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Israeli Navy

From Wikipedia, in a visual modern way
Israeli Navy
חיל הים הישראלי
IsraeliNavy.png
Emblem of the Israeli Navy
Founded1948; 75 years ago (1948)
Country Israel
TypeNavy
Size7 corvettes (Sa'ar 5 class, Sa'ar 6 class)
8 missile boats (Sa'ar 4.5 class)
5 submarines (Dolphin class)
45 patrol boats
2 support ships
9,500 active[1]
10,000 reserve[1]
Part of Israel Defense Forces
Garrison/HQHaKirya, Tel Aviv, Israel
Motto(s)Open Sea, Safe Coasts
Engagements1948 Arab–Israeli War
War over Water
Six-Day War
War of Attrition
Yom Kippur War
1982 Lebanon War
1982–2000 South Lebanon conflict
Second Intifada
2006 Lebanon War
Blockade of the Gaza Strip
Gaza War
Operation Protective Edge
Operation Guardian of the Walls
Commanders
Commander of the NavyAluf David Salama
Insignia
Naval ensignNaval Ensign of Israel.svg
PennantIsraeli Navy penant.svg

The Israeli Navy (Hebrew: חיל הים הישראלי, Ḥeil HaYam HaYisraeli (English: The Israeli Sea Corps); Arabic: البحرية الإسرائيلية) is the naval warfare service arm of the Israel Defense Forces, operating primarily in the Mediterranean Sea theater as well as the Gulf of Eilat and the Red Sea theater. The current commander in chief of the Israeli Navy is Aluf David Sa'ar Salama. The Israeli Navy is believed to be responsible for maintaining Israel's offshore nuclear second strike capability.[2]

Discover more about Israeli Navy related topics

Hebrew language

Hebrew language

Hebrew is a Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic language family. It was natively spoken by the Israelites and remained in regular use as a spoken language by their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans, before dying out after 200 CE. However, it was largely preserved as a liturgical language, featuring prominently in Judaism and Samaritanism. Having ceased to be a dead language in the 19th century, today's Hebrew serves as the only successful large-scale example of linguistic revival. It is the only non-extinct Canaanite language, and is also one of only two Northwest Semitic languages still spoken, with the other being Aramaic.

Israel Defense Forces

Israel Defense Forces

The Israel Defense Forces, alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym Tzahal (צה״ל), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and the Israeli Navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security apparatus, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel. The IDF is headed by the Chief of the General Staff, who is subordinate to the Israeli Defense Minister.

Mediterranean Sea

Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant in Western Asia. The Mediterranean has played a central role in the history of Western civilization. Geological evidence indicates that around 5.9 million years ago the Mediterranean was cut off from the Atlantic and was partly or completely desiccated over a period of some 600,000 years during the Messinian salinity crisis before being refilled by the Zanclean flood about 5.3 million years ago.

Red Sea

Red Sea

The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its connection to the ocean is in the south, through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. To its north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez. It is underlain by the Red Sea Rift, which is part of the Great Rift Valley.

Israel

Israel

Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia. Situated in the Southern Levant, it is bordered by Lebanon to the north, by Syria to the northeast, by Jordan to the east, by the Red Sea to the south, by Egypt to the southwest, by the Mediterranean Sea to the west, and by the Palestinian territories — the West Bank along the east and the Gaza Strip along the southwest. Tel Aviv is the economic and technological center of the country, while its seat of government is in its proclaimed capital of Jerusalem, although Israeli sovereignty over East Jerusalem is unrecognized internationally.

Second strike

Second strike

In nuclear strategy, a retaliatory strike or second-strike capability is a country's assured ability to respond to a nuclear attack with powerful nuclear retaliation against the attacker. To have such an ability is considered vital in nuclear deterrence, as otherwise the other side might attempt to try to win a nuclear war in one massive first strike against its opponent's own nuclear forces.

History

The Sarah I: a 190-foot four-masted schooner of 750 tons used as a training ship by the Betar Naval Academy.
The Sarah I: a 190-foot four-masted schooner of 750 tons used as a training ship by the Betar Naval Academy.
INS Eilat, ex-Royal Navy Z-class destroyer sold to Israel in 1955
INS Eilat, ex-Royal Navy Z-class destroyer sold to Israel in 1955

The origins of the Israeli Navy lay in the founding of the Betar Naval Academy, a Jewish naval training school established in Civitavecchia, Italy, in 1934 by the Revisionist Zionist movement under the direction of Ze'ev Jabotinsky, The Academy trained cadets from all over Europe, Palestine and South Africa and produced some of the future commanders of the Israeli Navy. In September 1937, the training ship Sarah I visited Haifa and Tel Aviv as part of a Mediterranean tour.

