Israeli navy holds joint exercise with French army

The Israeli Navy completed an extended exercise with the French military off the southern French coast yesterday, its first time conducting such a drill in over 50 years, the army says.

Two Israeli warships, the INS Kidon and INS Eilat, took part in the exercise off the coast of Toulon in southern France.

The drill, which began in late June and ended Saturday, included a large variety of scenarios, the army says, including “cooperation with helicopters, firing cannons, training with fighter jets to simulate missiles fired at the troops’ ships, a mass casualty event, the rescue of casualties and more.”

The head of the Israeli Navy, Maj. Gen. Eli Sharvit, met with the head of the French fleet, Admiral Christophe Prazuck during the exercise.

“In the current age, in which there are many revolutions and changes, the view of the Israeli Navy needs to be global,” Sharvit said during the meeting.

“Therefore, the joint exercise with the French fleet, which gave both sides knowledge and new, meaningful capabilities, represents another turning point in strengthening the navy from the standpoint of its international activities,” Sharvit said.

In addition to the exercise, the French Navy has also sent its Dixmude helicopter carrier to Israel’s Haifa port, where it will dock from July 7 to 11, “as part of the cooperation between the two countries’ navies,” the French embassy says.

— Judah Ari Gross