The Israeli Naval Academy

Naval Academy

-Institutions:* The United States Naval Academy* The Indian Naval Academy of India* The Nikola Vaptsarov Naval Academy of Bulgaria* The Imperial Japanese Naval Academy* The École Navale of France* The Britannia Royal Naval College of the United Kingdom...

  is a voluntary course , dedicated to the training education, and selection of Naval Officers

Officer (armed forces)

An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...

, which takes place alongside other instructional courses, at the naval command school in the Israeli Naval Instruction Base. The course is nearly three years long, and cadets graduate with a BA from Haifa University, An Officer

Officer (armed forces)

An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...

 rank

Rank

-Position within a command hierarchy requiring obedience:*Military rank* Police rank* Fire service rank* Nobility, ranks of nobility and peerage* Catholic Church hierarchy* Diplomatic rank* Taxonomic rank, a position within a taxonomy...

 (Second Lieutenant

Second Lieutenant

Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...

). As well as a 61-month commitment to mandatory military service.

The naval academy is considered one of the most prestigious courses in the IDF. alongside the Israeli Air Force flight academy. It lasts for nearly three years and is held largely in the Israeli Naval Instruction Base in Haifa

Haifa

Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...

. Graduates of the course receive the rank of lieutenant. On average, only one out of three students completes the course successfully.

Cadet Selection

The selection process for navy cadets is a long and complex process. Potential Israeli Cadets are identified prior to reporting for national service at age 18, based on factors such as high grades in school and top scores on standardized tests, excellent physical condition and high technical aptitude.

All recruits with the appropriate personal indicators, are then report to the "elite unit day"; a 1-2 day battery of tests which mainly gauge physical effort. Only a select few will proceed from this step to the mental aptitude testing battery, which takes place at the Navy Pavilion in Tel-Hashomer. (Women, and men unable to participate in elite unit day because of special circumstances, usually medical, start the selection process directly at this stage) . The mental aptitude testing battery consists mainly of mental and psychological tests, and only around 30% of will qualify for the next stage, with the rest are sometimes given an opportunity to try out for other special units within the navy, such as the port defense unit.
Those who successfully complete all the above testing phases are invited to participate in a four-day gibush (cohesion), a selection phase involving physical, mental, and sociometric challenges. Recruits are screened not only for their ability to perform the tasks assigned, but for their attitude in performing them —such as how they take hardships and unexpected difficulties, how well they work in groups and how they approach problem solving and disaster management situations. As many as 80% percent of those who commence the gibush will be dropped from further consideration at its conclusion.

Those who pass the gibush embark on an almost three-year journey to graduattion, which includes extensive naval training, infantry training, an officer's course, and studies towards an academic degree (a B.A.

Bachelor of Arts

A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

 or B.Sc.). The cadets are evaluated constantly, and the vast majority of those who begin their studies in the naval academy do not make it through the full program. Those expelled from the course will either remain in the navy in a non-officer capacity, or transfer to an army unit. (This depends to a large degree on the stage at which they leave the course.)

Course fields

The cadets are divided into areas of expertise, each with corresponding posts after graduation:

• Sailing: instruction, weapons officer, anti-submarine warfare officer, navigation officer on a missile ship or a submarine , or patrol boat commander.
• Machinery: Deck officer ("Chief") aboard missile ship or submarine.
• Electronics: Electronics Officer or instruction, aboard a missile ship or submarine.

Course phases

Cadets first go through basic infantry training for four weeks at Navy Training School, where they are provided basic principles of military service, as well as a high level of discipline.

Basic phase

This stage lasts about six months and includes the "seamanship and command" phase. during this phase the cadet is first faced with challenges and difficulties in the sea, along with a very high level of physical training, and strict discipline. at the end of this stage, cadets undergo a 72-hour cruise in a Inflatable boat

Inflatable boat

An inflatable boat is a lightweight boat constructed with its sides and bow made of flexible tubes containing pressurised gas. For smaller boats, the floor and hull beneath it is often flexible. On boats longer than , the floor often consists of three to five rigid plywood or aluminium sheets fixed...

. at the end of the "seamanship and command" phase the cadets return to the Israeli Naval Instruction Base in Haifa,where cadets receive continuing vocational regarding the operation and command of larger vessels.

During this phase, the identifying rank markings are dark blue Epaulettes. After completion of the "seamanship and command" phase, a white stripe is added to the Epaulettes. At this point, and during the rest of the course the students wear a beret

Beret

A beret is a soft, round, flat-crowned hat, designated a "cap", usually of woven, hand-knitted wool, crocheted cotton, or wool felt, or acrylic fiber....

with a white stripe around the edge, and a white background behind the symbol of the Navy.

Advanced phase

This stage lasts about six months and differs between the various areas of expertise.

• Sailing - The goal of this stage is primarily to improve the technical performance of the cadets, this includes training in maritime weaponry, the operation of naval vessels, .
• Electronics / Machine - The purpose of this phase is to drastically improve the professional level of the cadets, as well as a deeper recognition of the systems used aboard. During this phase cadets spend varying periods of time aboard sailing vessels for the purpose of recognition and thorough study of the systems.

During this stage the cadets undergo a two-star level diving course.

During this phase, the Epaulettes are dark blue with two white stripes.

Academic phase

This stage lasts about nine months and consists of academic studies at Haifa University , in an undergraduate multidisciplinary curriculum which includes: political science, economics, business administration, as well as maritime subjects and naval history.

During this phase, the Epaulettes are dark blue with a golden anchor pin.

Apprenticeship phase

This stage lasts abouteight months and includes

'* Theoretical training in the designated position - missile boat or submarine.
During this phase, the Epaulettes are dark blue with a golden anchor pin above a white stripe.

• Internship phase

This stage lasts about four months during which the cadets undergo internship and operate aboard their designated vessels as vice-officers in their areas of study.
During this phase, the Epaulettes are dark blue with a golden anchor pin above two white stripes.

The end of this phase marks the end of the course, after which the graduation ceremony takes place at the Naval Training School, where graduates receive the naval officer pin and lieutenant rank.