Israeli Navy officer: Syria, Hizballah share advanced arms

Israel presumes that any weapons systems in Syria have also reached the Lebanese Hizballah and is therefore on constant alert, Brig. Gen Ellie Sharvit, Haifa Navy base chief, told reporters Tuesday. He mentioned the advanced Yakhont shore-sea missiles as well as top products of Iran’s and Syria’s military industries. This was the first admission by a high-ranking IDF operations officer that advanced hardware had moved from Syria into Lebanon, as DEBKAfile disclosed in the past. Brig. Sharvit revealed that the Navy’s Dolphin submarines had performed operations thousands of kilometers from Israel’s shores and also opposite the Syrian and Lebanese coasts. Two more Dolphins would be delivered from Germany in the second half of 2014. These subs can spend long periods in deep water. When anchored at home base, they are armed with missile interceptor systems for defense.