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New footage released by the Israel Defense Forces on Saturday showed members of the Navy’s Snapir unit killing Hamas terrorists attempting to infiltrate into Israel from the Gaza Strip via the sea on the morning of October 7.

An attack two weeks ago that destroyed an advanced Russian missile shipment delivered to Syria’s Assad regime should also serve as a warning to Iran – and to those complacent Western diplomats who have (dangerously in my view) reconciled themselves to the idea of allowing Iran to go nuclear and then trying to contain it. For it seems that the July 5 attack on an arms depot near the Syrian naval base of Latakia, which has been attributed to Israel, came not from the air (as CNN and the New York Times reported last weekend) but from under the water....

ELTA Systems was awarded a contract to supply the Israel Navy with four of the world’s most advanced radar systems for the new Sa’ar-6 warships, the company announced on Tuesday. The ELM-2248 MF-STARs multi-function digital radar systems produced by the subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries, are based on the latest Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) technology, which allows for faster threat-alert response time, as well as better accuracy and the ability to simultaneously track multiple targets and different types of targets, providing a full situational awareness picture to the ship. “The MF-STAR was designed from the ground up with innovative...

Egyptian security forces were able to foil a terror attack on Israeli vessels in the Suez Canal, Cairo's Al-Ahram weekly reported Saturday. According to the report, the Egyptian investigation into the matter concluded that the potential attacks were orchestrated by Iran. Egyptian authorities have two suspects in custody – Saliman Rizek abdel Razek and Salame Ahmed Salame. The two deny any involvement, but according to the report authorities have evidence linking them, via the offer of a 50 million Egyptian pounds payment, to a third suspect – Muhammad Zakri – who they allegedly tried to hire to execute the attack....

Germany will sell Israel a sixth nuclear capable Dolphin-class submarine, Germany's defence minister confirmed on Tuesday after talks in Berlin with his Israeli counterpart Ehud Barak. "An additional submarine will be delivered to Israel," Thomas de Maiziere told a joint press conference with Barak, adding that Germany would subsidise the cost although he did not say by how much. A German government source in November said Germany would foot a third of the bill, amounting to a maximum of 135 million euros ($178 million). Germany reconsidered the sale of the submarine to Israel in the wake of tensions over Jewish...

Security & Defense: Sailing on stormy seas By YAAKOV KATZ 29/07/2011 A battle is raging within the IDF over the force’s raison d’être and the role it is supposed to play both in times of war and in times of peace. By far the smallest branch in the IDF, the Israel Navy has made an impressive leap in its capabilities in recent years, turning into a major player in the country’s military operations. But at the same time, its future hangs in the balance as the IDF General Staff deliberates whether to approve an ambitious plan to purchase two new...

(Reuters) - The Israeli navy Tuesday seized a French yacht carrying pro-Palestinian activists heading for the blockaded Gaza Strip and forced it to go to Israel's Ashdod port, a military spokeswoman said. "I can confirm that the yacht has been boarded and that everything went smoothly, there were no casualties," the spokeswoman said after marines boarded the "Dignite-Al-Karama" yacht in the eastern Mediterranean. Chief military spokesman Brigadier-General Yoav Mordechai said the passengers were transferred from the yacht to one of the warships sent to intercept it and were en route to Ashdod. The 17-passenger yacht had declared an Egyptian port...

Ceremony salutes 2010 operations by Israel's new Underwater Missions Unit TEL AVIV — The Israel Navy unveiled details of its new Underwater Missions Unit, designed to conduct sabotage, reconnaissance and other operations. Military sources said the unit was also trained to repair the hull of ships while inside the water. "Our level of diving today is among the best in the world," unit commander, identified only as Maj. Oren, said. At a recent ceremony, Oren said the unit also searches for remains of soldiers lost at sea, Middle East Newsline reported. The commander said the unit, which recruits once every...

Dozens of passengers who were aboard the Mavi Marmara Turkish passenger ship are suspected of having connections with global jihad-affiliated terrorist organizations, defense officials said on Tuesday, amid growing concerns that Turkish warships would accompany a future flotilla to the Gaza Strip. According to the defense officials, the IDF has identified about 50 passengers on the ship who could have terrorist connections with global jihad-affiliated groups. RELATED: Editorial: A turning point for Turkey What is the IHH? During its searches of the Mavi Marmara on Tuesday, the military also discovered a cache of bulletproof vests and night-vision goggles, as well...

