In March 2023, the Israeli Navy led a two-week international drill – Noble Dina – with Greece, Cyprus, Italy, the U.S., and France. The exercise involved a mix of surface vessels, submarines, aircraft, and, for the first time, the Sa’ar 6 missile corvette. Israeli Air Force fighter jets and helicopters also participated in the drill.

“The forces performed a series of different exercises, including complex underwater combat against submarines, joint naval combat, dealing with air and sea threats, search and rescue exercises, handling a mass casualty incident, joint refueling, and more,” according to the IDF.

“The drill included practicing maneuvers and operations against submarines, other above-surface vessels, aircraft, maneuvers to protect strategic assets and inspections of suspicious ships,” Naval Squadron 32 Cmdr. Steven Gordon told the Jerusalem Post.

The references to assets and suspicious ships, the Post said, likely referred to weapons smuggling ships and defending Israel’s natural-gas platforms. Gordon added, “Anything you can imagine, we drilled for it.”

The exercise also aims to increase interoperability and strengthen the forces’ deterrence capability.

Sources: Yonah Jeremy Bob, “Israel conducts naval drill with five other countries,” Jerusalem Post, (March 30, 2023).
Emanuel Fabian, “IDF wraps up joint naval and aerial exercises with Greece, France, Cyprus, Italy and US,” Times of Israel, (March 30, 2023).
Tasos Kokkinidis, “Greece, the US, Israel and Cyprus in Joint Military Drill in the Med,” Greek Reporter, (March 15, 2023).

Photo: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit.

Noble Dina Naval Exercise