34 · MT 2/2023 Nations in Focus: Greece The Israeli air force does not seek an expansion of its capabilities but is involved in maintaining its significance against any conventional and unconventional threat to Israel, ranging from the Iranian threat to terrorism. Therefore, it is undergoing a gradual modernization of its inventory. The spearhead of such modernization is the $9 billion order placed in 2020 for a lot of 25 Lockheed Martin F-35As (bringing the total to 75), twelve Boeing V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft, and two KC-46A tankers (with a requirement for six more). In addition, all F-16C/Ds are being progressively upgraded to the F-16I Sufa standard and a programme has been launched for modernizing F-15Is (F-15IA). In the ISR sector, King Air 200 and Gulfstream G550 Shavit (ELINT) and Eitam (AEW&C) will be augmented by an undisclosed number of G550 ORON electronic surveillance and target location specialized aircraft. In the rotary wing sector, Lockheed Martin’s CH-53K has been selected to replace the 40 CH-53 Yasur in service, and Bell 206s will be replaced by twelve Leonardo Helicopters AW-119KX. The Israeli Army also pursues its gradual modernization with the introduction into service of larger numbers of tracked Namer APCs and Tiger IFVs (600 planned to equip four brigades) and Eitan 8x8 wheeled APC (to be built in large numbers to replace M-113s). A new self-propelled howitzer is under development as well. All this with an eye on unmanned solutions, such as the MRCV – Medium Robotic Combat Vehicle developed by Israel’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D), the Tank and APC Directorate, and Israeli security industries and unveiled on by Elbit Systems at Eurosatory 2022. The Turkish tangle (and Greece) A particularly complex case concerns Turkey, the Republic of Cyprus (RC) and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). In general, Ankara opposes any research and production activity as long as no agreement is reached between the RC and the TRNC. Turkey and the TRNC believe that any revenues derived from hydrocarbon production The backbone of the Egyptian army will likely be modernized gradually, possibly with a greater role for national industry, as demonstrated by MoUs like the one signed in 2021 between AM General and Egypt’s Ministry of Military Production (MoMP) to facilitate Egypt’s development of its domestic automotive industry. Israel In Israel, the potential of gas fields exceeds local consumption. Access to foreign markets is indispensable for the full development of production. At the same time, persistent conflicts between Israel and its neighbours - formal state of war with Lebanon, antagonism with Hezbollah, tensions with the Palestinians, instability in Syria - expose gas installations to the risk of military or terrorist attacks. For example, the Tamar field is located 56nm west of Haifa and Leviathan is 80nm away, next to the border with Lebanon. Gas from Tamar is channelled to Ashkelon via pipeline, a few kilometres only from Gaza. All these industrial installations are therefore exposed to the risk of terrorist or military attacks from outside. Specific agreements have been signed with the Palestinian Authority, Lebanon, and Jordan, but they face the opposition of local public opinions. The possibility of exporting gas from Israel to Egypt to satisfy local demand and/or to export to international markets through LNG terminals seems promising, especially since the acquisition of a stake in the capital of the EMG pipeline by the company Noble Energy, the main shareholder of the consortium which manages the Leviathan field. For what concerns the protection of Israeli economic interest, the country possesses already strong military capability and might. Nonetheless, Israeli navy’s capabilities have been expanding in two different directions. First, as Russian and Turkey ambitions grow, Israel has been expanding its submarine fleet up to six vessels (three Dolphin class and three Dolphin II class), the last of which, INS Drakon, is undergoing sea trials and would present improved design and functional evolutions in comparison to the first two boats. A new batch of three, commissioned to TKMS in 2022 under a $3.4 billion contract, will replace the first series with deliveries starting in 2027. Second, GNYH/TKMS Magen-class (four ships) and Israel Shipyards Reshef-class (probably eight ships) of corvettes are tweaked for significantly empowering the Israeli Navy in protecting Israel’s EEZ as well as the offshore oil and gas facilities within Israel’s territorial waters – for instance, through innovative solutions like Rafael’s C-Dome C-ram system. Meanwhile, defence industry companies such as IAI/Elta, CONTROP, and Elbit are expanding their portfolio of sensors (radars, EO/IR sensors, ELINT systems, etc.) for performing accurate real-time monitoring of air and naval activities in territorial waters and EEZ – think, for example, to the outstanding ELTA ELM-2226 Advance Coastal Surveillance Radars (ACSR) or to Controp’s Tornado-ER and the Speed-ER multispectral long-range surveillance cameras. Improvements in the Israeli Navy also include four Israel Shipyards Shaldag MK.V fast patrol boats in a new stealth design and the procurement of eight refurbished SH-60F Seahawk helicopters from US Navy’s surplus. El-Fateh class corvette ready for launch in Port Said. (Photo: Cyril Abad – Naval Group) One of the first Rafale to enter into service with the Hellenic Air Force. (Photo: Dassault Aviation) A Canadian HALIFAX-class frigate in Istanbul. Turkish membership of NATO is being questioned in these years. (Photo: Marco Giulio Barone)
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