The
Israeli Navy is the naval arm of the
Israel Defense ForcesThe Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
, operating primarily in the
Mediterranean SeaThe Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
theater as well as the
Gulf of AqabaThe Gulf of Aqaba is a large gulf located at the northern tip of the Red Sea. In pre twentieth-century and modern sources it is often named the Gulf of Eilat, as Eilat is its predominant Israeli city ....
and the
Red SeaThe Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
theater. The current commander in chief of the Israeli Navy is
AlufAluf is the term used for General and Admiral in the Israel Defense Forces . In addition to the Aluf rank itself, there are four other ranks which are derivatives of the word...
Ram RothbergAluf Ram Rothberg is a general in the Israel Defense Forces that currently serves as the head of the Israel Navy.-Service History:...
.
History
The origins of Israeli Navy lay at the end of 1920s with the founding of the Yarkon and Zvulun marine sports clubs. In 1938, encouraged by the Jewish Agency, Dr. Shlomo Bardin founded the Marine High School in Bosmat, the Technion's Junior Technical College. 1943 witnessed the founding of the
PalyamPalyam was the sea force of the Palmach.-History:Palyam was set up in April 1945 as the Palmach's tenth company which originated from the Palmach's Naval Platoon. The Company's first commander was Abraham Zakai...
, the naval branch of the
PalmachThe Palmach was the elite fighting force of the Haganah, the underground army of the Yishuv during the period of the British Mandate of Palestine. The Palmach was established on May 15, 1941...
, whose training was undertaken at the maritime school. The Jewish merchant marine was also raised, operating the SS Tel-Aviv and cargo ships such as the Atid.
In 1942, eleven hundred
HaganahHaganah was a Jewish paramilitary organization in what was then the British Mandate of Palestine from 1920 to 1948, which later became the core of the Israel Defense Forces.- Origins :...
volunteers joined the
Royal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, mostly in technical roles (12 of them were officers by the nomination agreement of the Jewish Agency with the Royal Navy). A few reached sea service and combat service. Two of them served with the
Fleet Air ArmThe Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
(FAA), one of which was
Edmond Wilhelm BrillantEdmond Wilhelm Brillant the Levi was a naval architect, Hagana member, among the founding fathers of the Israeli navy and was in the ZIM Navigation company the Israeli Merchant Marine. He dedicated his best years for the Navy buildup...
. With the end of the Second World War, Palyam members took part in clandestine immigration activities, bringing Europe's Jews to Palestine, as well as commando actions against Royal Navy deportation ships. Royal Navy volunteers, meanwhile, rejoined the Hagana.
During the last months of British Mandate in Palestine, the former Royal Navy volunteers started working on the captured clandestine immigration ships (known as the Fleet of Shadows) in Haifa harbor, salvaged a few and pressed them into service. These were to become the Navy's first ships and saw service in the
1948 Israeli War of IndependenceThe 1948 Arab–Israeli War, known to Israelis as the War of Independence or War of Liberation The war commenced after the termination of the British Mandate for Palestine and the creation of an independent Israel at midnight on 14 May 1948 when, following a period of civil war, Arab armies invaded...
.
With the founding of the IDF in early 1948, the Israeli Navy was therefore formed from a core of the following personnel:
- Royal Navy Volunteers with the technical skills and discipline acquired from the Royal Navy, though with no active sea service and experience on Royal Navy Ships.
- Palyam members who had led the clandestine and immigration effort, but had no sea background in navigation or leading a ship into a battle. The captains of clandestine and immigration ships were Greek and Italian, while Palyam personnel were commanding the ship under instructions from the Haganah. Ike Aharonowitch, captain of the Exodus and a Jew, was the exception rather than the rule.
- Merchant Marine captains and chief engineers, possessing navigation skills but lacking combat skills.
