Israel and US conduct biggest joint navy drill to date

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – The Israeli Navy and US Fifth Fleet have conducted their biggest joint drill to date in the Mediterranean and Red Seas, i24 News reports. The US Fifth Fleet took part in the exercise as it oversees naval forces in the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, parts of the Indian Ocean, and the Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal and Bab el-Mandeb.

Named the “Intrinsic Defender,” the drill began on Sunday and was concluded on Tuesday, i24 said. The US and Israel each sent 300 personnel in the fields maritime security operations, explosive ordnance disposal, health topics, and the integration of unmanned systems to take part in the exercise.

A number of diverse naval scenarios were simulated during the drill in order to expand the Israeli Navy’s operational capabilities and strengthen the US-Israel naval partnership, i24 said. According to a statement by the Israel Defense Forces, the drill “provided an opportunity for mutual learning, sharing operational capabilities and strengthening the strategic partnership between the two militaries.”

“The United States is a very important ally of the State of Israel, the IDF and the Israeli Navy,” Israel’s Vice Adm. David Saar Salama explained during a joint briefing on Sunday.

“The Israeli Navy and the US Fifth Fleet are well aware of challenges in the naval arena. One of the ways to deal with these challenges is cooperation between friends, cooperation between nations,” Salama added.

Latest Worthy News