INS Gal at the Naval Museum, Haifa
INS Gal at the Naval Museum, Haifa

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 Palyam, the naval branch of the Palmach, whose training was undertaken at the maritime school. The Jewish merchant marine was also raised, operating SS Tel-Aviv and cargo ships such as Atid.

In 1942, eleven hundred Haganah volunteers joined the Royal Navy, 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 Arm (FAA), one of whom was Edmond Wilhelm Brillant and the other Zvi Avidror. With the end of the Second World War and the start of the Jewish insurgency in Mandatory Palestine, 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 Haganah.

During the last months of British Mandate in Palestine, the former Royal Navy volunteers started work 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 Arab–Israeli War.

Israeli missile boats on parade, 1971
Israeli missile boats on parade, 1971

At the outset of the 1948 war and with the founding of the IDF, the Israeli Navy consisted of four former Aliyah Bet ships impounded in Haifa harbor. These ships were refurbished by a newly formed naval repair facility with the assistance of two private shipbuilding and repair companies. In October 1948, a submarine chaser was purchased from the United States. With the founding of the IDF in early 1948, the Israeli Navy was therefore formed from a core of the following personnel:[3][4]

  • 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 Italian, while Palyam personnel were commanding the ship under instructions from the Haganah. Ike Aharonowitch, captain of 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[5][6] from the United States Navy and Royal Navy, such as Commander Paul Shulman[7] of the U.S. Navy, and Commanders Solomon and Allen Burk of the Royal Navy.[8] 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.

During the war, the warships served on coastal patrol duties and bombarded Arab targets on land, including Egyptian coastal installations in and around the Gaza area all the way to Port Said.[9] The Israeli Navy also engaged the Egyptian Navy at sea during Operation Yoav, and the Egyptian Navy's flagship, Emir Farouk, was sunk in an operation by Israeli naval commandos.

Torpedo boats of the Israeli Navy. Built by Chantiers Navals de Meulan, France.
Torpedo boats of the Israeli Navy. Built by Chantiers Navals de Meulan, France.

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 U.S. Navy Machal volunteers about what form the Navy should take.[3][10][11] Commander Allen Burk is reputed to have said, out of despair, "You cannot make naval officers from cowboys".[4]

Royal Navy Captain Ashe Lincoln,[12] who was Jewish, advised Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion to purchase corvettes, frigates, destroyers, torpedo boats, and patrol boats to build up the Israeli Navy power. To that end, he urged Ben-Gurion to consult with professional navy advisers. This resulted in instructions to contact U.S. Navy advisors, mainly Commander Paul Shulman from the U.S. Navy.

The Israeli Navy suffered from a lack of professional command during its early days.[3] 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 Shulman (a Jewish U.S. Navy officer with a rank of Commander who volunteered for the Israeli Navy) as Navy-Commander in Chief and he resigned in 1949. The first Navy-Commander in Chief awarded the rank of Aluf was Shlomo Shamir.[3]

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.[13][14]

Until 1967 the Naval Headquarters were located at Stella Maris, on the slopes of Mount Carmel, Haifa. After the Six-Day War it was relocated to the Kirya in Tel Aviv, next to IDF Headquarters.

Yom Kippur War

Main articles: Battle of Latakia and Battle of Baltim

In the most significant engagement in its history, during the Yom Kippur War five Israeli Navy missile boats sank five Syrian ships without losses during the Battle of Latakia. As a result, the Syrian Navy remained in port for the remainder of the conflict.[15] It was the first naval battle in history between surface-to-surface missile-equipped missile boats.

Another significant engagement was the Battle of Baltim, during which six Israeli Navy missile boats engaged four Egyptian Navy missile boats sinking three, again, without losses.

2006 Lebanon War

The surprise attack on the Israeli navy's flagship INS Hanit by an onshore Hezbollah battery was a turning point for naval doctrine and operations. Four seamen died when the YJ-83 missile hit the gunship because the vessel's missile defense systems had not been turned on at that time.[16]

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Betar Naval Academy

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 the agreement of Benito Mussolini. The titular head of the Academy was the Italian maritime scientist Nicola Fusco but Betar leader Jeremiah Halpern ran the School and was its driving force. The Academy trained cadets from all over Europe, Palestine and South Africa and produced some of the future commanders of the Israeli Navy.

Civitavecchia

Civitavecchia

Civitavecchia is a city and comune of the Metropolitan City of Rome in the central Italian region of Lazio. A sea port on the Tyrrhenian Sea, it is located 60 kilometres west-north-west of Rome. The harbour is formed by two piers and a breakwater, on which stands a lighthouse. Civitavecchia had a population of around 53,000 as of 2015.

Gal-class submarine

Gal-class submarine

The Type 540 Gal-class submarine is a slightly modified variant of the German HDW Type 206 submarine class, modified for Israeli requirements. The Gal class submarines were built to Israeli specifications as the Vickers Type 540 at the Vickers shipyards in Barrow-in-Furness in the UK rather than Germany for political reasons. "Gal" was the name of the son of Abraham (Ivan) Dror, 3rd commander of the squadron and head of the project.