- Jewish volunteers from the US Navy and Royal Navy, such as Commander Paul Shulman
Paul Nahman Shulman , also known by his Hebrew name, Shaul Ben-Tzvi, was the second commander of the Israeli Navy.-Biography:Born in 1922 in Connecticut and raised in New York, Shulman graduated from the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis. During World War II he fought in the Pacific front...
of the USN, and Commanders Solomon and Allen Burk of the Royal Navy. These, however, were often discriminated against and their experience wasted by a navy command that was based on the Palmach and its various branches. This resulted in odd situations where unskilled officers from the Palyam were in command of far more experienced naval officers.
To make matters worse, Palyam personnel often resisted efforts to instill order, discipline and rank in the newly formed service. Mess rooms were initially shared by both officers and enlisted men. Ships possessed a captain with nautical skills, but also a commanding officer regarded as political. This would cause a great deal of debate between veterans of the Palyam, Royal Navy volunteers from the Haganah and USN Machal volunteers about what form the Navy should take. Commander Allen Burk is reputed to have said, out of despair, "You cannot make naval officers from cowboys".
The Israeli Navy suffered from a lack of professional command during its early days. Gershon Zak, head of the IDF "Sea Service", was a teacher and bureaucrat without any relevant experience. Having never been recruited into the IDF, Zak was a civilian and had no official rank. The early days of the Israeli Navy were therefore characterized by political infighting, as many groups and individuals jockeyed for power. Palyam politics blocked the nomination of
Paul ShulmanPaul Nahman Shulman , also known by his Hebrew name, Shaul Ben-Tzvi, was the second commander of the Israeli Navy.-Biography:Born in 1922 in Connecticut and raised in New York, Shulman graduated from the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis. During World War II he fought in the Pacific front...
(a USN Jewish Officer with a rank of Commander who volunteered to the Israeli Navy) as Navy-Commander in Chief and he resigned in 1949. The first Navy-Commander in Chief awarded the rank of
AlufAluf is the term used for General and Admiral in the Israel Defense Forces . In addition to the Aluf rank itself, there are four other ranks which are derivatives of the word...
was
Shlomo ShamirShlomo Shamir was the third Commander of the Israeli Navy , and the first Israeli Navy Commander to receive the rank of Aluf. He was the third Commander of the Israeli Air Force .- Biography :...
.
The conclusion of the 1948 war afforded the navy the time to build up its strength. Beginning in the early 1950s the navy purchased Frigates, Torpedo Boats, Destroyers and eventually Submarines. The material build-up was accompanied by the training of Israeli Navy officers in Royal Navy academies in the UK and Malta, as well as in France.
Three distinct periods characterize the history of the Israeli Navy:
- Foundation and early days
- The destroyers' age
- The missile boats era, beginning in 1965 and bearing fruit during the 1973 Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, Ramadan War or October War , also known as the 1973 Arab-Israeli War and the Fourth Arab-Israeli War, was fought from October 6 to 25, 1973, between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria...
.
Until 1967 the Naval Headquarters were located at Stella-Marris, on the slopes of
Mount CarmelMount Carmel ; , Kármēlos; , Kurmul or جبل مار إلياس Jabal Mar Elyas 'Mount Saint Elias') is a coastal mountain range in northern Israel stretching from the Mediterranean Sea towards the southeast. Archaeologists have discovered ancient wine and oil presses at various locations on Mt. Carmel...
, Haifa. After the
Six-Day WarThe Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
it was relocated to the
KiryaHaKirya, or The Kirya , is an area in central Tel Aviv, containing various government structures, including the major Israel Defense Forces base, Camp Rabin , named for Yitzhak Rabin...
in
Tel AvivTel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
, next to IDF Headquarters.
Hierarchy
The Israeli Navy is small compared to other Navies and the officers chain of command is as follows with respect to
Royal – Navy /
USNIn the United States Navy, officers have various ranks. Equivalency between services is by pay grade.-Rank categories:In the U.S. Navy, pay grades for officers are:...
