Israeli Navy come talk on Thursday say dem Shayetet 13 commando unit carry out one operation wey never happen before for one place wey dey “thousands of kilometers” from Israel, for area wey dem never operate before. Military official yarn say dem naval commandos do the operation without any backup or ability to extract dem if e turn to wahala, because of the distance from Israel.
Dem no give further details about the nature of the commando operation, including exactly when or where e happen, but the official talk say e successful. On top that, the Navy disclose say as part of the recent war with Iran, submarine operate at the farthest-ever distance from Israel for the history of the submarine fleet. According to the Israel Defense Forces, dem deploy submarines for three arenas simultaneously during the war, with thousands of kilometers between dem.
During the war, the Navy involve for some 40 “aerial threat incidents,” shoot down several dozen drones, from both Iran and Lebanon, the IDF talk. The Navy, with its warships, conduct 53 strikes for Lebanon and six for the Gaza Strip amid the war with Iran. And the Naval Intelligence Division provide information and planning for some 95 airstrikes for Iran, according to the military.
Dem publish the information as Vice Adm. Eyal Harel take over the Navy from Vice Adm. David Saar Salama, wey dey retire from the military after four and a half years for the role and 39 years of service. Dem hold handover ceremony on Thursday evening at the Atlit naval base near Haifa.
For the ceremony, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir talk say the military new multi-year plan include decision, “out of an operational necessity, to expand the Israeli Navy and enhance its ability to operate with greater lethality, at greater depths and longer ranges, recognizing its long-range, lethal, and decisive capabilities, both overt and covert.”
Harel, as e enter the role, talk say “the Navy vessels and our fighters go strike our enemies wherever dem dey, or from wherever dem threaten the citizens of Israel, freedom of navigation, and our strategic assets at sea. We go strengthen and employ our power for offense together with the branches of the IDF. We go fulfill our designation as a strategic arm of the IDF, operating for nearby, deep, and distant arenas around the world, all stemming from fundamental fact: No place too far for the Navy,” e talk.
The Navy sixth submarine, INS “Drakon” — or Dragon — dem expect to deliver to Israel this summer, according to the military. The military talk say the INS Drakon, Dolphin 2-class submarine, recently complete critical tests at the Kiel shipyard for Germany. Additionally, starting for the early 2030s, the Navy go begin receive the first of three new Dakar-class submarines to replace the three aging first-generation Dolphin-class vessels, wey don dey service since around 2000.
Since 2023, the Israel Navy don tear apart enemy forces for Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, and Yemen, raising Israel power for the Middle East to new heights, since most of its rivals don wipe out militarily. With over 1,000 naval combat soldiers at sea, logging over 26,000 operational hours for only 47 days of the current war with Iran and Hezbollah, the Navy talk on Thursday say e don already undertake or provide critical intelligence for 154 attacks.
Of those 95 attacks, 68 of dem na US forces undertake, but entirely based on Israeli naval intelligence. This na major jump from the Navy involvement for the June 2025 war with Iran, wey e get much smaller, though still lethal, role. During the current war, the Navy don also strike 53 targets for Lebanon. These attacks include 35 general attacks, 18 senior targeted assassination targets, and six special forces operations.
In addition, the Navy don attack six targets for Gaza, mostly senior terror operatives, during the current war. Previously, IDF Navy Lt. “G” tell the Jerusalem Post say during Operation Rising Lion against Iran, “I dey for bunch of operations. To be part of these operations feel like substantial contribution.” G add, “For two-and-a-half years, sometimes e hard to see why the training matter. But when you dey for the frontlines at sea, e help you connect everything you study to something real and practical. The climax na against Iran, we get the chance to perform all of the skills wey we learn during the course.”
For December 2024, when the Assad regime fall, the Israeli military go after the Syrian military capabilities to ensure say dem no go pass to the next regime, with fears of new Syrian leader Ahmad al-Sharaa jihadist past. Although the Navy involvement for these attacks don discuss before, on Thursday, the Navy reveal far more nuance and detail about dem.