Haifa

Haifa

Haifa is the third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of 282,832 in 2021. The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropolitan area in Israel. It is home to the Baháʼí Faith's Baháʼí World Centre, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a destination for Baháʼí pilgrimage.

Palyam

Palyam

Palyam was the sea force of the Palmach.

Palmach

Palmach

The Palmach was the elite fighting force of the Haganah, the underground army of the Yishuv during the period of the British Mandate for Palestine. The Palmach was established on 15 May 1941. By the outbreak of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War it consisted of over 2,000 men and women in three fighting brigades and auxiliary aerial, naval and intelligence units. With the creation of Israel's army, the three Palmach Brigades were disbanded. This and political reasons compelled many of the senior Palmach officers to resign in 1950.

Haganah

Haganah

Haganah was the main Zionist paramilitary organization of the Jewish population ("Yishuv") in Mandatory Palestine between 1920 and its disestablishment in 1948, when it became the core of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Fleet Air Arm

Fleet Air Arm

The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy and is responsible for the delivery of naval air power both from land and at sea. The Fleet Air Arm operates the F-35 Lightning II for maritime strike and the AW159 Wildcat and AW101 Merlin for commando and anti-submarine warfare.

Edmond Wilhelm Brillant

Edmond Wilhelm Brillant

Edmond Wilhelm Brillant Halevi was a Polish-born Israeli naval architect and one of the founding fathers of the Israeli navy.

Jewish insurgency in Mandatory Palestine

Jewish insurgency in Mandatory Palestine

A successful paramilitary campaign was carried out by Zionist underground groups against British rule in Mandatory Palestine from 1944 to 1948. The tensions between the Zionist underground and the British mandatory authorities rose from 1938 and intensified with the publication of the White Paper of 1939. The Paper outlined new government policies to place further restrictions on Jewish immigration and land purchases, and declared the intention of giving independence to Palestine, with an Arab majority, within ten years. Though World War II brought relative calm, tensions again escalated into an armed struggle towards the end of the war, when it became clear that the Axis powers were close to defeat.

1948 Arab–Israeli War

1948 Arab–Israeli War

The 1948 Arab–Israeli War was the second and final stage of the 1948 Palestine war. It formally began following the end of the British Mandate for Palestine at midnight on 14 May 1948; the Israeli Declaration of Independence had been issued earlier that day, and a military coalition of Arab states entered the territory of British Palestine in the morning of 15 May.

Aliyah Bet

Aliyah Bet

Aliyah Bet was the code name given to illegal immigration by Jews, most of whom were refugees escaping from Nazi Germany, and later Holocaust survivors, to Mandatory Palestine between 1920 and 1948, in violation of the restrictions laid out in the British White Paper of 1939, which dramatically increased between 1939 and 1948. With the establishment of the State of Israel in May 1948, Jewish displaced persons and refugees from Europe began streaming into the new sovereign state.

Bases

INS Rahav
INS Rahav
Sa'ar 5-class missile сorvettes of the Israeli Navy
Sa'ar 5-class missile сorvettes of the Israeli Navy
Shayetet 13, Naval commandos
Shayetet 13, Naval commandos
The emblem of the Haifa naval base is two arrows – one signifying the Missile Boats Flotilla and the other the Submarine Flotilla.
The emblem of the Ashdod naval base is two opposing arrows.
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 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, 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 Academy.
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.

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INS Rahav (2013)

INS Rahav (2013)

INS Rahav is an Israeli Dolphin 2-class submarine. The name is Hebrew for "Rahab." The submarine was built in Kiel, Germany, and delivered to the Israeli port city Haifa 12 January 2016, where entered service the next day.

Haifa

Haifa

Haifa is the third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of 282,832 in 2021. The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropolitan area in Israel. It is home to the Baháʼí Faith's Baháʼí World Centre, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a destination for Baháʼí pilgrimage.

Missile boat

Missile boat

A missile boat or missile cutter is a small, fast warship armed with anti-ship missiles. Being smaller than other warships such as destroyers and frigates, missile boats are popular with nations interested in forming a navy at lower cost. They are similar in concept to the torpedo boats of World War II; in fact, the first missile boats were modified torpedo boats with the torpedo tubes replaced by missile tubes.

Squadron (naval)

Squadron (naval)

A squadron, or naval squadron, is a significant group of warships which is nonetheless considered too small to be designated a fleet. A squadron is typically a part of a fleet. Between different navies there are no clear defining parameters to distinguish a squadron from a fleet, and the size and strength of a naval squadron varies greatly according to the country and time period. Groups of small warships, or small groups of major warships, might instead be designated flotillas by some navies according to their terminology. Since the size of a naval squadron varies greatly, the rank associated with command of a squadron also varies greatly.

