Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood on the deck of Israel's naval future this weekend, touring the Ashdod naval base alongside Defense Minister Israel Katz and declaring that the sea has become just as dangerous as any front on land. 'We know that the maritime space has essentially become an international battlefield,' Netanyahu said. 'You see it in the Strait of Hormuz, you see it of course in Bab al-Mandeb, and our enemies want to threaten our maritime space in the Mediterranean, our seaports, our maritime traffic. Of course, we will not allow that to happen.' During the visit, he and Katz were briefed by the Navy's Operations Directorate and the base commander on threats facing the southern sector, including routine security patrols and the area's landing craft unit, before viewing a live display of the combat systems used to defend and strike at sea.

Netanyahu didn't stop at warnings, he laid out a vision for real expansion. 'A sixth submarine has arrived in the country, they want more,' he said, referring to what officials have identified as the INS Drakon, the largest submarine added to Israel's fleet to date. 'More vessels, more other means that I do not intend to detail here. But I will tell you one thing: in this field as well, the above-water and underwater, I intend for Israel to be one of the leaders in the world in this type of combat. We will protect the State of Israel also from the sea.' It's a notable shift in tone for a military long built around its air force and ground troops, Israel's navy has historically been considered something of an afterthought, and turning it into a genuine global leader would mark a real departure in how the country thinks about its own defense.