According to the Navy, e destroy 15 out of 21 Syrian naval ships. These ships all include long-range missiles capable of reaching targets 80-200 kilometers away. The Navy talk say e strike these ships mainly at two bases: Latakia and Tel Baida, and say dem all destroy within only few hours. Next, the Navy talk say get complex reasons wey no fit disclose why the other six ships no fit strike. E well known say parts of the Syrian and Russian militaries combine for terms of personnel and equipment at the time.
In addition, the Navy talk say e help the air force destroy five advanced Syrian anti-aircraft batteries for 40 minutes, eliminating hundreds of powerful long-range missiles, including Styx missiles. Overall, this eliminate 70-75% of certain category of missiles. The Israeli Navy disclose on Thursday say e destroy nearly all of the 100 advanced ship-to-ship missiles wey Hezbollah possess for 2023, destroying dem between the fall of 2023 and 2024, before the major escalation with the terror group take place.
The idea na to disarm Hezbollah of many of its strategic weapons gradually over time, so say e no go sense how much weaker e dey for the big and sudden moment when the IDF go hit am with all of its might, until e go too late. According to the Navy, 50% of these missiles destroy for Dahiyeh, Beirut, and another 50% for Darlat.
Further, the Navy reveal say e mostly destroy Hezbollah Unit 1200, wey get substantial number of underwater drones before 2023. The Navy talk say e destroy nearly all of dem within few hours at specific location where Hezbollah conceal dem, thinking say dem go safe. For Yemen, the Navy disclose say at least one of its targets na 150 kilometers inland, whereas most air force targets don dey closer to the coast.
Lt. Y tell the Post about his involvement for operations against the Houthis of Yemen at distance of around 1,700 kilometers from Israel. “No one fit help you when you dey that far away. You need to dey independent. If get problem, no one fit send helicopter to perform rescue. And I get to see up close the impact of the operation. Then nothing close to the great feeling when we finally return home from so far away,” Y talk.
While Y decline to discuss the specifics of the operation against Yemen, the Post and other Hebrew media previously report for June 10, 2025, say two of Israel navy missile boats, one of dem Sa'ar 6, fire two long-range precision missiles from hundreds of kilometers away at the Houthi port for Hodeidah. That attack mark the first time during the Israel-Hamas War say the Navy attack Yemen.
Regarding that attack, some of the Houthi targets wey dem strike na platforms for ships to anchor on within the port. Further, the IDF talk say the explosive power of sea-to-land missiles go leave lasting mark and increase deterrence for different way than air-to-ground bombs. Get the Navy involve na part of Israel broader strategy to deter foreign ships from using the port since naval vessels fit remain for the area and strike repeatedly.
Dem fit also accomplish this much more easily than aircraft, wey attack and then must immediately fly back to their home airbase before running out of fuel. Moreover, because the Navy fit remain at sea for extended period, e fit dey more precise about the ideal moment to strike. The Navy disclose on Thursday say Hamas get over 300 naval commandos for 2023, and say nearly all of dem don kill or wound.
Despite that broad success, the Navy admit say Hamas still get naval commandos and don continue to work to reconstitute that force. Showing say e no go go along with this Hamas plan quietly, the Navy reveal say for the last two weeks, e don kill four Hamas naval commandos. The Israeli Navy currently get around 10,000 soldiers in total to address all those fronts.
In addition, the IDF reveal on Thursday say for the first time, three submarines perform three separate operations simultaneously for completely different areas. Late Thursday, Navy Chief Maj. Gen. David Saar Salame go conclude unusually long four-and-a-half-year term and 39 years for the Navy. Outgoing IDF Planning Directorate chief V. Adm. Eyal Harel dey replace Saar Salame after IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir win battle royale with Defense Minister Israel Katz to secure his appointment to the position.
The truth na say Harel probably only collateral damage for larger battle wey Katz dey try force Zamir to pick IDF officers e deem likely to dey more loyal to am, such as for the US defense attaché position for Washington, DC. That position don vacant for several months, prompting Zamir to appoint IDF Brig. Gen. Arik Ben Dov, as the military acting defense attache to the US, return on December 11. Given say no developments since, e possible say Ben Dov go continue to serve for “acting” capacity, essentially on permanent basis, at least through Israeli elections into late 2026 or even 2027.
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