Atlit (modern town)

Atlit (modern town)

Atlit is a coastal town located south of Haifa, Israel. The community is in the Hof HaCarmel Regional Council in the Haifa District of Israel.

Shayetet 13

Shayetet 13

Shayetet 13 is a unit of the Israeli Navy and one of the primary sayeret (reconnaissance) units of the Israel Defense Forces. Shayetet 13 specializes in sea-to-land incursions, counter-terrorism, sabotage, maritime intelligence gathering, maritime hostage rescue, and boarding. The unit is trained for sea, air and land actions. The unit has taken part in almost all of Israel's major wars, as well as other actions.

Ashdod

Ashdod

Ashdod is the sixth-largest city in Israel. Located in the country's Southern District, it lies on the Mediterranean coast 32 kilometres south of Tel Aviv and 20 km (12 mi) north of Ashkelon.

Eilat

Eilat

Eilat, or Umm al-Rashrāsh, is Israel's southernmost city, with a population of 52,753, a busy port and popular resort at the northern tip of the Red Sea, on what is known in Israel as the Gulf of Eilat and in Jordan as the Gulf of Aqaba. The city is considered a tourist destination for domestic and international tourists heading to Israel.

Israeli Naval Academy

Israeli Naval Academy

The Israeli Naval Academy is a voluntary course, dedicated to the training, education and selection of Naval Officers, and it takes place alongside other instructional courses at the Naval Command School in the Israeli Naval Training Base. The Naval Academy is considered one of the most prestigious and demanding courses in the IDF – alongside the Israeli Air Force Flight Academy. On average, only one out of four cadets completes the course successfully, representing a 10% completion rate from initial selection process to graduation. The course is nearly three years long, and cadets graduate with a B.A. from Haifa University and an Officer rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade. Graduates are committed to 61 months' additional military service.

HaKirya

HaKirya

HaKirya, or The Kirya, is an area in central Tel Aviv, consisting of an urban military base north of Kaplan Street, and a civilian area south of it.

Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv-Yafo, often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a population of 467,875, it is the economic and technological center of the country. If East Jerusalem is considered part of Israel, Tel Aviv is the country's second most populous city after Jerusalem; if not, Tel Aviv is the most populous city ahead of West Jerusalem.

Forces

Structure of the Israel Navy
Structure of the Israel Navy

Patrol squadrons

Squadrons 914, 915, and 916, based in Haifa, Eilat, and Ashdod respectively, consist of patrol boats. They are responsible for protecting Israel's shores and territorial waters.

Unit's objectives

  • Constant patrols in the seas of Israel.
  • Identification of watercraft entering Israeli waters.
  • Preventing smuggling through the sea
  • Protecting national assets, such as drilling rigs.
  • Various operations carried out alone, or with other units in and outside of the navy.
  • Various other objectives that differ between the squadrons.

3rd Flotilla

The missile boat flotilla (Shayetet 3) is based at Haifa. It consists of the 31st and 32nd missile boat squadrons and the 33rd and 36th corvette squadrons.

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.
  • Fire support for ground units.

7th Flotilla

The submarine flotilla (Shayetet 7), a volunteer unit founded in 1959.

Unit's objectives

For security reasons, applicants with dual citizenship must now officially renounce all other citizenships to be accepted into the submarine service training program.[18]

13th Flotilla

Shayetet 13, or Flotilla 13, is an elite naval commando unit which specializes in sea-to-land incursions, counter-terrorism, sabotage operations, maritime intelligence gathering, maritime hostage rescue, and boarding. It is among the most highly trained and secretive units in the Israeli military.

Yaltam divers in training
Yaltam divers in training

Yaltam 707

Salvage and underwater works unit. Formed as the damage control branch of the Navy Shipyards, the unit later incorporated experienced Flotilla-13 divers.

Snapir

Force protection and harbour security unit. Also in charge of diving checkups of civilian ships entering Israeli harbours.

Intelligence

The Naval Intelligence Division is responsible for naval intelligence gathering.

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Haifa

Haifa

Haifa is the third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of 282,832 in 2021. The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropolitan area in Israel. It is home to the Baháʼí Faith's Baháʼí World Centre, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a destination for Baháʼí pilgrimage.

Submarine

Submarine

A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely operated vehicles and robots, as well as medium-sized or smaller vessels, such as the midget submarine and the wet sub. Submarines are referred to as boats rather than ships irrespective of their size.

Israel and weapons of mass destruction

Israel and weapons of mass destruction

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 Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The US Congress Office of Technology Assessment has recorded Israel as a country generally reported as having undeclared chemical warfare capabilities, and an offensive biological warfare program. Officially, Israel neither confirms nor denies possessing nuclear weapons.

