Sword of Iron War: Initial Reflections on the Events in Israel’s Maritime Domain

Following the brutal invasion of southern Israel on October 7, 2023, the State of Israel declared war on Hamas—known in Israel as the “Swords of Iron War.” While the ground portion of the war has already received much scrutiny, only cursory attention has been given to the maritime domain component. Given the analytical void, this article intends to offer preliminary analysis and observations of the impact of the Swords of Iron War on Israel’s maritime domain. More research is still required.

Proper Conceptualization of Naval Operational Doctrine—A Case Study of the Israeli Navy

Developing a military concept (i.e., conceptualization) is essential to establishing effective operational doctrine. Formal military doctrines are authoritative and prescriptive documents containing war-fighting principles that military forces are expected to apply “with judgment.” Military concepts are ideas about the future that suggest the need for new approaches to the conduct of operations—that is, “today’s fight.” As the maritime domain grows increasingly essential to Israel’s overall security and resilience, the threat of conceptual confusion—the mistaken or muddled assessment of the future—looms over the Israeli navy’s development of a doctrine to defend these new interests at sea. In a sense, the navy is today operating under the very conceptual confusion that produced a flawed campaign in 2006 against Hezbollah in the second Lebanon war.

National Maritime Strategy: A Bottom-Up Approach

This article presents an innovative perspective: that national maritime strategies, strategic documents emphasizing holistic planning for every national aspect and sector related to the maritime domain – can be initiated, designed, and implemented from the bottom up. In other words, in the absence of government action to formulate a national strategy, a maritime cluster can take it upon itself to create a civilian maritime strategy.

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