:
Commissioned Officers
- Rear-Admiral (Rear-Admiral Upper Half USN): is called Aluf (Army rank equals to Maj. General). Commander in Chief of the Navy reports to Chief of Staff called Rav-Aluf (Lt. General)
- Commodore (Rear-Admiral Lower Half USN): is called Tat-Aluf (Army rank equals to Brig. General)
- Captain: is called Aluf-Mishne (Army rank equals to Colonel)
- Commander: is called Sgan-Aluf (Army rank equals to Lt. Colonel)
- Lt. Commander: is called Rav-Seren (Army rank equals to Major)
- Lieutenant: is called Seren (Army rank equals to Captain)
- Sub-Lieutenant (Lieutenant Junior Grade USN): is called Segen (Army rank equals to Lieutenant)
- Midshipman (Ensign USN): is called Segen-Mishne (Army rank equals to Second Lieutenant)
- Cadet RN (Midshipman USN): is called Tzoer (Navy Cadet; there are 5 classes in Israeli Navy school of cadets)
Ratings (Non-Commissioned Officers)
- Fleet / Command Master Chief Petty Officer USN: is called Rav Nagad (Army Rank Sergeant Major of the Army)
- Master Chief Petty Officer USN: is called Rav Nagad Mishne (Army Rank Command Sergeant Major)
- Senior Chief Petty Officer USN: is called Rav Samal Bachir (Army Rank Sergeant Major)
- Chief Petty Officer USN: is called Rav Samal Mitkadem (Army Rank First Sergeant)
- Petty Officer 1st Class USN: is called Rav Samal Rishon (Army Rank Master Sergeant)
- Petty Officer 2nd Class USN: is called Rav Samal (Army Rank Sergeant First Class)
Enlisted
- Petty Officer Third Class USN: is called Samal Rishon (Army rank Staff Sargent)
- Seaman USN: is called Samal (Army rank Sargent)
- Seaman Apprentice USN: is called Rav Turai (Army rank Corporal)
- Seaman Recruit USN: is called Turai (Army rank Private)
Sleeve rank of Israeli Navy Commander-in-Chief is a rank of honor. This started under special permission from Lt. General
Amnon Lipkin-ShahakAmnon Lipkin-Shahak is a former Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, Member of the Knesset andMinister of Transportation and Tourism.-Military service:Lipkin-Shahak started his military service as a teenager in the military boarding-school in Haifa...
(then chief of staff of the IDF) and allows the Navy Commander-in-Chief to have a sleeve rank of Vice Admiral which is equal to Lt.General as the rank of the IDF Chief of Staff. However de-facto the rank of Israeli Navy Commander-in-Chief is Rear Admiral and the gesture given to the navy is ceremonial only when meeting foreign commanding officers.
Same resolution, as above mentioned,applies to Commodore ceremonial only the sleeve rank is Rear – Admiral however by the IDF hierarchy and chain of command he remains de-facto a commodore.
Bases
- Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
– Missile BoatsA Missile Boat is a small craft armed with anti-ship missiles. Being a small craft, missile boats are popular with nations interested in forming an inexpensive navy...
Flotilla, the Submarine Flotilla, Patrol Boats SquadronA squadron, or naval squadron, is a unit of 3-4 major warships, transport ships, submarines, or sometimes small craft that may be part of a larger task force or a fleet...
914.
- The emblem of the Haifa naval base is two arrows – one signifying the Missile Boats Flotilla and the other the Submarine Flotilla.
- Atlit – home to Shayetet 13
Shayetet 13 is the elite naval commando unit of the Israeli Navy. The unit is considered one of the primary Special Forces units of the Israel Defense Forces . S'13 specializes in sea-to-land incursions, counter-terrorism, sabotage, maritime intelligence gathering, maritime hostage rescue, and...
, the navy's elite commando unit.
- Ashdod – mainly a base for Patrol Boats Squadron
A squadron, or naval squadron, is a unit of 3-4 major warships, transport ships, submarines, or sometimes small craft that may be part of a larger task force or a fleet...
916.
- The emblem of the Ashdod naval base is two opposing arrows.
- Eilat – Patrol Boats Squadron
A squadron, or naval squadron, is a unit of 3-4 major warships, transport ships, submarines, or sometimes small craft that may be part of a larger task force or a fleet...
915.