Multiple citizenship

Multiple citizenship

Multiple/dual citizenship is a legal status in which a person is concurrently regarded as a national or citizen of more than one country under the laws of those countries. Conceptually, citizenship is focused on the internal political life of the country and nationality is a matter of international dealings. There is no international convention which determines the nationality or citizenship status of a person. This is defined exclusively by national laws, which can vary and conflict with each other. Multiple citizenship arises because different countries use different, and not necessarily mutually exclusive, criteria for citizenship. Colloquially, people may "hold" multiple citizenship but, technically, each nation makes a claim that a particular person is considered its national.

Renunciation of citizenship

Renunciation of citizenship

Renunciation of citizenship is the voluntary loss of citizenship. It is the opposite of naturalization, whereby a person voluntarily obtains citizenship. It is distinct from denaturalization, where citizenship is revoked by the state.

Shayetet 13

Shayetet 13

Shayetet 13 is a unit of the Israeli Navy and one of the primary sayeret (reconnaissance) units of the Israel Defense Forces. Shayetet 13 specializes in sea-to-land incursions, counter-terrorism, sabotage, maritime intelligence gathering, maritime hostage rescue, and boarding. The unit is trained for sea, air and land actions. The unit has taken part in almost all of Israel's major wars, as well as other actions.

Marine salvage

Marine salvage

Marine salvage is the process of recovering a ship and its cargo after a shipwreck or other maritime casualty. Salvage may encompass towing, re-floating a vessel, or effecting repairs to a ship. Today, protecting the coastal environment from spillage of oil or other contaminants is a high priority. Before the invention of radio, salvage services would be given to a stricken vessel by any ship that happened to be passing by. Nowadays, most salvage is carried out by specialist salvage firms with dedicated crew and equipment.

Naval Intelligence Division (Israel)

Naval Intelligence Division (Israel)

The Israeli Naval Intelligence Division (NID) is a staff unit in the Israeli navy headquarters. Like other IDF intelligence bodies, it is professionally subordinate to the Intelligence Directorate.

Fleet

Main article: List of ships of the Israeli Navy

"INS" stands for "Israeli Navy Ship".[19]

Corvettes

Class Photo Ships Commission year Origin Notes
Sa'ar 5 [ˈsa'ar] (Tempest) INS Lahav.jpg

INS Eilat, [ejˈlat] (Eilat)
INS Lahav [ˈlahav] (Blade)
INS Hanit [χaˈnit] (Spear)

1994
1994
1995

 United States U.S. built class
Sa'ar 6 INS Atzmaut (Saar 6), August 2021.jpg

INS Magen [maˈgen] (Shield)
INS Oz (Courage)
INS Atzmaut (Independence)
INS Nitzachon (Victory)

2020
2021

 Germany German built class

Missile boats

Class Photo Ships Commission year Origin Notes
Sa'ar 4.5 סער 4.5.JPG INS Romach, [ˈʁo̞maχ] (Lance)

INS Keshet, [ˈke̞ʃe̞t] (Bow)

INS Hetz, [ˈχe̞t͡s] (Arrow)

INS Kidon, [kiˈdo̞n] (Javelin)

INS Tarshish, [tarˈʃiʃ] (Tarshish)

INS Yaffo, [ˈjafo̞] (Jaffa)

INS Herev, [ˈχe̞ʁe̞v] (Sword)

INS Sufa [suˈfa] (Storm)

1981

1982

1991

1995

1995

1998

2002

2003

 Israel
  • INS Kidon was originally a Sa'ar 4 built in 1974 and converted to Saar 4.5 class in 1994
  • INS Tarshish was originally a Sa'ar 4 built in 1975 and converted to Saar 4.5 class in 1998
  • INS Yaffo was originally a Sa'ar 4 built in 1975 and converted to Saar 4.5 class in 1998
  • The Sa'ar 4.5 boats are expected to be replaced with the 76m-long Reshef class corvette starting in the late 2020s

Submarines

Class Photo Boats Commission year Origin Notes
Dolphin class I.n.s. dolfin-03.JPG INS Dolphin, [do̞lˈfin] (Dolphin)

INS Livyathan, [livjaˈtan] (Whale)

INS Tekumah, [tkuˈma] (Revival)

1999

1999

2000

 Germany

Expected to be replaced with the Dakar-class submarines starting in the early 2030s

AIP Dolphin 2 class INS Tanin (1).jpg INS Tanin, [taˈnin] (Crocodile)

INS Rahav, [ˈʁahav] (Rahab)

INS Drakon, [dʁaˈko̞n] (Dragon)

2012

2014

2023?

