Idf News

Israeli navy (IDF) holds special exercises with their Italian counterparts in order to perfect joint methods for rescuing the crew of a sunken submarine, reports Ynet. This type of exercise is rare among navies, and the first of its kind in Israel. The drill, held off the coast of Atlit, was conducted with the special cooperation of the Italian navy - one of the few in the world that maintains the ability to extract a sunken submarine's crew. The unique training drill, which lasted three days, tasked troops with rescuing 40 crew members from a Navy submarine at a depth of 60 meters. After a year of planning ahead of the drill, the navy made history, and became one of the few fleets in the world to ever carry out such an exercise.

The Israeli military is monitoring a blockade-busting flotilla on its way to the Gaza Strip and is preparing to block it if need be, Channel 2 news reported. The convoy, consisting of several small vessels, was expected to sail from Greece to Gaza in the coming days, carrying humanitarian supplies for the Hamas-controlled enclave. The Marianne of Gothenburg, which departed on Friday for Greece, is part of Freedom Flotilla III, according to Ship to Gaza Sweden. The boat, which was purchased jointly by the Ship to Gaza Sweden and Ship to Gaza Norway, is carrying solar panels and medical equipment, according to Ship to Gaza Sweden, along with five crew members and several passengers.

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin visited the shipyard in Kiel and toured the ‘INS Rahav’ the fifth submarine due to be delivered to the Israeli Navy. INS Rahav is the fifth submarine expected to arrive in Israel  in the coming year. The INS Rahav was launched some two years ago and will arrive in Israel this year. According to an agreement with Germany, Israel will procure a sixth submarine in the future. "You are our fortified wall on our maritime borders, and nowhere is too far for you when it comes to Israel’s safety," the president told the submarine commandos. "It is well know that I am a Jerusalemite, and not connected to the sea in any specific way…

The Israel Navy’s fourth submarine, the ISS Tanin (Crocodile), is expected to become fully operational in a few weeks and participate in naval operations. The nuclear-capable submarine boasts an array of sophisticated weaponry, as well as the latest in intelligence-gathering technology. It stands at a whopping 68 meters long, compared to 57.3 meters on average for other submarines. The navy’s fifth submarine, meanwhile, is expected to arrive this summer, and is now in the final stages of construction at the Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) shipyards in Kiel, Germany. Israel is expected to officially take control of the ISS Rahav (“arrogance” or “fearlessness”) in a few weeks, when it will begin its maiden voyage from Germany to Israel. Lt. Col.

Force to receive 2 more advanced German Dolphin-class submarines in 2014, and a long range air defense system, in an unprecedented upgrade, reports the Jerusalem Post. The navy has been working with Israeli defense companies to develop a range of sea and underwater combat technologies, from radars to electronic warfare capabilities. Despite budget cuts, the IDF is in the midst of a multi-year force buildup process, and the navy is going through an unprecedented phase marked by weapons upgrades, reports the Jerusalem Post, citing Navy sources.

'INS Rahav', the Israeli Navy's 5th Dolphin-class submarine, inaugurated at Thyssen-Krupp Marine Systems in Kiel, Germany. The new submarine  was unveiled at a special ceremony attended by Commander in Chief of the Israeli Navy Rear Adm. Ram Rothberg, Director-General of the Ministry of Defense Maj. Gen. (Res.) Ehud Shani and a delegation of Israeli and German officials. The INS Rahav was purchased after an extensive development and acquisition process led by the Ministry of Defense's Procurement and Production Directorate in cooperation with the Israeli Navy.

An official ceremony to hand over to Israel a Dolphin-class submarine, which can carry nuclear weapons, took place in the German city of Kiel, according to Rianovosti. The German-made submarine, named Tanin ("alligator" in Hebrew), is due to enter service in 2013, when all tests are completed. The Tanin is the fourth submarine of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), and one of the country’s most expensive defense contracts. Its construction costs are estimated at $500 million, with one third being subsidized by the German government. "The Navy and the submarine fleet constitute a deterrent, protective and strategic arm for the IDF and for the State of Israel," Defense Minister Ehud Barak said during the ceremony.

To meet the requirements of the BoTruc project, Bollinger's design group chose ShipConstructor2004, the latest version of the 3-D product modeling software developed by Albacore Research Ltd (ARL), Canada. Bollinger has been using ShipConstructor for more than six years. For the near future, Bollinger plans to integrate the ShipConstructor SQL project database with other related business process databases, such as enterprise resource planning, purchasing, and accounting. Among the design demands of the BoTruc OSVs is the significant increase of cargo capacity. Bollinger's executive vice president of new construction, Danny Irby, noted that while the 180-ft vessels could carry 1…

Eight ships belonging to the NATO southern forces docked at the Haifa port as part of the NATO Mediterranean dialog program. The ships will be the guests of the Israeli Navy from May 29-June 4. A press conference took place aboard the Spanish freighter after the ships docked, held by the commander of the NATO force, Brigadier General Teodoro Lopez-Calderon and the commander of the Israeli Naval base in Haifa, Brigadier General Yochai Ben-Yosef. Brig. Gen. Ben-Yosef welcomed the guests and noted that the visit marked another step in the advancing of the relationship between the IDF and NATO. The Israeli Navy and NATO forces are operate under shared values – making efforts to maintain peace and stability in the region…