How the navy’s Haifa fleet is transforming war at sea: New details of attacks revealed - exclusive

The Israeli navy's Haifa fleet is at the forefront of transforming naval warfare. Recently, The Jerusalem Post has uncovered exclusive details about the navy's operations, revealing how it managed to block a massive Turkish flotilla of approximately 80 ships, which attempted to break Israel's blockade of Gaza in May. The operation involved around 600 soldiers, including the prestigious Shayetet 3 missile boat fleet and Shayetet 13 navy seals.

The primary objective of the mission was to locate the vessels and understand their formations, critical information for successfully overhauling the ships. The navy divided the operation into two rounds of takeovers, allowing them to adapt their strategy as the flotilla vessels gathered together. This approach, involving flexible command centers and considerable discretion for sub-commanders, proved crucial in capturing all the ships.

The operation utilized two amphibious transport landing craft ships converted into large mobile detention centers, capable of holding 600-700 detainees. These vessels provided the navy with the ability to intercept the flotilla farther from its coast, even if they attempted to evade capture. After the operation, it took four to five days for all vessels to return, but the extended travel time with detainees was manageable due to ample provisions.

Shayetet 13 Navy SEALs played a pivotal role in the mission, employing a new technology that allowed six commandos to detach from a helicopter and slide down onto a ship using a stopper cable. The commandos demonstrated remarkable restraint, showing significant restraint during the operation, avoiding a potential Mavi Marmara situation.

Despite some flotilla members attempting to harm the ships with firecrackers, the navy's commandos acted with restraint, understanding that a lethal IDF response would undermine the mission's legitimacy.