 Germany

Patrol boats

Class[20] Photo Number of ships Commissioned Origin Notes
Dvora, [dvo̞ˈʁa] (Bee) Hai Ou Class missile boat.jpg 9 1988  Israel
Super Dvora Mk II, [suˈpe̞ʁ dvo̞ˈʁa] HPL-21 Ankaran.jpg 2 1996  Israel
Super Dvora Mk III כלי בט"ש.jpg 13 2004  Israel
Shaldag, [ʃalˈdaɡ] (Kingfisher) ShaldagMk3.jpg 5 1989  Israel
Defender 18HarbourDefenseBtEilat.jpg 9 2002  Israel
Rafael Protector USV Conning tower of the Protector USV.jpg 2000s  Israel Unmanned Naval Patrol Vehicles
Silver Marlin 2006?  Israel USV Naval Patrol Vehicles

Support ships

[20]

Commando boats

Aircraft

Israeli AS565MA Atalef, 2007
Israeli AS565MA Atalef, 2007

Aircraft operated by the Israeli Navy, even when including on-board Navy mission specialists, are flown and maintained by Israeli Air Force personnel and are part of the air force command structure.

Unmanned aerial vehicles

Equipment

Israel Aerospace Industries Gabriel missile
Israel Aerospace Industries Gabriel missile
  • Barak 1 – Point-defence SAM
  • Barak 8 – Long range SAM and anti-missile defence system
  • Gabriel – sea-to-sea missile
  • Harpoon – anti-ship missile
  • Popeye (AGM-142 Have Nap) – air/sub-launched cruise missile. Dolphin-class submarines believed to carry Popeye Turbo with a range >1500 km and the option for nuclear warheads.
  • Typhoon Weapon Station – remote-operated 25mm gun system
  • 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

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INS Eilat (501)

INS Eilat (501)

INS Eilat (501) 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 was signed in the early 1980s. Eilat was the first of the three ships to be launched and commissioned, being the first in her class.

Eilat

Eilat

Eilat, or Umm al-Rashrāsh, is Israel's southernmost city, with a population of 52,753, a busy port and popular resort at the northern tip of the Red Sea, on what is known in Israel as the Gulf of Eilat and in Jordan as the Gulf of Aqaba. The city is considered a tourist destination for domestic and international tourists heading to Israel.

INS Lahav

INS Lahav

INS Lahav (502) (translated as blade) 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.

INS Hanit

INS Hanit

INS Hanit is a Sa'ar 5-class corvette of the Israeli Navy, built by Northrop Grumman Ship Systems in 1994. During the 2006 Lebanon War INS Hanit served as the flagship of the Israeli navy. On 14 July 2006, it was damaged after being struck by a Hezbollah C-701 anti-ship missile.

INS Magen

INS Magen

INS Magen is a Sa'ar 6-class corvette of the Israeli Navy. She is the first ship of her class to be commissioned.

INS Oz

INS Oz

INS Oz is a Sa'ar 6-class corvette of the Israeli Navy. She is the second ship of her class.

INS Atzmaut

INS Atzmaut

INS Atzmaut is a Sa'ar 6-class corvette of the Israeli Navy. She is the third ship of her class.

INS Nitzachon

INS Nitzachon

INS Nitzachon is a Sa'ar 6-class corvette of the Israeli Navy. She is the fourth ship of her class.

Germany

Germany

Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second-most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated between the Baltic and North seas to the north, and the Alps to the south; it covers an area of 357,022 square kilometres (137,847 sq mi), with a population of over 84 million within its 16 constituent states. Germany borders Denmark to the north, Poland and the Czech Republic to the east, Austria and Switzerland to the south, and France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands to the west. The nation's capital and most populous city is Berlin and its main financial centre is Frankfurt; the largest urban area is the Ruhr.

INS Herev

INS Herev

The INS Herev is a Sa'ar 4.5-class missile boat of the Israeli Navy, built by Israel Shipyards Ltd. and commissioned in May 2002.

INS Sufa (2003)

INS Sufa (2003)

The INS Sufa is a Sa'ar 4.5-class missile boat of the Israeli Navy, built by Israel Shipyards Ltd. and commissioned in May 2003.

Israel

Israel

Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia. Situated in the Southern Levant, it is bordered by Lebanon to the north, by Syria to the northeast, by Jordan to the east, by the Red Sea to the south, by Egypt to the southwest, by the Mediterranean Sea to the west, and by the Palestinian territories — the West Bank along the east and the Gaza Strip along the southwest. Tel Aviv is the economic and technological center of the country, while its seat of government is in its proclaimed capital of Jerusalem, although Israeli sovereignty over East Jerusalem is unrecognized internationally.

Future

Currently under construction is a sixth Dolphin 2 submarine (INS Drakon). Additionally, Israel signed an MoU with Germany for the construction of three Dakar-class submarines with expected delivery in the late 2020s which will replace its three Dolphin 1 submarines delivered in the late 1990s.

