Israel this week conducted what observers are calling a historic naval exercise conducted in cooperation with five partner nations. The Jerusalem Post reported on the event, citing Stephen Gordon, who commands the US Navy’s 32nd fleet, as the source for much of the information.
According to Gordon, the drills involved the United States, France, Italy, Greece, and Cyprus and stretched over a span of three weeks. He described the exercise as one of the largest ever conducted at sea and noted that allied forces traversed the full breadth of the Mediterranean and moved past numerous points along Israel’s coastline.
The defense ministry highlighted that the event carried historical significance, in part because new Sa’ar 6 vessels were employed for the first time within this framework. Submarines as well as several aviation platforms, including ships from the Sa’ar 5 class, were integrated into the exercise, underscoring the breadth of the training.
Reports from the publication indicate that the maneuvers encompassed submarine warfare drills, surface ship operations, and aerial sorties, along with security procedures for safeguarding strategic installations and the inspection of vessels suspected of illicit activity. The exercise also featured scenarios focused on defending Israel’s natural gas platforms, a critical facet of the nation’s energy infrastructure.
Gordon noted that the drills were designed with every plausible threat in mind, ensuring that the participating forces could respond to the full spectrum of potential challenges the Israeli Navy might encounter.
In expressing an assessment of the overall outcome, Gordon called the exercises very successful and emphasized that the combined forces from the participating nations are positioned to deter or respond to any credible threat.
In parallel, U.S. Air Force activities and Israeli forces continue to coordinate in joint training missions such as Red Flag, a program conducted in the United States that emphasizes advanced air combat and interoperability among allied air forces, including activities conducted in Nevada. For readers concerned with the broader security picture, this ongoing collaboration complements maritime exercises and reinforces regional defense readiness across multiple domains.