Hebrew → English transcript

As the Navy bids farewell to Maj. Gen. David Salama, the incoming

commander, Maj. Gen. Eyal Harel, lands in the office straight from the

General Staff table, with a work plan expected to shake up the corps,

and we are publishing its details this evening for the first time.

Harel, who arrived after two years as head

of the Planning Directorate,

brings a completely different worldview regarding the naval arm.

He diagnoses that although

the Navy already today has impressive capabilities,

certainly compared with the past, for operations in a variety of arenas,

he identifies a problem in exploiting its operational power.

This evening we are reporting that Harel’s message to the commanders

is unequivocal: the era is over

in which the Navy focuses mainly on defense and pinpoint attacks. The corps is

becoming an assault force.

It appears that Harel believes the corps has become too defensive,

and it seems that he intends to push for offensive initiative and not wait for

instructions from above.

He is expected to put offensive solutions on the table,

and make it clear that defending the borders and assets is not the whole picture.

Regarding force buildup,

a shift toward smaller platforms is emerging,

that will enable cheap and smart operations in distant arenas. In addition,

it can be assessed that the new commander's

plan will include integrating air and space capabilities as an integral part,

in order to close independent loops,

without relying on the Air Force,

and even a fundamental change in the training of the corps' combatants,

so that the basic training for naval cadets will, in all likelihood,

become basic infantry training,

which will also grant them ground capabilities, as was the case in the past.

Senior defense officials say that Harel will act to turn the Navy into

a maritime arm, lethal and proactive,

that does not trail behind reality but shapes it.