“The Israeli Navy is Undergoing a Technological Revolution”

From protecting Mediterranean gas reserves to the Iranian threat – the head of the Israeli Navy’s weapons division, Colonel Sasi Hodeda, offers a glimpse at the navy’s directions of development

“The Israeli Navy is Undergoing a Technological Revolution”

An Israeli gas rig (Photo: AP)

The discovery of gas reserves several kilometers off Israel’s coasts has dramatically impacted the Israeli navy’s long-term plans. Although construction on the offshore drilling rigs has not begun yet, the navy is already contemplating ways to protect the project that, once completed, is expected to boost the Israeli economy by tens of billions of dollars.

“We’re examining several options,” says Colonel Sasi Hodeda, the head of the navy’s weapons division, in an interview with IsraelDefense. “In order to defend Israel’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), we will need new ships and long-range radar systems, as well as air and maritime intelligence collection capabilities that are more advanced than the ones we currently possess. The new task calls for analyzing the new risks and appropriate defense measures. We’re presently formulating a defense doctrine for the protection of the vast sea area where the oil and gas deposits are located.

“In order to obtain the best solution, we’re cooperating with the defense industries and academic institutions such as Ben-Gurion University and the Technion in Haifa. When faced with a problem as complex as this, you turn to whoever can contribute to its solution,” Hodeda says.

Hodeda also explains that the navy is preoccupied with it’s goal of “gaining a decisive battlefield advantage.”

The navy procures many systems from the defense industries, but introduces changes in nearly all of them to suit its needs, when required. “Today, we’re primarily working on autonomous tools,” acknowledges Hodeda. “In the case of USVs (Unmanned Surface Vehicles), I want them to be able to identify a target and deal with it accordingly.”

Will unmanned tools be given autonomous capabilities, even to the point of opening fire?

“In the foreseeable future, a human will always be the one who decides when to open fire on a hostile target. In the distant future, tools may become fully autonomous.”

Will the defense of Israel’s EEZ and other missions closer to shore include the use of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAVs?

“So far, attempts at developing UAV helicopters have not fared well, in Israel and worldwide.”

Bigger than a Sa’ar 5

A few years ago, the navy dropped its plans to purchase LCSs (Littoral Combat Ships) from the United States due to US cutbacks in the project and a significant price hike in each vessel. Furthermore, it is still seeking the next generation of vessels bigger than the Sa’ar 5. How will the new vessels differ from the present ones?

“Most of the changes will be in the systems. The new vessels will be equipped with advanced air defense systems. Several defense systems will be included, perhaps even the Barak-8 anti-missile system developed by IAI,” says Col. Hodeda.

“The ship is merely a platform. What you mount on it makes all the difference. We plan to install radars capable of uninterrupted 360º observation, and we’re working on such a project with Elta Systems, an IAI subsidiary.”

Colonel Hodeda is referring to the development of the latest phased array radar with four “wall” antennas that view every direction simultaneously. “Such systems are operational in the US Navy. According to Elta, its system will be very advanced,” discloses Hodeda.

Do you intend to provide the new vessels with the ability to hit long-distance, shore-based targets?

“We need to enter the field of long-range, sea-to-shore attack capabilities,” the senior naval officer admits, without adding another word.

Almost six years have passed since Hezbollah launched a Chinese C-802 anti-ship missile that hit the Israeli naval vessel Hanit during the Second Lebanon War. Are Israeli vessels equipped with countermeasures against shore-to-ship threats, which have only increased since the 2006 attack?

“I have an outstanding team of engineers developing Electronic Warfare (EW) systems that can provide the ships with good protection. The vessels can operate with a great deal of confidence.”

Will the systems require larger ships?

“The miniaturization in every field enables us to furnish ships with many capabilities that weigh less and take up less space than in the past. Therefore, massive vessels are not necessarily needed in order to attain the capabilities that we’re interested in.”

Underwater Warfare

The navy is an inseparable part of the Middle East arms race. Considerable effort has been invested in underwater warfare, such as the ability to neutralize enemy torpedoes that can hit Israel’s submarine fleet - which currently numbers three Dolphin class vessels, and is expected to grow to six within five years.

According to recent reports, the Iranians are in possession of a small submarine fleet as well, which has been undergoing a process of upgrading. Several months ago, Iran announced that it developed a very accurate torpedo that travels towards its target at 100 m per second – four times faster than a regular torpedo. According to experts, the Iranian weapon is based on an advanced Russian torpedo.

Iran also announced that it intends to build its own submarines in order to extend the reach of their naval arm (as part of the effort to protect their nuclear facilities against a seaborne attack).

On the other hand, Iran recently unveiled the “Torbuster” – an underwater hard-kill interceptor missile designed for active defense against torpedoes launched from surface vessels, and  even helicopters.

The interceptor is launched from a submarine or surface ship when a hostile torpedo is identified. The missile distances itself from the vessel, effectively becoming a decoy target. When the enemy torpedo approaches, the interceptor explodes and destroys the torpedo.

Several foreign fleets have expressed great interest in the new Rafael system.

The media repeatedly claims that Israel’s subsmarines are part of our strategic arm which is intended to provide second strike capability – including nuclear launch capability – in the event of an Iranian nuclear attack. What can you say about this?

“In peacetime, the submarines are mainly used for intelligence collection and in wartime, they are part of the combat layout,” says Hodeda, without going into detail.

With regards to technological measures, is the Israeli navy “underprivileged” compared to the IAF, which receives the larger budgets?

“I think that in the current period, when the navy is undergoing a genuine technological revolution, such a claim actually holds no weight.”

**Photo: Colonel Sasi Hodeda by Meir Azulay