Cyprus-Forum.com

[ARMENIAN CYPRIOT]

Israel, the United States and Greece are in the midst of a naval exercise in the Mediterranean Sea, in what Greek media outlets are saying is a message to Turkey following frayed ties with both Israel and Greece.

The exercise, called "Noble Dina," involves simulations of combat against submarines, air battles and protection of offshore natural gas platforms. The U.S. Sixth Fleet is also participating in the exercise, which the Greek media, which first reported on it, has described as being meant to send a message to Turkey.


Until 2009, Israel's Navy and the U.S. Sixth Fleet conducted a large yearly exercise with the Turkish navy called "Reliant Mermaid." Following the deterioration in Israel-Turkey relations in recent years and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's decisionto freeze military cooperation with Israel, the exercise was cancelled.

Last April, Israel and the U.S. decided to renew the exercise, but changed its name to Noble Dina. Greece, which was invited to participate instead of Turkey, jumped at the offer, which it saw as a political achievement vis-à-vis Turkey. Relations between the two countries are currently tense due to Turkish threats to act against Cyprus' natural gas platforms, in which Greece has interests.

IDF sources confirmed that the exercise was taking place, but refused to convey additional details.

The exercise began on March 26 and is scheduled to end on April 5. According to reports in the Greek media, the exercise began at an American military base in Crete. Reportedly participating in the exercise are a Greek navy destroyer and submarine, an Israeli Navy sailing vessel and several U.S. Sixth Fleet battleships, along with Israeli, Greek and American fighter jets and helicopters.

According to a report published on the Greek website Defencenet.gr, part of the exercise will take place off the coast of Turkey, near the Greek island Mais. The exercise will continue off the southern coast of Cyprus before concluding in Haifa port.

The site reported that enemy forces in the simulation will have characteristics similar to those of the Turkish air force. The site also noted that the exercise would address scenarios involving defense of offshore gas platforms in the Mediterranean from enemy attack, anti-submarine fighting and air battles.

Over last two years, Israel and Greece have intensified their military and intelligence cooperation. A large portion of the Israel Air Force exercises which previously took place in Turkey have moved to Greece as a result of the crisis in relations between Israel and Turkey.

Several weeks ago, incoming Israel Air Force chief Amir Eshel visited Greece, where he met with top Greek officials, including the country's defense minister, chief of staff and air force commander. Eshel currently serves as head of the IDF's Planning Directorate.

Read this article in Hebrew

[bill cobbett]

Wonder if it is just a coincidence that the name of these exercises is Noble Dina... after all the US firm Noble Energy is so heavily involved in the CY and Israel EEZs.... ????

[SheldonCooper]

Wonder if it is just a coincidence that the name of these exercises is Noble Dina... after all the US firm Noble Energy is so heavily involved in the CY and Israel EEZs.... ????

Rest assured that the name is no coincidence whatsoever. Rhetoric costs nothing, and the US cannot emphasise enough that they will stop at nothing to prevent any foreign power - no matter how "allied" - getting between them and their control of energy supplies. The number one foreign policy lever the US has is to put itself in control of as much of the world's energy supply as possible, and to limit the energy-related influence of the Russians, the Iranians, etc. Mind you, not because the Russians or the Iranians are not reliable or anything like that; the US prefers to be in control simply because the one who is in control is the one who advances his interests and agenda.

So don't fall for the trap of misinterpreting this as any kind of political support for Greece or Cyprus - the message here is "fight it out amongst yourselves, but don't dare threaten any energy resources". Even if the turks have no intention of ever physically attacking an oil platform (which they almost certainly do not), their no-cost no-risk threats and rhetoric serve to create risk for the project. Increased risk means increased capital cost as investors demand a higher return for the additional risk. Increased capital cost means the project has less chance of ever getting off the ground, given the mind-boggling levels of financial resources offshore gas extraction requires (total development cost could easily be multiples of the RoC's annual GDP). This bout of counter-rhetoric from the US is a way of signalling to potential investors that the US stands behind the project, and that the US will not tolerate a potential energy source controlled by US interests to remain undeveloped on account of turkish threats and rhetoric.

Btw watch for not-so-subtle hints of US displeasure if the RoC continues to flirt with the idea of Russian involvement in energy projects...

A historic example of unambiguous naming...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Ortsac

[CBBB]

Wonder if it is just a coincidence that the name of these exercises is Noble Dina... after all the US firm Noble Energy is so heavily involved in the CY and Israel EEZs.... ????

Noble Aphrodite would have been too obvious!

[wyoming cowboy]

Wonder if it is just a coincidence that the name of these exercises is Noble Dina... after all the US firm Noble Energy is so heavily involved in the CY and Israel EEZs.... ????

I hope the next report from you Bill, is that the US sixth fleet sank a Turkish warship...just north of Kyrenia

[GreekIslandGirl]

It's no longer about Israel's supposed 'frayed' relationships with Turkey. This build-up in Greek-Israeli relations is justified on many levels.

[B25]

It's no longer about Israel's supposed 'frayed' relationships with Turkey. This build-up in Greek-Israeli relations is justified on many levels.

Here is more proof for you:

Cyprus signs contract to connect Israel to the European power grid
Apr 4, 2012
The overall cost of the project is estimated at 1.5 billion euros, with the Israel-Cyprus segment put at 500 million Euros

The Cyprus state-owned electricity company signed an agreement for the final leg of a 1.5 billion-euro Israel-to-Europe power cable that should be operational by 2016.

The proposed EuroAsia Interconnector project would be, at 998 km, one of the world's longest underwater power cables, with a mere 1% loss.

According to the Israeli utility, it would have a capacity of up to 2000 MW.

The proposed line would extend from the Israeli city of Haifa on the Mediterranean coast to the southeastern coast of Cyprus, then to the northwestern coast of Crete and on to the Peloponnese peninsula of Greece.

The overall cost of the project is estimated at 1.5 billion euros, with the Israel-Cyprus segment put at 500 million Euros. Israel Electric officials said the investment would pay for itself within four years. The memorandum of cooperation with the Electricity Authority of Cyprus will see the operator, DEI-Quantum Energy, expand into joint production with the Cypriot utility in order to export the surplus output beyond the island's current needs of about 1200 MW.

Cyprus will need about 1b cubic meters a year of natural gas. The terminal will have a design capacity of 20b. The surplus production capability could be exported to Europe. The feasibility study is expected to be completed in 2012. DEI-Quantum said the project could be started in 2013 and completed within 36 months.

http://www.port2port.com/Index.asp?Arti ... egoryID=46

I'm sure this will upset a few on this site.

[supporttheunderdog]

No upset at all as far as I am concerned - after this morning's little episode it could come in very useful!

[B25]

No upset at all as far as I am concerned - after this morning's little episode it could come in very useful!

It wasn't aimed at you

[kimon07]

No upset at all as far as I am concerned - after this morning's little episode it could come in very useful!

What episode? Have I missed something good?