Israel to enhance gas rig protection

The Israeli army may deploy missile interceptors to protect gas rigs Israeli companies plan to build in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, an officer said. The cause for concern stems from the recent purchase by Syria of Russian Yakhont anti-ship missiles, which could be transferred to Hezbollah in Lebanon to use to target the gas rigs, The Jerusalem Post reported Tuesday. The Israeli navy is considering two options: the Israeli-developed David's Sling, used against medium-range rockets, and cruise missiles or the Barak-8, designed to protect large vessels against anti-ship missiles, the newspaper said. "The area we will need to protect at sea will significantly increase with the construction of the new gas rigs," a senior naval officer told the Post. "We are also very concerned with the military buildup in the region, which is seeing an increase in sophisticated weapons systems like anti-ship missiles." The navy has increased its patrols in the Mediterranean Sea and uses unmanned aerial vehicles to increase surveillance, the paper said.