| Israeli Navy | |
|---|---|
| חיל הים הישראלי | |
 Emblem of the Israeli Navy | |
| Founded | 1948; 77 years ago (1948) |
| Country |  Israel |
| Type | Navy |
| Size | 7corvettes(Sa'ar 5 class,Sa'ar 6 class) 8missile boats(Sa'ar 4.5 class) 5submarines(Dolphin class) 45patrol boats 4 support ships 9,500 active[1] 10,000 reserve[1] |
| Part of |  Israel Defense Forces |
| Garrison/HQ | HaKirya,Tel Aviv,Israel |
| Mottos | Open Sea, Safe Coasts |
| Engagements | 1948 Arab–Israeli War War over Water Six-Day War War of Attrition Yom Kippur War 1982 Lebanon War South Lebanon conflict (1985–2000) Second Intifada 2006 Lebanon War Blockade of the Gaza Strip Gaza War (2008–2009) 2014 Gaza War 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis Gaza war Spillover of the Gaza war in Syria 2024 Israeli invasion of Lebanon |
| Commanders | |
| Commander of the Navy | AlufDavid Saar Salama |
| Insignia | |
| Ensign |  |
| Jack |  |
| Pennant |  |
TheIsraeli Navy (Hebrew:חיל הים הישראלי,Ḥeil HaYam HaYisraeli,lit. '[The] Israeli Sea Corps';Arabic:البحرية الإسرائيلية) is thenaval warfare service arm of theIsrael Defense Forces, operating primarily in theMediterranean Sea theater as well as theGulf of Eilat and theRed Sea theater. The current commander-in-chief of the Israeli Navy isRear AdmiralDavid Saar Salama. The Israeli Navy is believed to be responsible for maintainingIsrael's offshorenuclear second strikecapability.[2]
The Israeli Navy is responsible for the construction of the naval force of the IDF and its operational capabilities. Its aim is to secure its superiority at sea, freedom of action, and freedom of navigation in the Israeli maritime space. It also conducts attacks against enemies and more.
Among the Navy's roles are:
In the Multi-Year Plan (TYESH) for the years 2008-2012, the annual budget for the Navy stood at approximately one billion shekels, excluding the purchase of new naval vessels.[3]
The origins of the Israeli Navy lay in the founding of theBetar Naval Academy, a Jewish naval training school established inCivitavecchia, Italy, in 1934 by theRevisionist Zionist movement under the direction ofZe'ev Jabotinsky, The Academy trained cadets from all over Europe, Palestine and South Africa and produced some of the future commanders of the Israeli Navy. In September 1937, the training shipSarah I visited Haifa and Tel Aviv as part of a Mediterranean tour.
In 1938, encouraged by theJewish Agency, Shlomo Bardin founded the Marine High School in Bosmat, theTechnion's Junior Technical College. 1943 witnessed the founding of thePalyam, the naval branch of thePalmach, whose training was undertaken at the maritime school. The Jewish merchant marine was also raised, operating SSTel-Aviv and cargo ships such asAtid.
In 1942, eleven hundredHaganah volunteers joined theRoyal Navy, mostly in technical roles (12 of them were officers by the nomination agreement of the Jewish Agency with the Royal Navy). A few reached sea service and combat service. Two of them served with theFleet Air Arm (FAA), one of whom wasEdmond Wilhelm Brillant and the otherZvi Avidror. With the end of the Second World War and the start of theJewish insurgency in Mandatory Palestine, Palyam members took part in clandestine immigration activities, bringing Europe's Jews to Palestine, as well as commando actions against Royal Navy deportation ships. Royal Navy volunteers, meanwhile, rejoined the Haganah.
During the last months of British Mandate in Palestine, the former Royal Navy volunteers started work on the captured clandestine immigration ships (known as the Fleet of Shadows) in Haifa harbor, salvaged a few and pressed them into service. These were to become the Navy's first ships and saw service in the1948 Arab–Israeli War.
