“They had to handle multiple threats arriving at once, and that was only one scenario out of three.”
By The IDF Club
IDF Naval forces from Flotilla 916 completed an intensive forty-eight-hour exercise designed to test their readiness for extreme scenarios far beyond routine operations.
Captain A., commander of a reconnaissance unit in the flotilla, explained that while their daily mission is to patrol from Rafah to Michmoret and secure Israel’s coast, the drill required them to push well beyond familiar tasks and prepare for rapid transitions between missions.
The exercise opened with the detection of a hostile vessel sailing toward Israel from an enemy port. A 916 patrol boat moved in to intercept, where “Red Team” forces fired live rounds at the crew. At the same time, fast-moving jet skis sped toward the Israeli vessel. “We challenged the commanders significantly,” said the flotilla commander. “They had to handle multiple threats arriving at once, and that was only one scenario out of three.”
Another stage simulated the “day after,” forcing crews to neutralize ongoing threats while planning the next phase of combat and anticipating enemy moves, all as new incidents continued to erupt around them.
The final scenario focused on seamanship. Fighters practiced medical evacuations at sea, mid-mission refueling, and opening secure maritime routes for supporting vessels.
A central feature of the drill was the element of complete surprise. “None of the commanders knew what they would face,” Captain A. said. Another critical component was the tight synchronization between vessels, especially during the live-fire phase.
Each segment of the exercise was built to test different capabilities. Confronting the hostile vessel required repelling simultaneous threats and striking multiple targets under uncertainty. “The demand was to coordinate quickly and effectively so the force could handle everything coming at them,” the commander noted.
“We required everyone to demonstrate high-level command abilities that they will need in real operations,” Captain A. added. “Sharp decision-making, calm under pressure, creative thinking, and long-range planning. Our goal is to strengthen these skills before any battle plan begins, so that when the real moment arrives, we are never caught off guard.”
