IDF considering interceptors for sea-based gas platforms
The Jerusalem Post - 04/10/2012 01:30
The IDF is considering the deployment of missile interceptors on gas rigs that Israeli companies plan to construct in the eastern Mediterranean Sea in the coming years, The Jerusalem Post has learned.
Israel’s concern is that Hezbollah will try to attack the platforms with anti-ship missiles or explosives-laden vessels.
The navy is particularly concerned about Syria’s recent purchase of the Russian Yakhont anti-ship missile, which could be transferred to Hezbollah and used to target the gas rigs. Syria already tested the Yakhont in recent maneuvers. The weapon is said to be a sophisticated missile with a range of about 300 km.
Last February, the navy seized an Iranian arms ship whose cargo, Israel said, was destined for Islamic Jihad. The vessel was carrying six Iranian Nasr-1 radarguided anti-ship missiles.
The navy has yet to decide which type of missile defense system it would deploy on the gas rigs, but the two options under consideration are David’s Sling, which Israel is developing for use against medium-range rockets and cruise missiles, as well as the Barak-8, which protects large navy vessels against anti-ship missiles.
The navy has already increased its patrols in the Mediterranean and is also using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to increase the range of its surveillance. It currently operates Israel Aerospace Industries’s Heron UAV, which comes with a special electro-optic payload for maritime operations.
Until now, the navy has focused on protecting Israel’s sea lines of communication (SLOC), which span the length of the Mediterranean and around the Magreb region of North Africa. Some 99 percent of all goods arriving in the country come by sea, including security-related supplies and military hardware.
“The area we will need to protect at sea will significantly increase with the construction of the new gas rigs,” a senior naval officer said.
“We are also very concerned with the military buildup in the region, which is seeing an increase in sophisticated weapons systems like anti-ship missiles.”
In addition, the navy is in talks with the Defense Ministry about the need for four new vessels to more effectively cover its new area of operations. It is seeking a larger platform than the Sa’ar 5-class corvettes it operates.
The vessel will have to accommodate an advanced radar system, a helicopter and a launch system capable of firing long-range air defense and surface-to-surface missiles.
The navy has also informed the energy companies that it will need to install radars on the gas rigs, and the government is considering ordering the companies to help finance some of the cost.
In February, the Defense Ministry and navy ordered the Israel Electric Corporation to bolster security around a natural gas buoy that is being built off the coast of Hadera. The buoy will enable Israel to import natural gas in place of Egyptian gas, which has come to a near standstill since the revolution in Egypt last year.
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Navy seeks $100m. to protect new gas rigs
LAST UPDATED: 10/16/2011 23:59
Photo: Jorge Guerra Moreno
The government is considering a plan to allocate $100 million to the Navy to enable it to purchase new ships which it will require to effectively protect future Israeli gas rigs in the Mediterranean Sea.
Under consideration is the possibility that the funds will be partially provided by the companies developing the gas fields off Israel’s coast, which are estimated to contain billions of barrels of natural gas. Israel’s discovery of large natural gas fields off its coast has raised tensions with Lebanon which claims that some of the fields are in its sovereign waters. In early July, the cabinet approved the demarcation of Israel’s northern maritime border with Lebanon, which sets the economic rights in offshore territories that have become lucrative with the recent discoveries of vast natural-gas resources. Israel’s concern is that Hezbollah and Hamas will try to attack the Israeli gas rigs at sea in explosive-laden ships, or with anti-ship missiles. Iran has also recently announced plans to deploy warships in the Mediterranean. While the Navy is traditionally responsible for defending Israel’s coast and its sea-based natural resources, it has told the government that it does not have enough ships and platforms to effectively defend future oil rigs. Some government officials had raised the possibility of hiring private security contractors to protect the fields, but the plan was rejected by the Defense Ministry. The plan under consideration could see the procurement of new ships. |
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'Israel to ask for military facility in Cyprus'
LAST UPDATED: 02/07/2012 14:19
Photo: REUTERS/Andreas Manolis
Israel will ask Cyprus to station Israel Air Force fighter jets at a military facility on the island, Cyprus media reported Tuesday.