At the outset of the 1948 war and with the founding of the IDF, the Israeli Navy consisted of four formerAliyah Bet ships impounded inHaifa harbor. These ships were refurbished by a newly formed naval repair facility with the assistance of two private shipbuilding and repair companies. In October 1948, asubmarine chaser was purchased from the United States. With the founding of the IDF in early 1948, the Israeli Navy was therefore formed from a core of the following personnel:[4][5]
During the war, the warships served on coastal patrol duties and bombarded Arab targets on land, including Egyptian coastal installations in and around theGaza area all the way toPort Said.[10] The Israeli Navy also engaged theEgyptian Navy at sea duringOperation Yoav, and the Egyptian Navy'sflagship,Emir Farouk, was sunk in an operation by Israeli naval commandos.
Palyam personnel often resisted efforts to instill order, discipline and rank in the newly formed service. Mess rooms were initially shared by both officers and enlisted men. Ships possessed a captain with nautical skills, but also a commanding officer regarded as political. This would cause a great deal of debate between veterans of the Palyam, Royal Navy volunteers from the Haganah and U.S. Navy Machal volunteers about what form the Navy should take.[4][11][12] Commander Allen Burk is reputed to have said, out of despair, "You cannot make naval officers from cowboys".[5]
Royal Navy Captain Ashe Lincoln,[13] who was Jewish, advised Prime MinisterDavid Ben-Gurion to purchase corvettes,frigates,destroyers, torpedo boats, and patrol boats to build up the Israeli Navy power. To that end, he urged Ben-Gurion to consult with professional navy advisers. This resulted in instructions to contact U.S. Navy advisors, mainly Commander Paul Shulman from the U.S. Navy.
The Israeli Navy suffered from a lack of professional command during its early days.[4] Gershon Zak, head of the IDF "Sea Service", was a teacher and bureaucrat without any relevant experience. Having never been recruited into the IDF, Zak was a civilian and had no official rank. The early days of the Israeli Navy were therefore characterized by political infighting, as many groups and individuals jockeyed for power. Palyam politics blocked the nomination of Paul Shulman (a Jewish U.S. Navy officer with a rank of Commander who volunteered for the Israeli Navy) as Navy-Commander in Chief and he resigned in 1949. The first Navy-Commander in Chief awarded the rank ofAluf wasShlomo Shamir.[4]
The conclusion of the 1948 war afforded the navy the time to build up its strength. Beginning in the early 1950s the navy purchased frigates, torpedo boats, destroyers, and eventuallysubmarines. The material build-up was accompanied by the training of Israeli Navy officers in Royal Navy academies in the UK and Malta, as well as in France.
Three distinct periods characterize the history of the Israeli Navy:
Until 1967 the Naval Headquarters were located at Stella Maris, on the slopes ofMount Carmel, Haifa. After theSix-Day War it was relocated to theKirya inTel Aviv, next to IDF Headquarters.
In the most significant engagement in its history, during theYom Kippur War five Israeli Navy missile boats sank five Syrian ships without losses during theBattle of Latakia. As a result, theSyrian Navy remained in port for the remainder of the conflict.[16] It was the first naval battle in history between surface-to-surface missile-equipped missile boats.[citation needed]
Another significant engagement was theBattle of Baltim, during which six Israeli Navy missile boats engaged fourEgyptian Navy missile boats sinking three, again, without losses.[citation needed]
_on_8_June_1967_(USN_1123118).jpg)
TheUSSLiberty incident was an attack on aUnited States Navytechnical research ship (aspy ship),USS Liberty, byIsraeli Air Force jetfighter aircraft and Israeli Navymotor torpedo boats, on 8 June 1967, during theSix-Day War.[17] The combined air and sea attack killed 34 crew members (naval officers, seamen, two marines, and one civilianNSA employee), wounded 171 crew members, and severely damaged the ship.[18] At the time, the ship was ininternational waters north of theSinai Peninsula, about 25.5nautical miles (47.2 km; 29.3 mi) northwest from the Egyptian city ofArish.[19][20]