On 26 August 2021, Israel Shipyards announced that the Israeli Navy has signed an agreement with it for the design and supply of a new class of missile boats based on Israel Shipyards' Sa'ar 72-class corvette that would replace its Sa'ar 4.5 ships starting in the mid-2020s. Israel Shipyards would also construct a large dry dock which would enable it to outfit these new corvettes with various Israeli-made systems, as well as to service and maintain the corvettes in addition to Dolphin submarines.[24] On an 24 October 2021 interview with Jane's Information Group, the head of the Israeli Navys` Naval Vessels Department said that these new "Reshef"-class corvettes would be equipped with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems's C-Dome air-defence system. He also said that their design was expected to be complete in about two years, and the first ship would likely take another two to four years to construct. Eight are to be built, with each replacing a Sa'ar 4.5 upon being commissioned.[25]

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Dakar-class submarine

Dakar-class submarine

The Dakar-class submarine is a class of AIP-capable, diesel-electric attack submarines ordered by the Israeli Navy from German-based naval conglomerate ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS).

Israel Shipyards

Israel Shipyards

Israel 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. The company’s facilities are located at the Kishon Port include a brand new shiplift (syncrolift), capable lifting up to 3000 tons, or 100 meters LOA ships, and about 1000 meters long quay with 12 meters of water depth.

Sa'ar 72-class corvette

Sa'ar 72-class corvette

Sa'ar 72 is a new class of Israeli Navy corvettes designed by Israel Shipyards Ltd. as an improved and stretched Sa'ar 4.5-class missile boat. The first Sa'ar 72 was expected to become operational in 2015. Subsequent vessels were planned to enter service at the rate of one every eight months.

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd., is an Israeli defense technology company. It was founded as Israel's National R&D Defense Laboratory for the development of weapons and military technology within the Israeli Ministry of Defense; in 2002 it was incorporated as a limited company.

Ranks

Main article: Israel Defense Forces ranks

The Israeli Navy is small compared to other Navies and the officers chain of command is as follows with respect to Royal – Navy / United States:[26]

Officers
Rank group General/flag officers Senior officers Junior officers Officer cadet
 Israeli Navy[27]
 Israel-Navy-OF-8.svg Israel-Navy-OF-7.svg Israel-Navy-OF-6.svg Israel-Navy-OF-5.svg Israel-Navy-OF-4.svg Israel-Navy-OF-3.svg Israel-Navy-OF-2.svg Israel-Navy-OF-1b.svg Israel-Navy-OF-1a.svg IDF KAAB Yam.png IDF KAMA Yam.png
רב-אלוף
Rav aluf 		אלוף
Aluf 		תת-אלוף
Tat aluf 		אלוף משנה
Aluf mishne 		סגן-אלוף
Sgan aluf 		רב סרן
Rav seren 		סרן
Seren 		סגן
Segen 		סגן-משנה
Segen mishne 		קצין אקדמאי בכיר
Katzín akademai bakhír 		קצין מקצועי אקדמאי
Katzín miktsoí akademai
Enlisted
Rank group Senior NCOs Junior NCOs Enlisted
 Israeli Navy[27]
 09.Israeli Navy-CPO3.svg 08.Israeli Navy-CPO2.svg 07.Israeli Navy-CPO1.svg 06.Israeli Navy-CPO.svg 05.Israeli Navy-PO1.svg 04.Israeli Navy-PO2.svg 03.Israeli Navy-PO3.svg 02.Israeli Navy-LSM.svg No insignia
רב-נגד
Rav nagad 		רב-סמל בכיר
Rav samal bakhír 		רב-סמל מתקדם
Rav samal mitkadem 		רב-סמל ראשון
Rav samal rishon 		רב-סמל
Rav samal 		סמל ראשון
Samal rishon 		סמל
Samal 		רב טוראי
Rav turai 		טוראי
Turai

Sleeve rank of Israeli Navy Commander-in-Chief is a rank of honor. This began as special permission from Lt. General Amnon Lipkin-Shahak (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, the rank of the IDF Chief of Staff. However the de facto 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.

The same resolution as mentioned above applies to the rank of Commodore. There is ceremonial-only sleeve rank of Rear–Admiral while by the IDF hierarchy and chain of command he remains a commodore.

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Israel Defense Forces ranks

Israel Defense Forces ranks

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has a unique rank structure. Because the IDF is an integrated force, ranks are the same in all services The ranks are derived from those in the paramilitary Haganah, which operated during the Mandate period in order to protect the Yishuv. This is reflected in the slightly compacted rank structure: for instance, the Chief of Staff is seemingly only equivalent to a lieutenant general in other militaries.

Command hierarchy

Command hierarchy

A command hierarchy is a group of people who carry out orders based on others' authority within the group. It can be viewed as part of a power structure, in which it is usually seen as the most vulnerable and also the most powerful part.

United States Navy officer rank insignia

United States Navy officer rank insignia

In the United States Navy, officers have various ranks. Equivalency between services is by pay grade. United States Navy commissioned officer ranks have two distinct sets of rank insignia: On dress uniform a series of stripes similar to Commonwealth naval ranks are worn; on service khaki, working uniforms, and special uniform situations, the rank insignia are identical to the equivalent rank in the US Marine Corps.