- Eilat naval base was founded in 1951 and has been responsible for the Israeli Navy's Red Sea theater since 1981, when the Red Sea Naval Command Center was withdrawn from Sharm el-Sheikh
Sharm el-Sheikh is a city situated on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, in South Sinai Governorate, Egypt, on the coastal strip along the Red Sea. Its population is approximately 35,000...
in accordance with the Egyptian–Israeli peace treaty.
- The emblem of the Eilat naval base represents the red roofs of Eilat.
- The Naval Training base – located in Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
, contains the submarine operations school, the missile boat operations school and the naval command school. The naval training base also functions as the Israeli Naval AcademyThe Israeli Naval Academy is a voluntary course , dedicated to the training education, and selection of Naval Officers, which takes place alongside other instructional courses, at the naval command school in the Israeli Naval Instruction Base. The course is nearly three years long, and cadets...
.
- The emblem of the Haifa training base is an owl, symbolizing wisdom and hard learning.
- Mamtam – IT, processing and computing.
- Mamtam is a small unit responsible for all Israeli Navy signal and IT systems, both logistic and operational. The soldiers that serve there are mainly programmers and university graduates in engineering, computer science and other technological professions.
- Naval Shipyards
- Navy Headquarters – HaKirya
HaKirya, or The Kirya , is an area in central Tel Aviv, containing various government structures, including the major Israel Defense Forces base, Camp Rabin , named for Yitzhak Rabin...
, Tel AvivTel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
.
3rd Flotilla
The
Missile BoatsA Missile Boat is a small craft armed with anti-ship missiles. Being a small craft, missile boats are popular with nations interested in forming an inexpensive navy...
Flotilla, based at
HaifaHaifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
.
- 34th Anti-Submarine Squadron פלגה נגד צוללות (ShaNeTz = shayetet neged tzolalot)
Unit's objectives
- Protecting Israeli commerce at sea from foreign fleets.
- Preventing a possible naval blockade of Israeli ports during wartime.
- Blockading enemy ports at wartime.
Unit's objectives
- Attacking enemy craft in their home ports.
- Covert information gathering.
- Acting as a support unit for other units.
- Believed to be part of the country's nuclear weapons capability.
Israel is widely believed to possess weapons of mass destruction, and to be one of four nuclear-armed countries not recognized as a Nuclear Weapons State by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty...
13th Flotilla
Shayetet 13Shayetet 13 is the elite naval commando unit of the Israeli Navy. The unit is considered one of the primary Special Forces units of the Israel Defense Forces . S'13 specializes in sea-to-land incursions, counter-terrorism, sabotage, maritime intelligence gathering, maritime hostage rescue, and...
, or Flotilla 13, is an elite naval commando unit which specializes in sea-to-land incursions,
counter-terrorismCounter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...
, sabotage operations, maritime intelligence gathering, maritime hostage rescue, and
boardingBoarding, in its simplest sense, refers to the insertion on to a ship's deck of individuals. However, when it is classified as an attack, in most contexts, it refers to the forcible insertion of personnel that are not members of the crew by another party without the consent of the captain or crew...
. It is among the most highly trained and secretive units in the Israeli military.
YALTAM 707
SalvageSalvage means 'rescue' and as such may refer to:* Marine salvage, the process of rescuing a ship, its cargo and sometimes the crew from peril* Salvage tug, a type of tugboat used to rescue or salvage ships which are in distress or in danger of sinking...
and underwater works unit. Formed as the damage control branch of the Navy Shipyards, the unit later incorporated experienced Flotilla-13 divers.
Intelligence
The Corps' relies on its Naval Intelligence Division for naval
intelligenceIntelligence assessment is the development of forecasts of behaviour or recommended courses of action to the leadership of an organization, based on a wide range of available information sources both overt and covert. Assessments are developed in response to requirements declared by the leadership...
.
Present Fleet
Sa'ar 5-class
- INS Eilat
The INS Eilat is a Sa'ar 5-class corvette of the Israeli Navy that was built by Northrop Grumman Ship Systems in 1993. She is one of three Sa'ar 5-class corvettes in service with the Israeli Navy and her homeport is Haifa, Israel. The contract for the construction of the three ships of the class...
