Israeli Navy to stage drills in coordination with Greece

A man looks on as an Israeli navy boat maneuvers just outside the port of Ashdod in this June 5, 2010 file photograph. 

Πηγή: Hurryiet Daily News
July 16 2012

The Israeli Navy is set to hold exercises using live ammunition off Greece’s Aegean island of Milos on July 18 with the cooperation of – but no participation from – the Greek military, Greek media have reported.

Only Israeli warships will be involved in the shooting exercise, while coordination and monitoring will be performed by radar located on nearby Mt. Parnitha.

No information was available about the type or number of ships Israel will use during the military exercises.

A NAVTEX, or navigational telex, has already been issued to ships and airplanes in the area regarding the exercises which will be using live fire.

Turkey had been a close ally of Israel, but the countries’ relations hit rock-bottom after Israel stormed a Turkish-led aid flotilla to Gaza two years ago, killing nine Turkish activists.

Cyprus: Government protests Turkish war games

Πηγή: equities
By Elias Hazou (Cyprus Mail)
July 14 2012

THE GOVERNMENT said yesterday it would be lodging a complaint with the United Nations over Turkey's ongoing, unauthorised war games south of the island.

"As is the case each time, we are taking the appropriate actions and lodging complaints with the UN in relation to Turkey's acts, that is, its failure to notify the Republic of Cyprus [of the war games]," government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said.

Turkey's air and naval exercise, yesterday and today, is taking place in waters south of Cyprus and within parts of the nation's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

The spokesman said yesterday's drills took place in international waters, but in areas falling within the Cypriot offshore blocks 2, 3, 8, 9, 13 and 12 – the latter where US firm Noble Energy is currently exploring for natural gas.

Some of these areas border Israel's Leviathan and Tamar gas fields. Turkey does not recognise an agreement between Israel and Cyprus which marks out each country's EEZ.

Yesterday's drills involved two torpedo gunboats and a corvette of the Turkish navy, Stefanou said.

"We are in a period when the UN itself has called for defusing tensions in the region. Yet instead we see that Turkey's response to the UN Secretary-general's appeals is to conduct military exercises," he added.

Meanwhile the British forces in Cyprus and the Israeli navy are carrying out air and naval exercises at the same time around the island.

The Israeli war games are taking place outside Cyprus' EEZ and as such no permission was required from the government, although the Israelis had notified Cyprus.

"Every time the Israelis carry out an exercise, we are in contact with them and any actions are governed by international law. Israel always cooperates with the Republic," said Stefanou.

He said the British bases had notified the government of their own war games.

Despite speculation that the British forces' aircraft training exercise – which began on July 9 and will conclude today – might overlap with the Turkish drills, an SBA spokesman yesterday told the Cyprus Mail "there has so far been no contact whatsoever with Turkish forces."

The British forces' drills were held in SBA territory and codenamed 'Lima' – over Milanda beach near Pissouri, he said.

On Wednesday, the Defence Minister said the government was considering charging Turkey with hampering and endangering air and naval navigation in the region. He did not elaborate.

The naval exercises come amid heightened tensions in the region in the wake of Syria shooting down a Turkish F4 jet. Turkey's relations with Israel are also at an all-time low.

Back in May Turkey accused Israel of violating the 'airspace' of the breakaway north.

Earlier that same month Turkey made official its plans for offshore hydrocarbon exploration in the eastern Mediterranean, with some of the designated areas overlapping Cyprus' EEZ.

Huge US-Israeli Army Exercise to Test Missile Defense

Πηγή: israelnationalnews
By Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

Nov 6 2011

The United States and Israel next year will hold the largest ever joint military exercise and will simulate and test Israel’s missile defense system, said Assistant U.S. Secretary of State Andrew Shapiro.

Speaking to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy on Friday on "Ensuring Israel's Qualitative Military Edge", Shapiro revealed that approximately 5,000 American and Israeli forces will participate in the exercise to simulate Israel's ballistic missile defense system.

He reiterated President Barack Obama’s stated commitment to Israel and said military aid to Israel will not be cut.

“To ensure Israel’s qualitative military edge, we are closely analyzing the changes in the region and assessing the impact on Israel’s security,” he added. “We are…undertaking new initiatives to make our security relationship more intimate than ever before."

He said that the U.S.-European Command’s Austere Challenge exercise next year will be “by far the largest and the most significant exercise in US-Israeli history."

Concerning military assistance to Israel, he stated. "Today, I can assure you that even in challenging budgetary times, this Administration will continue to honor this 10-year, $30 billion commitment in future fiscal years."

Most of the aid returns to the United States in the form of purchase of weapons and defense systems produced there.

Shapiro noted that American military aid “is rooted in our shared values and outlook… [and] because it benefits our security.”

He explained that joint exercises “allow us to learn from Israel’s experience in urban warfare and counterterrorism…. One only has to look at Afghanistan and Iraq, where Israeli armor plating technology is being used on US military vehicles and innovative equipment, such as the specially designed 'Israeli bandage', is being used to treat our troops.

"The links between our two governments and US and Israeli defense companies have yielded important groundbreaking innovations that ultimately make us all safer. This involves sensors, unmanned aerial vehicle technology, surveillance equipment, and detection devices to seek out IED’s that support our forces.

“Additionally, if we are considering the economic impact, it is important to note that our security assistance to Israel also helps support American jobs, since the vast majority of security assistance to Israel is spent on American-made goods and services.”

Iranian media told their readers that the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP), where Shapiro spoke, “is widely known as the policy setting arm of the influential Israeli lobby in the US….WINEP analysts are often invited to congressional foreign policy hearings to offer testimonies promoting support for the Israeli regime and raising alarms against challenges to Tel Aviv rulers, especially Iran, Syria, and Lebanese resistance movements.”