An Israeli Sa’ar 6 corvette at sea. (IDF handout)

JERUSALEM — One of Israel’s new Sa’ar 6 corvettes has been deployed to the Red Sea, where it’s anchored off the Israeli port of Eilat, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.

The announcement on Tuesday follows increased threats from the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The Houthis, which the US says are supported by Iran, have vowed to attack any Israel-bound commercial ship transiting the Red Sea as part of their support for Hamas in Gaza in the wake of Hamas’s attack on Israel on Oct. 7.

The Houthis have claimed or been alleged to be behind a series of missile and drone attacks in the Red Sea in recent weeks, including the dramatic seizure of a commercial vessel. Israeli defense systems and American Navy ships in the area have knocked down a number of those threats. On Monday, the Houthis allegedly struck a Norwegian commercial ship with a missile, though it does not appear to have any connection to Israel.

Some of the unsuccessful Houthi missile attacks reportedly targeted Eilat, in the southern tip of Israel, making the Sa’ar 6 and it’s anti-air capabilities a logical vessel for Israel to deploy there. Earlier, the Israeli Navy deployed a different missile ship there. There was no elaboration on the role the Sa’ar 6 would play in the Red Sea or the total number of Israeli vessels now operating off of Eilat at this time.

ANALYSIS: Houthi targeting of Israel suggests new, longer-range missile in play

Elsewhere, the Israeli navy annoounced that it had completed the “operational processing” of its forth Sa’ar 6 ship. The IDF said this process took two years, “a very rapid pace for installing and adapting advanced combat systems and state-of-the-art Israeli systems for four ships simultaneously.”

The first Sa’ar 6 ship, the INS Magen, arrived in Israel in December 2020. The fourth ship in the class arrived in September 2021. The ships were a major project for the Israeli navy, capping decades of investment in increasing the Israeli navy’s size and ability to project power in the eastern Mediterranean to protect Israel’s exclusive economic zone.

The ships sailed from a shipyard in Germany and once they arrived in Israel they was fitted out with defense systems, most of which were developed by Israel’s big three defense companies. In 2022 Israel successfully tested a IAI Barak long-range missile interceptor aboard the ship. The naval version of Rafael’s Iron Dome, called C-Dome, was also installed and tested on the Sa’ar 6 ships. The ships also carry a 76mm gun, Typhoon weapon stations and other systems.

The Sa’ar 6 ships made their combat debut in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack when they were sent off the coast of Gaza. Though the IDF have not detailed what the Sa’ar 6 ships have done specifically, the IDF said Israeli navy in general has “struck dozens of terror infrastructure sites used by the Hamas naval forces in the central and southern Gaza Strip,” as it did the day after the attack.

By this Tuesday the IDF said that missile boats and other naval squadrons, which consist of smaller patrol boats, had struck hundreds of targets since the war began.

“Israeli Navy soldiers have eliminated terrorists, including dozens active in Hamas’ naval forces. Most of the leaders of Hamas’ naval forces, which consist of hundreds of operatives specializing in carrying out maritime attacks, have also been targeted and killed,” the IDF said.

When Israel discusses Hamas’s naval forces, it’s generally referring to the group’s maritime commando units, as it’s not known to employ any warships. However, the IDF statements on Tuesday also included an image of an unmanned vessel that Israel says was intercepted by the navy before it could attack “Israel’s strategic maritime assets and coastlines.”

H.I Sutton, who publishes the Cover Shores website devoted to analyzing naval issues, noted that the “Al-Asef” unmanned vehicle is a “torpedo-like weapon with a warhead in the nose. Its metal body is likely assembled in part from compressed gas cylinders. It has a modest diving depth of just a few meters and may rely on a snorkel to provide air to its motor. The propulsion system is unclear, but a hollow hose suggests an internal combustion engine, possibly gasoline-powered.”

The interception of this system suggests that Hamas has attempted to improve its naval capabilities. In past conflicts Hamas focused on naval commandos, which were primarily frogmen who had a limited use and range.

Meanwhile, Israel has stressed the importance of cooperation between the navy, air force, ground forces and other units during the conflict in Gaza. This is part of the larger attempt through its recent multi-year Momentum Plan to streamline operation and use technology to close sensor to shooter circles faster.