Israel apologized for the attack, saying that USSLiberty had been attacked in error after being mistaken for an Egyptian ship.[21] Both theIsraeli andUnited States governments conducted inquiries and issued reports that concluded the attack was a mistake due to Israeli confusion about the ship's identity.[22] Others, including survivors of the attack, have rejected these conclusions and maintain that the attack was deliberate.[23][24]Thomas Hinman Moorer, the 7thchairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, accused PresidentLyndon B. Johnson of having covered up that the attack was a deliberate act.[25]
In May 1968, the Israeli government paidUS$3.32 million (equivalent toUS$30.1 million in 2024) to theU.S. government in compensation for the families of the 34 men killed in the attack. In March 1969, Israel paid a further $ ($ in 2024) to the men who had been wounded. In December 1980, it agreed to pay $ ($ in 2024) as the final settlement for material damage to the ship plus 13 years of interest.[26]The surprise attack on the Israeli navy's flagshipINS Hanit by an onshore Hezbollah battery was a turning point for naval doctrine and operations. Four seamen died when theYJ-83 missile hit the corvette because the vessel's missile defense systems had not been turned on at that time.[27]
In late 2024, after the fall of the government ofBashar al-Assad in theSyrian Civil War, the Israeli Navy attacked Syrian ships.[28]
Squadron 914,Squadron 915, andSquadron 916, based in Haifa, Eilat, and Ashdod respectively, consist of patrol boats. They are responsible for protecting Israel's shores and territorial waters.
Unit's objectives
Themissile boat flotilla (Shayetet 3) is based atHaifa naval base. It consists of the 31st and 32nd missile boat squadrons and the 33rd and 36th corvette squadrons.
Unit's objectives
Thesubmarine flotilla (Shayetet 7), a volunteer unit founded in 1959.
Unit's objectives
For security reasons, applicants withdual citizenship must now officiallyrenounce all other citizenships to be accepted into the submarine service training program.[30]
In May 2022 it was announced that the Navy decided to re-establishShayetet 11, following this the IDF purchased two LSV vessels which are to be used by the Israeli Navy to conduct amphibious landings as well as to transport supplies.[31]
Shayetet 13, or Flotilla 13, is an elite naval commando unit which specializes in sea-to-land incursions,counter-terrorism, sabotage operations, maritime intelligence gathering, maritime hostage rescue, andboarding. It is among the most highly trained and secretive units in the Israeli military.
YILTAM is theSalvage and underwater works unit of the Israel navy. Formed as the damage control branch of the Navy Shipyards, the unit later incorporated experienced Flotilla-13 divers.
Force protection and harbour security unit. Also, in charge of diving checkups of civilian ships entering Israeli harbours.
TheNaval Intelligence Division is responsible for navalintelligence gathering.
"INS" stands for "Israeli Navy Ship".[32]
| Class | Photo | Ships | Commission year | Origin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sa'ar 5[ˈsa'ar] (Tempest) |  | INS Eilat,[ejˈlat] (Eilat) | 1994 |  United States | Eilat andHanit updated withALPHA radars;Lahav updated with theEL/M-2248 MF-STAR radar. |
| Sa'ar 6 | %2c_August_2021.jpg) | INS Magen[maˈgen] (Shield) | 2020 |  Germany |
| Class | Photo | Ships | Commission year | Origin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sa'ar 4.5 |  | INSRomach,[ˈʁo̞maχ] (Lance) INSKeshet,[ˈke̞ʃe̞t] (Bow) INSHetz,[ˈχe̞t͡s] (Arrow) INSTarshish,[tarˈʃiʃ] (Tarshish) INSHerev,[ˈχe̞ʁe̞v] (Sword) | 1981 1982 1991 1995 1995 1998 2002 2003 | Israel |
|
| Class | Photo | Boats | Commission year | Origin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dolphin class |  | INSDolphin,[do̞lˈfin] (Dolphin) INSLivyathan,[livjaˈtan] (Whale) INSTekumah,[tkuˈma] (Revival) | 1999 1999 2000 | Germany | Expected to be replaced with theDakar-class submarines starting in the early 2030s |
| AIPDolphin 2 class | .jpg) | INS Tanin,[taˈnin] (Crocodile)