The Israeli navy made its first contact with a flotilla carrying hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists and thousands of tons of supplies for Gaza shortly before midnight on Sunday, surprising the boats in international waters, according to activists on one vessel. Israel has vowed not to let the flotilla reach the shores of Gaza, where the Islamic militant group Hamas holds sway, putting the activists and the Israelis on a high-profile public relations collision course. Named the Freedom Flotilla and led by the pro-Palestinian Free Gaza Movement and a Turkish organization, Insani Yardim Vakfi, the convoy of six cargo and passenger...

The Israel Navy has been training to block a Western-organized flotilla of ships from reaching the Gaza Strip over the next few days.Sources did not rule out the prospect that the flotilla would contain military or dual-use components sought by Hamas. Israel's military has determined that the Hamas regime has intensified weapons smuggling efforts to the Gaza Strip. Military sources said Hamas and its Palestinian allies were employing a range of routes to bring weapons, fuel and cash to the Gaza Strip. The sources said Hamas was being hampered by increasing efforts by Egypt and Israel. "Hamas uses all means...

The 1,227t/ 1,350 ton Sa’ar 5 Eilat Class corvettes were built by Northrop Grumman in the 1990s for about $260 million each. It’s a decent performer in a number of roles, from air defense to anti-submarine work, to coastal patrol and special forces support – but a master of none. The Israelis are looking for a next-generation vessel with better high-end capabilities, and the USA is their logical supplier. Given Israel’s size and cost requirements, however, the only American option was their Littoral Combat Ship. Israel pursued that option for several years, conducting studies and trying to get a better...

Egyptians reported that two Israeli warships passed through the Suez canal recently. The two ships are believed headed for the Persian Gulf, where Israeli ships have been mapping the local waters, in cooperation with the U.S. Navy. For years, Egypt would not allow Israeli submarines to pass through the Suez canal. But last June, an Israeli submarine went through the Suez canal and conducted naval exercises in the Red Sea. Israel said that the sub would not be stationed in the Red Sea, but would return to its Mediterranean base. There were reports that an Israeli missile boat passed through...

Two Israeli missile boats reportedly passed through the Suez Canal Thursday morning, according to Arab media reports over the weekend. Egyptian authorities reportedly adopted strict security measures to ensure the ships' safety. According to the reports, the two Navy ships traveled through the canal en route to the Red Sea.The sources did not provide the exact ultimate destination of the missile boats. However, Egyptian maritime sources quoted in the Arab media estimated that both ships were headed to the Persian Gulf and may reach it within four days. The veracity of these estimates is unclear. The sail through the Suez...

Hamas has submitted a request for a Chinese-origin cruise missile deployed by another Iranian proxy, Hizbullah. Israeli military sources asserted that Hamas was seeking to acquire the Chinese-origin C-802 anti-ship missile from Iran. The sources said Hamas has determined that the C-802 would comprise a deterrent against Israel Navy operations along the Gaza coast. "Hamas believes that the Israel Navy would significantly reduce its presence [because of the C-802] and operate farther away from the Gaza coast," a military source said. The sources said Hamas has been briefed by Hizbullah on the C-802. Hizbullah, aided by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard...

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Israel is discussing the purchase of a sixth Dolphin submarine from Germany, fueling concerns that the Jewish state is gearing up for a protracted conflict with Iran, officials say. The Israeli navy has three Dolphins operational, and all are purported to be capable of launching nuclear-armed Harpoon cruise missiles. Two other Dolphins are being built for Israel at the Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft shipyard in Kiel and are due for delivery in 2012. The new purchase is high on the agenda of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who arrived in Berlin Monday with a team of senior ministers for a historic joint cabinet...

Two Israeli missile class warships have sailed through the Suez Canal ten days after a submarine capable of launching a nuclear missile strike, in preparation for a possible attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Two Israeli navy ships made a rare crossing of Egypt's Suez Canal Tuesday, headed from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea in the latest of "unusual" navy drills spotted in Suez over the past month, a port source told AFP. One of the ships, the Hanit, already crossed the canal both ways in June, in what the source said was the first case of a large Israeli warship using the strategic waterway, although this was not possible to confirm officially.

Activists trying to bring aid to Gaza today claimed their boat had been rammed by Israeli gunboats in a "criminal attack" in international waters. The Free Gaza Movement said its vessel, the Dignity, was intercepted by several Israeli vessels as it was heading to the Gaza Strip, which has been under Israeli aerial bombardment since Saturday. One gunboat rammed the Dignity on the port bow side, causing heavy damage, although no one was hurt, the group said. "[The Dignity] is taking on water and appears to have engine problems," the movement said on its website. "When attacked, the Dignity was...