Ambassador-class

The Ambassador MK III, also designated the Ezzat class, is a series of fast missile craft constructed by VT Halter Marine for the Egyptian Navy. The Egyptian government selected a variant of the Ambassador design, previously utilized by its Coast Guard, to replace an aging inventory of Soviet-era Komar and Osa-class vessels. Development of the class was conducted with assistance from Lockheed Martin. The United States Defense Security Cooperation Agency initially notified a sale of three vessels in 2004, though the program did not proceed to the functional design phase until December 2005. Construction of the initial units began in November 2009, and a fourth vessel was added to the procurement program in December 2009.

The vessel design incorporates features intended to reduce radar cross-section. Propulsion is provided by four MTU diesels driving four shafts. The class is equipped with Thales multi-role and maritime surveillance radars, the TACTICOS Combat Management System, and the STING-EO fire control radar. Communications and coordination are supported by several data link systems, including Link 11, Link 14, LinkYE, and Link ASN 150. For defense, the vessels utilize electronic support and countermeasure suites alongside chaff and infrared decoy launchers. The ships accommodate a complement of 36 to 38 personnel.

Service history for the class began in November 2013 with the handover of the lead ship, S. Ezzat, followed by the F. Zekry in December 2013. The final two units, M. Fahmy and A. Gad, were delivered to the port of Alexandria in June 2015. Crew training was conducted in Pensacola starting in 2013. Since entering service, the Ezzat class has participated in naval exercises with the French, Russian, and Hellenic navies. In March 2015, vessels of the class were deployed to the Gulf of Aden and the Bab el Mandeb strait to secure regional waters as part of a Saudi-led coalition during the Yemen Civil War.