According to the reports, Israel will make the request during Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s visit to Cyprus later this month.
It is unclear if the request will be to station a permanent presence on the island or to establish a base that can provide logistical support for the IAF during operations in the region.
It is possible that Israel is seeking to establish a base in Cyprus to be able to more effectively protect the growing number of gas fields it is discovering in the Mediterranean Sea.
According to the report in the Famagusta Gazette, the talks are currently at an “exploratory stage” regarding the possibility of using the Andrea Paendreou airbase in Paphos, in southwestern Cyprus. The base reportedly used to host Greek F-16s.
Neither the Cypriot Embassy in Tel Aviv nor the Prime Minister’s Office would confirm the reports.
One diplomatic official, saying the reports did not “sound right,” suggested what might be discussed during Netanyahu’s visit is a request to conduct air maneuvers over Cyprus, similar to those conducted over other countries in the region, such as Greece and Romania.
Netanyahu is scheduled to visit Cyprus February 16.
Last month, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and his Cypriot counterpart Demetris Eliades signed two agreements aimed at bolstering defense cooperation between the countries. The agreements were signed during Eliades’s visit to Tel Aviv. The possibility of establishing the base in Cyprus, reportedly came up during their discussions.
Israeli-Cypriot ties have improved significantly over the last three years. The Cypriot Air Force sent fire extinguishing planes to Israel to help put out the Carmel Forest fire last year, and in 2009 Cyprus stopped a cargo ship suspected of carrying Iranian arms.
Herb Keinon contributed to this report.
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Navy orders radar to protect natural gas buoy
LAST UPDATED: 02/09/2012 00:14
Photo: Courtesy
Concerned about terrorist attacks, the Defense Ministry has ordered Israel Electric Corporation to bolster security around a natural gas buoy that is slated to be built off the coast of Hadera.
The buoy is being installed to enable Israel to import natural gas in place of Egyptian gas, which has come to a near standstill since the revolution in Egypt last year.
According to the plan, ships will bring liquid natural gas by boat to a point some 10 kilometers off the coast. There, the gas tankers will connect to a “regasification ship,” which will turn the liquid gas back into gas and then send it through the buoy to the IEC power plant in Hadera.
Israel has decided to begin liquid gas imports due to the depletion of the Yam Thetis reservoir and the disruptions to the Egyptian gas supply. The newly discovered Tamar reservoir is not expected to begin operations until late 2013.
Israel’s concern is that Hezbollah will try to attack the Israeli gas rigs at sea in explosive-laden ships, or with anti-ship missiles. Iran has also recently announced plans to deploy warships in the Mediterranean.
The Israel Navy is particularly concerned about Syria’s purchase of the Yakhont anti-ship missile, which could be transferred to Hezbollah and be used against oil rigs. In February, the navy seized an Iranian-arms shipment that Israel said was destined for Hamas and included six Nasr-1 radar-guided anti-ship missiles.
The navy has already increased its patrols in the Mediterranean and is also using unmanned aerial vehicles to increase the range of its surveillance. It currently operates the Heron UAV, developed by Israel Aerospace Industries, which comes with a special electro-optic payload for maritime operations.
On Tuesday, the Defense Ministry and the Israel Navy met with representatives of IEC and Israel Natural Gas Lines – both government-owned companies responsible for constructing and operating the new sea-based infrastructure.
During the meeting, the navy informed the companies of the new security demands, according to which they will need to deploy a sea-based radar to protect the buoy and deploy a tugboat which will be able to tow the regasificaton ship into port in the event of a risk.
The funding for the new security measures will come from the companies and not from the defense budget.
While the radar and tugboat will be purchased by the companies, the government is also considering upgrading the navy’s capabilities to enable it to more effectively protect the growing number of Israeli gas rigs in the Mediterranean Sea.
Under consideration is the possibility that the funds will be partially provided by the companies developing the gas fields off Israel’s coast, which are estimated to contain billions of barrels of natural gas.
The plan under consideration could see the procurement of ships such as Super Dvora Mk IIIclass patrol boats built by Israel Aerospace Industries and Shaldag class fast patrol boats, which is manufactured by Israel Shipyards.
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