A missile defense system designed to protect Israeli Navy ships has successfully completed its sea trials, the Israel Defense Forces announced on Tuesday.
The trials tested the capability of a new maritime electronic warfare system designed to effectively respond to complex missile attack scenarios, including launching decoy rounds and electronic jamming measures.
The DESEAVER MK-4 countermeasure-dispensing system, developed by the Haifa-based Elbit Systems, defends ships from simultaneous missile threats from multiple directions. Algorithms rapidly prioritize targets and select countermeasures for each individual threat.
The DESEAVER MK-4 is the fourth generation of the naval defense system, which is fully integrated into Israeli Navy ships.
“We are proud of our ongoing cooperation with and support of the Israeli Navy. The successful completion of these trials provides further proof of the reliability of our technology and the advanced protection capabilities they provide against new and evolving threats,” said Oren Sabag, Elbit’s general manager for electronic warfare.
On Sunday, the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet kicked off its annual joint exercise with the Israeli Navy, called “Intrinsic Defender,” in Haifa.
More than 50 U.S. service members are participating in this year’s exercise, which will involve explosive ordnance disposal, mine countermeasures, maritime and global health management, underwater construction, maritime surveillance and vessel boarding procedures, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.
“Israel is one of our most capable maritime partners and these exercises further underscore historic military cooperation achieved in recent years,” said U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet and Combined Maritime Forces. “Training and operating together strengthen regional maritime security and stability.”