Israel has asked for Germany to supply it with two warships free of charge, a German newspaper reported Friday, according to dpa. The Israeli state hopes Germany would help strengthen its defence forces by financing the costs for the two state-of-the-art corvettes. The pair would cost hundreds millions of euros, daily Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung said, citing government sources. The ships, which are hard to detect by radar, are reportedly to be built by Hamburg"s Blohm + Voss shipyard, while the weapons are to be provided by the US. Israel reportedly wanted a sea-based missile defence system. Germany has previously helped equip the Israeli navy, and delivered three submarines in the years 1999-2000. Two further submarines are currently being built in Kiel, costing at least 500 million euros apiece, of which Germany is to pay a third. --SPA