(Eilat, 1994) – Active
- INS Lahav
The INS Lahav is a Sa'ar 5-class corvette of the Israeli Navy that was built by Northrop Grumman Ship Systems in 1993. She is one of three Sa'ar 5-class corvettes in service with the Israeli Navy and her homeport is Haifa, Israel.The contract for the construction of the three ships of the class...
(Blade, 1994) – Active
- INS Hanit
The INS Hanit is a Sa'ar 5-class corvette of the Israeli Navy that was built by Northrop Grumman Ship Systems in 1994...
(Spear, 1995) – Active
Sa'ar 4.5-class
- INS Romach, pronounced ʁomaχ (Lance, 1981) – Active
- INS Keshet (Bow, 1982) – Active
- INS Hetz, pronounced ˈχet͡s (Arrow, 1991) – Active
- INS Kidon (Javelin, 1995) (Sa'ar 4-class built in 1974 and converted to Saar 4.5 class in 1994) – Active
- INS Tarshish (1995) – (Sa'ar 4-class built in 1975 and converted to Saar 4.5 class in 1998) – Active
- INS Yaffo (Jaffa, 1998) (Sa'ar 4-class built in 1975 and converted to Saar 4.5 class in 1998) – Active
- INS Herev, pronounced χeʁev (Sword, 2002) – Active
- INS Sufa (Storm, 2003) – Active
Sa'ar 4-class
- INS Nitzachon (Victory, 1978) – Active
- INS Atzmaut (Independence, 1979) – Active
Dolphin class
- INS Dolphin (1999)
- INS Livyathan (Whale, 1999)
- INS Tekumah (Revival, 2000)
Dolphin class AIP-capable
In 2005 Israel ordered two submarines, which are to be delivered in 2011 and 2012. These two new boats are similar to the highly advanced German
U212 submarineThe German Type 212 class, also Italian Todaro class, is a highly advanced design of non-nuclear submarine developed by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft AG and Fincantieri S.p.a. for the German and Italian Navy. It features diesel propulsion and an additional air-independent propulsion system using...
and feature an
air-independent propulsionAir-independent propulsion is a term that encompasses technologies which allow a submarine to operate without the need to surface or use a snorkel to access atmospheric oxygen. The term usually excludes the use of nuclear power, and describes augmenting or replacing the diesel-electric propulsion...
(AIP) system. Israel is currently discussing a possible third submarine with Germany. In 2011, Israel placed an order for a sixth Dolphin submarine to be built in coming years, for which it will pay $1 billion.
Patrol Boats
- Dabur class patrol boat
Dabur class is a class of patrol boats built in United States at the Sewart Seacraft shipyard for the Israeli Navy, and by IAI-Ramta.Dabur boats' first battle engagements were made in the October 1973 Yom Kippur War...
s – 15 active, built by Sewart Seacraft and IAI-Ramta, adopted in 1973–77, numbers in a 850–920 range.
- Dvora
The Dvora class fast patrol boat is a fast class of patrol boats built by Israel Aerospace Industries for the Israeli Sea Corps based on the Israeli Dabur.-Sri Lanka:...
– 9 active, adopted from 1988, numbers 811–819
- Super Dvora Mk II – 4 active, adopted from 1996, numbers 820–823
- Super Dvora Mk III
Super Dvora Mark III is the latest generation of the venerable Dvora family of fast patrol boats or fast attack crafts . Manufactured by IAI Ramta in 2004 these vessels are capable of speeding up to in littoral waters thanks to its state of the art thrust vectoring control Articulated Surface...
