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Hamas upgrading naval commando unit
[Ynet] With tensions rising and Egypt and Israel both enforcing blockades of the Gazoo Strip, Hamas, a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth", is investing more resources in equipment and weaponry for their naval commando unit in preparation for the next round of fighting with Israel.Hamas has begun upgrading its naval commando unit as part of a general buildup of armaments in preparation for the next round of expected fighting with the IDF. The upgrade has not gone without notice by the IDF. In recent months, Israeli naval forces have recorded several incidents in which sailors deployed underwater hand grenades after suspicions of Hamas divers approaching ships were raised. Several of the instances occurred in the maritime zone between the northern Gazoo Strip and Zikim Beach. In addition to frequent diving training along Gazoo's coast, Hamas has begun producing its own diving systems in light of tunnel closures along the Egyptian border. The closed breathing system allows divers to remain underwater for several kilometers, while maintaining a low signature and few identifying signs. As soon as Hamas divers are suspected, the navy's 916th division--the division responsible for the southern maritime zone--uses a variety of lethal countermeasures, including specialized anti-personnel underwater grenades and depth charges with large kill zones. In addition to lethal countermeasures, the IDF has also deployed several specialized underwater detection systems along the coast. According to a senior naval officer, "The progress of the Hamas commando unit is exponential and nonlinear, but we have a large target bank against them and we know how to destroy their coastal infrastructure if need be." The IDF has also begun to upgrade the defensive systems of surface vessels in light of the new unconventional threats. Many in the defense establishment believe that in the next round of armed conflict with Hamas or Hezbollah, terrorist forces will utilize Kornet missiles against smaller and mid-sized ships. Posted by: trailing wife 2017-03-28 |
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