Under the radar: New Hamas rocket smuggling method via the sea
Smugglers exploit the Mediterranean’s northward longshore currents, which naturally pull buoyant or semi-submerged containers from the Egyptian coast toward Gaza’s shores.
Smugglers exploit the Mediterranean’s northward longshore currents, which naturally pull buoyant or semi-submerged containers from the Egyptian coast toward Gaza’s shores.
Major R., who enlisted in 2016 and rose through key naval combat roles, has been appointed the first woman to command a missile ship in the Israel Defense Forces, now leading a vessel that took part in major operations against Hamas, Hezbollah, and Syrian forces during the war.
The Israeli Navy carried out an extensive weeks-long exercise, mobilizing warships, submarines, commandos, and support units to practice defending Israel’s territorial waters, offshore energy assets, and coastal infrastructure against complex multi-front threats.
The Israeli Navy thwarted multiple attempts by civilian flotillas to break the IDF’s siege on Gaza, imposed to stop weapons smuggling—something that could have quickly turned deadly.
Lieutenant O is making history as the first female mechanics officer on the Sa’ar 6 patrol corvettes, following 2.5 years of intensive training at the Naval Academy to prepare for life at sea.
The drill simulated a coordinated surprise terror assault by land and sea, testing air and ground coordination, mass-casualty response, civilian rescues, intelligence closure, and battlefield command under fire.
Israel and the U.S. Fifth Fleet capped off their five-day ‘Intrinsic Defender’ drill with a hard-hitting display of joint naval strength, sharpening everything from mine-clearing to takeover ops to deepen their strategic grip on regional seas.
‘They had to handle multiple threats arriving at once, and that was only one scenario out of three.’
The Israeli Navy operates a compact fleet centered on Sa’ar 6 and Sa’ar 5 corvettes, advanced missile boats and Dolphin-class submarines believed to provide second-strike capability.
Israel’s fleet includes five Dolphin-class diesel-electric submarines.
In a high-stakes, around-the-clock mission, Israel’s elite naval defense teams used cutting-edge radar systems and the ‘Naval Dome’ to intercept over 30 enemy drones, working tirelessly to ensure not a single threat reached Israeli shores.
This marks the first time the Israeli Navy has struck Houthi positions in Yemen.
As the IDF pushes deeper into Gaza, Israel’s Navy is making waves of its own—taking out a Hamas naval commando tied to the October 7th massacre in a precision strike that underscores the military’s full-spectrum assault.
As global naval threats grow more complex, Elbit Systems has introduced a next-generation electronic warfare suite that adapts in real time.
Since October, the Houthis have launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Israel.
The two-week-long exercise is part of Israeli Defense Forces’ simulation of a possible multi-front conflict.
