Israeli Navy wraps up major maritime drill on improving defense of territorial waters, gas rigs

The Israeli Navy says it conducted a large-scale military drill this week, involving its fleets of warships, submarines, special forces and border security.

The maritime drill, which lasted several days, was aimed at improving the Navy’s readiness for defending Israel’s territorial waters and “strategic assets” at sea, the IDF says, meaning Israel’s offshore gas and oil rigs.

Hundreds of sailors, including Shayetet 13 naval commandos, participated in the drill aboard the Navy’s missile boats, corvettes, submarines and patrol boats. The Israeli Air Force, C4I and Cyber Defense Directorate, and other branches of the IDF were also involved in the exercise.

The IDF says the troops practiced various scenarios, including seaborne infiltrations, encounters with enemy forces, aerial threats, multifront combat, fighting in open sea and near the coast, and the defense of strategic assets, including gas rigs, ports and other infrastructure.

Israeli Navy sailors and vessels are seen during a naval drill in early February 2026, in a video published by the military on February 12, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)