– 10 active
- Shaldag class fast patrol boat
The Shaldag class Fast Patrol Boat is a small but fast class of patrol boats developed for the Israeli Sea Corps and launched in 1989, it has since seen service with several other navies. Designed for security tasks where high intercept speeds are required, such as interdiction of terrorism and...
s – 5 active
- Shaldag Mk II – 5 ordered
- Nachshol class patrol boats (Stingray Interceptor-2000) – built by Stingray Marine – 2 active, 3 adopted from 1997–98
- Rafael Protector USV Unmanned Naval Patrol Vehicles
Support ships
- INS Bat Yam
- INS Bat Galim
- INS Drom Afrika
- INS Keshet – cargo ship
- INS Nir – costal tender ship
- INS Nahariya – coastal tender ship
- Ashdod class landing ships
- 78-ton tugs – built in Israel
Commando boats
- Dolphin type underwater crafts
- Maiale (pig)
Human torpedoes or manned torpedoes are a type of rideable submarine used as secret naval weapons in World War II. The basic design is still in use today; they are a type of diver propulsion vehicle....
type underwater crafts
- Snunit boats
- Zaharon boats
- Moulit boats
- Morena rigid-hulled inflatable boats
Aircraft
Aircraft operated by the Israeli Navy, even when including on-board Navy mission specialists, are flown and maintained by
Israeli Air ForceThe Israeli Air Force is the air force of the State of Israel and the aerial arm of the Israel Defense Forces. It was founded on May 28, 1948, shortly after the Israeli Declaration of Independence...
personnel and are part of the air force command structure.
- 193 Squadron
The 193 Squadron of the Israeli Air Force , also known as the Maritime Helicopters Squadron, is an AS565 Panther helicopter squadron based at either Ramat David Airbase or Palmachim Airbase.-References:...
– Eurocopter AS565 Panther.
- 120 Squadron
The 120 Squadron of the Israeli Air Force, also known as the Desert Giants , is a Boeing 707 and IAI 1224 Westwind squadron based at Nevatim Airbase.-References:...
– IAI Seascan.
Unmanned aerial vehicles
- Aeronautics Defense Orbiter
- The navy has an unmanned helicopter (manufactured by Aeronautics Defense Systems) on Sa’ar 5-class corvettes.
Equipment
- Boeing Harpoon
The Harpoon is an all-weather, over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile system, developed and manufactured by McDonnell Douglas . In 2004, Boeing delivered the 7,000th Harpoon unit since the weapon's introduction in 1977...
– anti-ship missile
- Rafael Barak
Barak is an Israeli surface-to-air missile designed to be used as a point-defense missile system on warships, defending against aircraft, anti-ship missiles, and UAVs.-Barak I:...
– Ship Point Defense Missile System
- IAI Gabriel
Gabriel missiles, created by Israel Aircraft Industries, are a range of anti-ship missiles that use the technique of sea-skimming.- Origin :...
– sea-to-sea missile
- Popeye Turbo
The Popeye is an air to ground missile developed and in use by Israel, of which several types have been developed for Israeli and export users. A substantially modified long range cruise missile variant of the Popeye Turbo is believed to be used to arm the Israeli submarine based nuclear forces...
– Cruise Missile believed to be carried on Dolphin Class Submarines. May carry nuclear warheads.
- Typhoon
The Typhoon is a type of remote weapon station manufactured by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems of Israel, and it shares similar design principles and common technologies with Samson Remote Controlled Weapon Station , a land-based system manufactured by the same developer...
– Naval Optronic Stabilized Weapon Platforms
- NAVLAR Artillery Rocket System
- EL/M-2221 STGR – Search, Track & Guidance/Gunnery Radar
- EL/M-2228S AMDR – Automatic Missile Detection Radar
- EL/M-2228X SGRS – Surveillance & Gunnery Radar System
- EL/M-2238 STAR -Surveillance & Threat Alert Radar
- EL/M-2226 ACSR – Advanced Coastal Surveillance Radar
Future
In a radical revamp of its surface fleet modernization program, the Israel Navy has shelved long-held plans to purchase Lockheed Martin-produced
Littoral Combat ShipA Littoral Combat Ship is a type of relatively small surface vessel intended for operations in the littoral zone . It is "envisioned to be a networked, agile, stealthy surface combatant capable of defeating anti-access and asymmetric threats in the littorals." Two ship classes are the first...
s (LCS) due to their ever-rising cost estimate, as well as exercising a fallback option involving corvettes built by Northrop Grumman. Instead, sources say, the Navy is pushing to establish a combat shipbuilding industry through customized, locally built versions of a German corvette design. Currently in an exploration phase, the concept calls for a stretched, approximately 2,200-ton version of the
MEKOThe MEKO family of warships was developed by the German company Blohm + Voss.MEKO is a registered trademark. The portmanteau stands for "Mehrzweck-Kombination" . It is a concept in modern naval shipbuilding based on modularity of armament, electronics and other equipment, aiming at ease of...
