Navy says commandos conducted unprecedented op amid war, thousands of kilometers away
The Israeli Navy on Thursday revealed that its Shayetet 13 commando unit conducted an unprecedented operation throughout the multifront warfare of latest years, at a location “thousands of kilometers” from Israel, in an space the place it has by no means operated earlier than.
The naval commandos carried out the operation with none backup or potential to extract them if it went awry, a army official stated, as a result of of the space from Israel.
No additional particulars got on the character of the commando operation, together with precisely when or the place it was conducted, though the official stated it was profitable.
Additionally, the Navy disclosed that as half of the latest warfare with Iran, a submarine operated on the farthest-ever distance from Israel within the historical past of the submarine fleet.
Submarines have been deployed at three arenas concurrently throughout the warfare, with thousands of kilometers between them, in response to the Israel Defense Forces.
Additionally, throughout the warfare, the Navy was concerned in some 40 “aerial threat incidents,” capturing down a number of dozen drones, from each Iran and Lebanon, the IDF stated.
an Israeli Navy submarine (Israel Defense Forces)
The Navy, with its warships, conducted 53 strikes in Lebanon and 6 within the Gaza Strip amid the warfare with Iran. And the Naval Intelligence Division offered data and planning for some 95 airstrikes in Iran, in response to the army.
The data was revealed by the IDF as Vice Adm. Eyal Harel took over the Navy from Vice Adm. David Saar Salama, who was retiring from the army after 4 and a half years within the function and 39 years of service.
A handover ceremony was held on Thursday night on the Atlit naval base close to Haifa.
Speaking on the ceremony, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir stated that the army’s new multi-year plan features a determination, “out of an operational necessity, to expand the Israeli Navy and enhance its ability to operate with greater lethality, at greater depths and longer ranges, recognizing its long-range, lethal, and decisive capabilities, both overt and covert.”
Harel, upon getting into the function, stated that “the Navy’s vessels and our fighters will strike our enemies wherever they are, or from wherever they threaten the citizens of Israel, freedom of navigation, and our strategic assets at sea.”
“We will strengthen and employ our power in offense together with the branches of the IDF. We will fulfill our designation as a strategic arm of the IDF, operating in nearby, deep, and distant arenas around the world, all stemming from a fundamental fact: No place is too far for the Navy,” he stated.
New submarines, corvettes anticipated in coming years
The Navy’s sixth submarine, INS “Drakon” — or Dragon — is predicted to be delivered to Israel this summer time, in response to the army.
The army stated that the INS Drakon, a Dolphin 2-class submarine, just lately accomplished vital assessments on the Kiel shipyard in Germany.
Additionally, beginning within the early 2030s, the Navy will start receiving the primary of three new Dakar-class submarines to exchange the three getting older first-generation Dolphin-class vessels, which have been in service since round 2000.
Also within the subsequent three to 4 years, the Navy is about to obtain the primary of 5 Reshef-class corvettes, that are because of change the getting older Sa’ar 4.5-class missile boats, set to be retired after 4 many years.
