– War is Boring – ‘Dolphin II’ class nearing completion

– Reuters – A ship seized by the Israeli navy on suspicion of smuggling arms from Iran to the Gaza Strip docked on Saturday in Israel, which planned to put the cargo on display in hope of denting Tehran’s rapprochement with the West.

– Los Angeles Times – Israel buys a sixth German-made submarine. A navy officer explains why Israel’s military is looking increasingly to the seas.

– Washington Times – A look at the attack, during the Second Lebanon War, of a Chinese-produced, Hezbollah-fired C-802 anti-ship missile that struck Israel’s INS Hanit off the Lebanon coast.

– Associated Press – Military says two boats trying to break blockade were boarded peacefully and will be towed to Israeli port of Ashdod

– Associated Press – Israel sent two more warships to the Red Sea border with Egypt, part of a military reinforcement there after warnings that militants are planning another attack on southern Israel from Egyptian soil.

– Jerusalem Post – Germany has pledged to build a new submarine for the navy, paving the way for a deal that will boost Israel’s strategic long-arm capabilities in the face of Iran’s continued race toward nuclear power.

– Defense Technology International – Israeli naval vessels intercepted the Liberian-flagged cargo ship ‘Victoria’ about 200 miles west of the Israeli coast, after intelligence reports indicated the vessel could be carrying arms shipments destined for Gaza. An initial investigation revealed the ship was loaded with C-704 anti-ship missiles – shore-to-sea missiles with a range of 35 km that could put at risk Israeli vessels at sea as well as strategic infrastructure targets near Ashkelon.

BBC – Israeli troops take over Gaza aid ship Rachel Corrie

Israeli troops say they have taken control of an aid ship trying to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip.

The Times – Israel stations nuclear missile subs off Iran

Three German-built Israeli submarines equipped with nuclear cruise missiles are to be deployed in the Gulf near the Iranian coastline.

The Times – How the flotilla bound for Gaza Strip sailed into death at sea

The shockwaves from the Israeli commando raid on the Mavi Marmara passenger ferry were still reverberating around the world last night, as Israel scrambled to defend its battered reputation. Already damaged after the Gaza war and a fumbled Mossad assassination of a Hamas militant in Dubai, it faced even tougher scrutiny as it began to examine what happened, and why.

Associated Press – Officials say Israel will stop flotilla for Gaza

Israel’s navy will stop a flotilla heading for Gaza with 10,000 tons of supplies and pro-Palestinian activists intent on breaking a three-year blockade of Gaza, officials said Wednesday, in the first definitive Israeli pledge to stop the boats.

Associated Press – Hezbollah says it will hit Israel ships in new war

The leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah group warned Tuesday that his fighters would attack Israeli ships in the Mediterranean if the Jewish state imposes a sea blockade on Lebanon in any future war.

BBC – Israeli navy ‘seizes arms ship’

Israel’s navy has intercepted a ship carrying weapons some 160km (100 miles) off its coast, the military says.

Los Angeles Times – Israeli warships’ passage through Suez Canal causes a stir

The mission prompts speculation that Israel sought to send a message about its military might to Iran and give the impression of close cooperation with Egypt against regional security threats.

Jerusalem Post – IDF warships cross Suez Canal from Mediterranean to Red Sea

Two Sa’ar-5 class Navy ships crossed through the Suez Canal Tuesday, to beef up Israel’s naval presence in the Red Sea. The passage of the ships comes several weeks after a Dolphin-class Navy submarine passed through the waterway for the first time.

Reuters – Israeli sub sails Suez, signaling reach to Iran

An Israeli submarine sailed the Suez Canal to the Red Sea as part of a naval drill last month, defense sources said on Friday, describing the unusual maneuver as a show of strategic reach in the face of Iran.

Christian Science Monitor – How Israel’s naval blockade denies Gazans food, aid

A boat carrying foreign activists and three tons of medical supplies was rerouted Tuesday. Meanwhile, the fishing industry – a key source of jobs and protein – has been crippled.

Defense Technology International – The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency has notified the nation’s Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Israel of Lockheed Martin-designed Littoral Combat Ships as well as associated equipment and services.
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BBC – Israel has confirmed it has ended its blockade of Lebanon.

Washington Post – Israel Lifts Lebanese Sea Blockade.
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Jerusalem Post – In the face of Iran’s race to obtain nuclear power, Israel signed a contract with Germany last month to buy two Dolphin-class submarines that will, according to foreign reports, provide superior second-strike nuclear capabilities.
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New York Times – U.S. and Israeli officials said the successful attack last Friday on an Israeli naval vessel was the strongest evidence to date of direct support by Iran to Hezbollah. The attack was carried out with a sophisticated anti-ship cruise missile, the C-802, an Iranian-made variant of the Chinese Silkworm.

StrategyPage – Chinese Anti-Ship Missiles in Lebanon.
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Haaretz – Four Israel Navy sailors were reported missing after an explosives-laden drone, apparently launched by Hezbollah, hit a naval vessel off the coast of Beirut Friday night.
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Jerusalem Post -For the first time in history the Israeli Navy is participating in a tactical NATO exercise on the Black Sea.
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