A-100 built by ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), the Hamburg-based consortium building two Dolphin-class submarines for the Israel Navy. Countries that are building or now operating the 1,650-ton German-designed corvette include Malaysia and Poland. If carried out, the ships would likely be built locally by
Israel ShipyardsIsrael Shipyards is one of the largest shipbuilding and repair facilities in the eastern Mediterranean. The company also operates the first and only privately owned port in Israel....
(which built the Sa'ar 4.5 class and earlier INS ships), with IAI acting as prime systems integrator.
The Israeli Navy also plans to buy four more Super Dvora and two Shaldag patrol boats, and has ordered two additional submarines, and is discussing with Germany the possibility of a third. The Navy is also building up an amphibious assault capability to deliver battalion-sized infantry forces and is in discussion with the Ground Forces Command to decide which battalions will be trained in landing operations.
The Navy is considering buying two large ships which would be specifically designed for the navy's needs, and which would be outfitted with electronic warfare devices, radar, and weapons systems. Israel planned to order each ship for $300 million from the German shipbuilding company
Blohm + VossBlohm + Voss , is a German shipbuilding and engineering works. It is a subsidiary of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems; there were plans to sell 80% of Blohm + Voss to Abu Dhabi Mar Group, but talks collapsed in July 2011.-History:It was founded on April 5, 1877, by Hermann Blohm and Ernst Voss as a...
. After the
United Arab EmiratesThe United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
-owned Mar group announced that it would buy the majority of shares in the company, the Israeli defense establishment began to look into the potential outcomes of buying ships from an Arab-owned company. It is being reported that Israel is now leaning towards producing 2 modified versions of the Sa'ar 5-class corvette domestically.
List of Commanders
Source:
Jewish Virtual LibraryJewish Virtual Library is an online encyclopedia published by the American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise . Established in 1993, it is a comprehensive website covering Israel, the Jewish people, and Jewish culture.-History:...
- Gershon Zak
Gershon Zak was the head of the Sea service which became the Israeli Navy, at that time there was no commander till Paul Shulman came and both Paul Shulman and Zak were in charge, Shulman as commander and Zak as Administrative from MOD.-Biography:...
, 1948–1949
- Paul Shulman
Paul Nahman Shulman , also known by his Hebrew name, Shaul Ben-Tzvi, was the second commander of the Israeli Navy.-Biography:Born in 1922 in Connecticut and raised in New York, Shulman graduated from the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis. During World War II he fought in the Pacific front...
, 1949
- Shlomo Shamir
Shlomo Shamir was the third Commander of the Israeli Navy , and the first Israeli Navy Commander to receive the rank of Aluf. He was the third Commander of the Israeli Air Force .- Biography :...
, 1949–1950
- Mordechai Limon
Mordechai Limon was the fourth commander of the Israeli navy, serving from December 14, 1950 until July 1, 1954.Limon was born in Baranovichi and made aliyah to Palestine in 1932...
, 1951–1954
- Shmuel Tankos, 1954–1960
- Yohai Bin-Nun, 1960–1966
- Shlomo Arel
Shlomo Arel was a Major General in the IDF, and the seventh Commander of the Israeli Navy.-Biography:Arel was born in Poland in 1920 and he made aliyah to Mandate Palestine with his parents in 1926. His family moved to Petah Tikva, but eventually settled in Tel Aviv...
, 1966–1968
- Avraham Botzer
Avraham Botzer was the Commander of the Israeli Navy between 1968 and 1972.- Pre-establishment of the State of Israel :Avraham Botzer was born in Poland and he made aliyah to the Land of Israel in 1936 at the age of 7...
, 1968–1972
- Benjamin Telem
Benjamin Telem was the ninth Commander of the Israeli Navy .-Early life and education:Born Benjamin Blumenthal in Dessau, Germany in 1928, Telem immigrated to Haifa, Israel as a child in 1933. He attended the Haifa Naval School, joining the Palyam shortly after graduation...
, 1972–1976
- Michael Barkai
Michael Barkai was the Commander of the Israeli Navy, a recipient of the Medal of Distinguished Service for his command of the missile ships during the Yom Kippur War.-Childhood:...
, 1976–1978
- Ze'ev Almog
Zeev Almog , was the Commander In Chief of the Israeli Navy from 1979-1985. He was also General Manager of Israel Shipyards from 1986 to 1995.-Early life:...
, 1979–1985
- Avraham Ben-Shoshan
Avraham Ben-Shoshan was an Aluf in the IDF, and served as the Commander of the Israeli Navy in the years 1985-1989.-Biography:...
, 1985–1989
- Micha Ram
Micha Ram is an Aluf in the Israel Defense Forces. He was the Commander of the Israeli Navy in the years 1989-1992.- Biography :...
, 1989–1992
- Ami Ayalon
Amihai "Ami" Ayalon is an Israeli politician and a former member of the Knesset for the Labor Party. He was previously head of the Shin Bet, Israel's secret service, and commander-in-chief of the Navy...
, 1992–1995
- Alex Tal
Alex Tal was the Commander of the Israeli Navy in the years 1992-1996.Tal made aliyah from the Soviet Union in 1964 and enlisted in the Israeli Navy. After his training he served on the first Missile boat the Israeli Navy received. He also participated in the Cherbourg Project...
, 1995–1999
- Yedidya Yaari
Major General Yedidya Ya'ari was the commander of the Israeli Navy from 2000-2004. He was succeeded by David Ben Ba'ashat.In July 1969, as a commando in Shayetet 13, he was badly wounded and mistakenly declared dead during Operation Bulmus 6 - the assault on fortified Green Island, Egypt, in the...
, 1999–2004
- David Ben Ba'ashat
Aluf David Ben Ba'ashat is a general in the Israel Defense Forces and until July 26, 2007 was the commander of the Israeli Navy. Born in Israel, he has received a B.A. in Economics and Business Management from the University of Haifa, and studied at the United States Marine Corps College for a...
, 2004–2007
- Eliezer Marom, 2007–2011
- Ram Rothberg
Aluf Ram Rothberg is a general in the Israel Defense Forces that currently serves as the head of the Israel Navy.-Service History:...
, 2011–
See also
- Cherbourg Project
The Boats of Cherbourg was an Israeli military operation which took place on 24 December 1969, and involved the escape of five class 3 missile boats from the French port of Cherbourg. The boats had been paid for by the Israeli government but had not been delivered due to the French arms embargo...
- INS Dakar
INS Dakar was the former modified British T-class submarine of the Royal Navy. In 1965, she was purchased by Israel as part of a group of three T-class submarines. She was commissioned into the Israeli Sea Corps in November 1967 and underwent sea and diving trials in Scotland. Dakar departed for...
- Military equipment of Israel
The military equipment of Israel includes a wide array of arms, tanks, planes, cannons, armored vehicles. Many of these are purchased overseas. Up until the Six-Day War of 1967, the Israel Defense Forces' principal supplier was France, since then, it has been the United States government and...
- Betar Naval Academy
The Betar Naval Academy was a Jewish naval training school established in Civitavecchia, Italy in 1934 by the Revisionist Zionist movement under the direction of Ze'ev Jabotinsky, with tha agreement of Benito Mussolini....
- Israel Defense Forces ranks
Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces have a unique rank structure. Because the IDF is an integrated force, ranks are the same in all services The ranks are derived from those of the paramilitary Haganah developed in the Mandate period to protect the Yishuv...
- Israeli Naval Academy
The Israeli Naval Academy is a voluntary course , dedicated to the training education, and selection of Naval Officers, which takes place alongside other instructional courses, at the naval command school in the Israeli Naval Instruction Base. The course is nearly three years long, and cadets...
External links