(BESA Center for Strategic Studies-Bar-Ilan University) Yaakov Lappin - The Israeli Navy was invited by the Greek Hellenic Navy to take part in a two-week NATO exercise in November, a symbol of a growing partnership between the Israeli Navy and NATO fleets. Lt. Col. Yaniv Lavi, commander of the Navy's 32nd Squadron, said NATO was interested in Israel's navy because "We have the highest number of hours that we spend on operational missions, on a regular basis....We operate all of the time in our combat sectors. This is unique." Lt. Col. Assaf Boneh, head of the Israeli Navy's International Cooperation Planning Branch, described growing bilateral naval ties with France. "The French arrive in Israel a lot. They have kind of turned Haifa into their home port.... Sometimes the French Navy is here more than the American Navy, which is our biggest partner."
2017-12-19 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive