The Jerusalem Post newspaper said that the Israeli government, preoccupied with the war, did not set goals regarding maritime communication routes for commercial ships to and from Israeli ports in the Red Sea, at a time when Israel accepted the closure of the port of Eilat due to the severe plight experienced by the local communities in northern Galilee and Gaza.
The newspaper explained – in an article written by retired Marine Admiral Shaul Chorev – that the Israeli Navy successfully used the “Dome C” system installed on the “Sa’ar 6” cruiser to intercept the marches that were targeting the city of Eilat, but this success should not lead to an incorrect conclusion that it is necessary to integrate Sa’ar 6 ships operating in the Red Sea arena in the Israeli defense system against missile attacks on Eilat.
The director of the Institute of Maritime Policy and Strategy pointed out that there are 3 reasons to oppose such a conclusion, the first of which is that the C-Dome system was developed for a different scenario, the second is the cost-benefit ratio, and the third is the judgment that their current operation in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Eilat could endanger ships.
Eilat focus point
In the current war on Gaza, the Houthis imposed a blockade on shipping to and from Israel in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The Israeli Navy deployed ships in the Red Sea in response, including Sa’ar 6 corvettes. Tel Aviv also played a convincing role in establishing The forces of the US-led “Prosperity Guardian” operation – according to the author – but chose not to join in order to allow countries in the region to enter it.
In the current situation, “Sa’ar 6” corvettes, which Israel purchased from Germany to secure gas platforms in the Mediterranean Sea, were stationed in the northern Red Sea and the Gulf of Eilat and were integrated into the country’s aerial detection and warning system, according to the writer.
It is assumed that Israeli naval ships will continue to need to secure sea lanes of communication in the region, even after the forces of the US-led “Prosperity Sentinel” operation succeeded in reducing the Houthi threat to the shipping lane in the southern Red Sea.
It is worth noting that the port of Eilat has always posed a great danger to Israeli ships, especially naval ships, due to its presence near the borders of Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, which provides an opportunity for hostile groups to launch missile attacks on the city from this region.
However, deploying Sa’ar 6 corvettes to intercept air threats in the Eilat region entails great risks – according to the author – because the use of interceptor missiles on these ships will lead to reducing the number of interceptor missiles available for future missions that the Navy may need, such as missions to protect Israel’s strategic assets. In the economic waters of the Mediterranean Sea.