| 2012 2014 2025 (est). | Germany | The third boat, INSDrakon, was formally named at an IDF ceremony in Kiel, Germany on 11/12/2024.[33][34] |
| Class | Photo | Number of ships | Commissioned | Origin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dvora,[dvo̞ˈʁa] (Bee) |  | 9 | 1988 | Israel | |
| Super Dvora Mk II,[suˈpe̞ʁdvo̞ˈʁa] |  | 2 | 1996 | Israel | |
| Super Dvora Mk III |  | 13 | 2004 | Israel | |
| Shaldag,[ʃalˈdaɡ] (Kingfisher) |  | 5 | 1989 | Israel | |
| Defender |  | 9 | 2002 | Israel | |
| Rafael Protector USV |  | N/A | 2000s | Israel | Unmanned Naval Patrol Vehicles |
| Silver Marlin | N/A | 2006? | Israel | USV Naval Patrol Vehicles |
| Class | Photo | Boat(s) | Commissioned | Origin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stollergrund |  | INSBat Yam | 1989 German Navy; transferred to the Israeli Navy in 2004. | Germany | Sister shipBat Galim transferred to oceanographic research. |
| General Frank S. Besson |  | INSNahshon INSKomemiyut | 2023 2024 | United States | Built byIngalls Shipbuilding to Israeli requirements. Expected to serve in atroop landing and logistics support role. |
Aircraft operated by the Israeli Navy, even when including on-board Navy mission specialists, are flown and maintained byIsraeli Air Force personnel and are part of the air force command structure.
Currently[as of?] under construction is a sixth Dolphin 2 submarine (INSDrakon). Israel has signed an MoU with Germany for the construction of threeDakar-class submarines with expected delivery in the late 2020s, which will replace its three Dolphin 1 submarines delivered in the late 1990s.[citation needed]
In August 2021,Israel Shipyards announced that the Israeli Navy has signed an agreement with it for the design and supply of a new class of missile boats based on Israel Shipyards'Sa'ar 72-class corvette that would replace its Sa'ar 4.5 ships starting in the mid-2020s. Israel Shipyards would construct a largedry dock which would enable it to outfit these new corvettes with various Israeli-made systems, as well as to service and maintain the corvettes in addition to Dolphin submarines.[38]
In an October 2021 interview, the head of the Israeli Navys` Naval Vessels Department said that these new"Reshef"-class corvettes would be equipped withRafael Advanced Defense Systems'sC-Dome air-defence system.He said that their design was expected to be complete in about two years, and the first ship would likely take another two to four years to construct. Eight are to be built, with each replacing a Sa'ar 4.5 upon being commissioned.[39]
The Israeli Navy is small compared to other Navies and the officerschain of command is as follows with respect toRoyal – Navy /United States:[40]
| Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Israeli Navy[41] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||||
| רב-אלוף Rav aluf | אלוף Aluf | תת-אלוף Tat aluf | אלוף משנה Aluf mishne | סגן-אלוף Sgan aluf | רב סרן Rav seren | סרן Seren | סגן Segen | סגן-משנה Segen mishne | ||||||||||||||||
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Israeli Navy[41] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | No insignia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| רב-נגד Rav nagad | רב-סמל בכיר Rav samal bakhír | רב-סמל מתקדם Rav samal mitkadem | רב-סמל ראשון Rav samal rishon | רב-סמל Rav samal | סמל ראשון Samal rishon | סמל Samal | רב טוראי Rav turai | טוראי Turai | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sleeve rank of Israeli Navy Commander-in-Chief is a rank of honor. This began as special permission from Lt. GeneralAmnon Lipkin-Shahak (thenchief of staff of the IDF) and allows the Navy Commander-in-Chief to have a sleeve rank of Vice Admiral which is equal to Lt. General, the rank of the IDF Chief of Staff. However thede facto rank of Israeli Navy Commander-in-Chief is Rear Admiral and the gesture given to the navy is ceremonial only when meeting foreign commanding officers.
The same resolution as mentioned above applies to the rank of Commodore. There is ceremonial-only sleeve rank of Rear–Admiral while by the IDF hierarchy and chain of command he remains a commodore.
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