The “Essential Guard” exercise, common to the Arm and Fifth Fleet, which lasted ten days, ended today (Tuesday). The exercise was held in several centers at the same time: the Haifa Bay area, the Gulf of Eilat and the Red Sea.
This is the largest exercise of the Navy and the Fifth Fleet in recent years, with the participation of about 300 soldiers and commanders from the Navy – two missile ships from Squadron 3, two crews from the Underwater Mission Unit, vessels and crew from the Fin Unit, medical team from the Navy and their Fifth Fleet colleagues .
At the beginning of the exercise, the commander of the Fifth Fleet, Admiral (***) Brad Cooper, and the commander of the Navy, Major General David Saar Selma, arrived at the Red Sea Arena area and together held a briefing for the forces.
The missile fleet fighters practiced naval combat in the Gulf of Eilat and the Red Sea, naval firing exercises, vessel protection and for the first time, sea arm missile ships were refueled by an American tanker in the Red Sea, a practice that increased the IDF’s sailing ranges and areas of operation.
The forces of the unit for underwater missions performed with their counterparts sabotage exercises and neutralization of naval mines and joint dives in the Gulf of Eilat. In addition, we trained at a unique training facility at the Navy base in Haifa, where they practiced locating explosives and neutralizing them on ships using unmanned means.
The forces of the 914th Squadron’s fin unit also trained with their counterparts, a U.S. Coast Guard crew, and imagined taking over a foreign vessel and preventing hostile terrorist activity.
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In addition, marine rescue and medical care scenarios were practiced by marine arm medical forces with their American counterparts.
The forces participated in learning workshops, practiced rescue and rescue scenarios and set up an operating room on the Saar 6 missile ship.
The IDF Spokesman notes that “the exercise is another expression of the close cooperation of the Navy and the Fifth Fleet and provided an opportunity for mutual operational learning, sharing operational capabilities and strengthening cooperation between the fleets while establishing new capabilities that will increase IDF routine and emergency operations.”
Commander of the Navy, Major General David Saar Selma: “An essential guard exercise expands the ranges of operation and operational capability of the Navy. Cooperation with the Fifth Fleet is intensified and perfected, and the operational concept is reflected in practical translation. The exercise is important and significant “.