Israeli Navy holds drill to defend economic vulnerabilities
In naval exercise, two main offensive and defensive scenarios are simulated successfully, with ships managing to intercept a simulated attack on a gas rig and destroy enemy vessels.
The exercise included two main scenarios simulating defense and offense far out at sea.
During the exercise's first part, a fighter jet simulated a missile strike on a gas rig. The threat was detected by the missile ship's Israeli-made Barak missile-defense system, which is installed on one of the Shayetet's ships, and successfully intercepted.
New radar detection systems as well as electronic warfare and observatory systems have recently been installed in the Sa'ar 4.5-class missile ship. "Magal Esh" is one of the new radar systems that contributed to the significant improvement in detection ranges and the ship's accuracy and tracking abilities.
The exercise tested for the first time the operational use of the Sa'ar 4.5-class missile ship in its upgraded form.
The second scenario simulated during the exercise was an enemy's ship being attacked simultaneously by two naval cruise missiles launched from the Lahav and INS Kidon. The simulated target was successfully destroyed.
The exercise was intended to sharpen and test improvements in the Israeli Navy's preparedness in defending Israel's exclusive economic sea zone, particularly from ballistic threats in the form of advanced missiles such as Russia's Yakhont.
The Yakhont is an anti-ship cruise missile that is already in Syria's arsenal and is probably used by Hezbolla as well, according to the IDF.
The Yakhont's target range covers Israel's entire coastal area and could therefore paralyze Israel's two main cargo ports in Ashdod and Haifa as well as cause damage to Israel's gas rigs—which could
have disastrous consequences for its economy.
The naval drill was also intended to upgrade defense systems for protecting economic water zones ahead of the arrival of the two missile ship manufactured in Germany that are designed for that purpose.
The attack of Israel's gas rigs by an Iranian ship is another scenario the navy is seeking to prepare for.
Aside from using the new Barak 8 missile, the navy has bolstered its ships with additional missiles, such as the new version of the anti-ship missile "Gabriel," and the anti-tank missile "Gil" and "Tamuz" that were borrowed from the ground forces.
In addition, a possibility to incorporate artillery corps' rockets—similar to the relatively new Romah rocket—is currently being reviewed by the navy.
A naval Iron Dome system has been tested over the last year and is also expected to be incorporated into the gas rigs' defense systems.
Col. Adar Gershon, who commanded the exercise, said that it "has contributed to the naval warriors' preparedness and professionalism. Shyetet 3 is papered for all threats it may encounter in the maritime area."