Aluf

Aluf

Aluf is a senior military rank in the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) for officers who in other countries would have the rank of general, air marshal, or admiral. In addition to the aluf rank, four other ranks are derivatives of the word, together, constituting the five highest ranks in the IDF.

Amnon Lipkin-Shahak

Amnon Lipkin-Shahak

Amnon Lipkin-Shahak was an Israeli military officer and politician. He served as Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, as a Member of the Knesset, and as Minister of Transportation and Minister of Tourism.

List of commanders

Main article: Commander of the Navy (Israel)

Source: "Israeli Navy", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2023, March 2nd), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_Navy.

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Further Reading

Romanian Naval Forces

Sa'ar 5-class corvette

Egyptian Navy

Ze'ev Almog

Yohai Ben-Nun

Myanmar Navy

HMS Zealous (R39)

Shmuel Yanai

Palyam

Eli Marom

Shayetet 13

Battle of Baltim

Edmond Wilhelm Brillant

Cherbourg Project

Michael Barkai

Pacific Fleet (Russia)

Ram Rothberg

Operation Full Disclosure
See also
References
  1. ^ a b International Institute for Strategic Studies (25 February 2021). The Military Balance 2021. London: Routledge. p. 344. ISBN 9781032012278.
  2. ^ Cirincione, Joseph; Wolfsthal, Jon B.; Rajkumar, Miriam (2005). Deadly arsenals: nuclear, biological, and chemical threats. Carnegie Endowment. pp. 263–4.
  3. ^ a b c d "Anat Kidron MA Thesis, Israeli Navy Year of Foundation". Haifa University Israel. October 2000. Archived from the original on 20 December 2008. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
  4. ^ a b "The last Battle of the Destroyer INS Eilat by Commander Yitzhak Shushan". Ma’ariv Publishing House. 1993. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
  5. ^ "MACHAL Overseas Volunteers in Israel's War of Independence Page 28" (PDF). MOD IDF. 2007. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
  6. ^ "A Tiny, but Hard-Hitting Battle Force". By David Hanovice North American Volunteers in Israel's War of Independence. 2007. Retrieved 5 December 2009.
  7. ^ "Paul Schulman". The New York Times. 18 May 1994. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
  8. ^ Nadav Reis. "Known Decorations for Bravery Awarded to Machalniks who served in World War II - מח"ל עולמי". Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  9. ^ "A History of Volunteers in the Israeli Navy". www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  10. ^ "The last Battle of the Destroyer INS Eilat by Commander Yitzhak Shushan". Ma'ariv Publishing House. 1993. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
  11. ^ Commander Shlomo, Ya'akobson a Hagana Veteran of the Royal Navy (1997). Betaltala. MOD House. Retrieved 5 December 2009.
  12. ^ "Ashe Lincoln". Dangoor.com. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
  13. ^ BOATS OF CHERBOURG Abraham Rabinovich. Bluejacket Books. 1973. ISBN 1-55750-714-7. Retrieved 3 December 2009.
  14. ^ "The Missile Boat War The 1973 Arab-Israeli War at Sea" (PDF). By Dave Schueler. 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 October 2009. Retrieved 3 December 2009.
  15. ^ "The Battle of Latakia". Jewish Virtual Library.
  16. ^ Udi Shaham. (22 April 2021). "Israel's Navy ready to attack Hezbollah from the sea like never before ". Jerusalem Post website Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  17. ^ "Israel seeks sixth Dolphin in light of Iranian 'threat'". Jane’s. 1 October 2009. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
  18. ^ Zitun, Yoav (8 February 2012). "IDF submarine fleet bans dual citizenship". Y net. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  19. ^ "Ship Naming in the United States Navy". About.com. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  20. ^ a b John Pike. "Navy Equipment - Israel". Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  21. ^ The Military Balance 2017, International Institute for Strategic Studies, 14 February 2017, p. 384.
  22. ^ "חדשות - צבא וביטחון nrg - ...נושאת מזל"טים: חיל הים כובש". Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  23. ^ "דף בית | Israel Defense". www.israeldefense.co.il. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  24. ^ Eshel, Tamir (20 November 2019). "Israeli-Designed Mini Corvettes to Replace Eight Hetz Missile Boats".
  25. ^ Yaakov Lappin; Jeremy Binnie (28 October 2021). "Israeli Navy's Reshef class to carry C-Dome air-defence system". Jane's Information Group. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  26. ^ "IDF Ranks". IDF Spoke Man. 2009. Archived from the original on 30 August 2009. Retrieved 3 December 2009.
  27. ^ a b "עושים לכם סדר בדרגות". idf.il (in Hebrew). Israel Defense Forces. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
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