAM is a class-leading weapon system providing a full perimeter protection to the vessel operator. It allows naval vessels to effectively engage high-performance, supersonic and subsonic threats, including sea-skimming, anti-ship missiles, high-speed incoming vessels, rotary and fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and other surface targets. The Block 1A missile has infrared guidance system that enables it to intercept missiles that are not emitting any radar signals while the Block 0 passive radar homing capabilities have been retained. The range exceeds the 9 km and the speed surpasses the 2 Mach. It is not known if the launchers on the Ezzat class craft, have been upgraded το Μod 3 in order to launch the newest RAM Block2, an upgraded version of the RAM Block 1 missile aimed at more effectively countering more maneuverable anti-ship missiles. A larger, more powerful rocket motor and advanced control section make the missile two and a half times more maneuverable with one and a half times the effective intercept range! An enhanced RF receiver allows detection of anti-ship missiles that employ low probability of intercept receivers.
