"Who Dares Wins," or so goes the motto ofSayeret Matkal, one of the Israel Defense Force's special units. Israeli truck customizer AIL of Nazareth has dared with the Jeep J8-based Storm 3 Type R, and it looks like they may win... a lucrative army contract, that is.
A journo from jeepolog.com took one out for a spin in the searing heat of the Negev Desert this summer, and according to the off-duty, but very salty army guys who drove it with him, Storm 3 Type R is an ass kicker.
A stock Jeep Rubicon is already a pretty capable vehicle, but AIL had to figure out how to make it do something that the Humvees the Israeli army currently uses don't. By stuffing a 194 hp, 2.8-liter four pot turbo diesel between the fenders, they created something light and strong that has all of the offroad prowess of a Hummer without all the noise and with way better handling and maneuverability.
The only problem the old soldiers could see with Storm 3 Type R was it has a lower cargo capacity than the big AM General (although mostsourcesI found showed that the HMMWV has a muchlower cargo capacity than what AIL claims the Storm 3 Type R can handle), but they said it would be a good candidate for border patrol, pursuit, and deep strike missions. And that's why the IDF has been testing them all around Israel, a country which, although it's only about the size of New Jersey, has incredibly varied terrain.
Storm 3 Type R's suspension is more or less stock, with an extra leaf stuffed into the shackles over a Trac-Lok Dana 44 front axle and a beefy Trac-Lok Dana 60 rear. Offroad tires are mounted on non-beadlocking steel wheels, but maybe bead locks would be advisable if the truck is deployed on terrorist chasing missions. Tipping the scales at 4,451 pounds, Storm 3 Type R can carry a 2,756-pound payload and tow 7,716 pounds.
Consensus among those who care about such things suggests that the maximum load a 6.2 V8 diesel-equipped Hummer can tow is 4,200 pounds, and that its top interior payload capacity (in certain configurations) is about the same. Plus, the four banger Jeep has a 22.5 gallon fuel tank — the Hummer, which weighs nearly 10,000 pounds empty, can hold only a few more gallons of refined black gold — so it probably has a pretty decent range.
Jeep Custom of Nazareth's creation sure looks good on paper, but we'll let the Israeli government sort that one out.
Israel's defence chief has confirmed his forces are carrying out increased special operations beyond the country's borders.
In an interview to be published on Wednesday to mark the eve of Israel's independence day, Lieutenant General Benny Gantz also says Israel is ready to attack Iran's nuclear sites if ordered to do so.
"We think that a nuclear Iran is a very bad thing, which the world needs to stop and which Israel needs to stop - and we are planning accordingly," he said.
"In principle, we are ready to act."
But General Gantz says that does not mean he is about to order the air force to strike.
He says 2012 will be a critical year in efforts to halt what Israel and much of the international community believe is an Iranian nuclear arms program.
The United States says it does not believe Iran has so far taken a decision to develop a nuclear weapon or that the time is right for military action, preferring to give international sanctions time to work.
But Israel, which sees a nuclear Iran as a threat to its existence, claims Tehran may be on the cusp of "breakout" capability - when it could quickly build a nuclear weapon - and it does not rule out staging a pre-emptive strike.
General Gantz said he had increased the number of covert Israeli operations in other countries, but gave no details.
"I do not think you will find a point in time where there is not something happening, somewhere in the world," he said.
"The threat level is also higher.
"I'm not taking the credit," he added.
"I'm just accelerating all those special operations."
An elite unit of Israeli commandos called the Depth Corps has been secretly created to stop Iran’s nuclear weapons programme.
Mossad hit squads have already carried out assassinations on key Iranian scientists and the Depth Corps has been sent deep inside Iran to prepare an all-out strike against its nuclear programme.
Israel fears Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad could order the facilities to be buried hundreds of feet underground out of reach of air strikes.
And a senior source in Tel Aviv warned: “We will reach the point where Iran gets delivery systems to fire weapons of mass destruction. The time to act is now.”
Five Iranian nuclear scientists have been assassinated in recent years, but Israel is now gearing up operations against Tehran which has refused to abort its nuclear programme.
Trained in SAS-style covert operations, the Depth Corps was launched just a few weeks ago.
Israel refuses to officially discuss the Corps or the assassinations. Dan Meridor, minister for Intelligence and Nuclear Affairs, told the Mirror about the killings: “Are they natural, are they unnatural? I do not know what to tell you.”
Plans for an Israeli-led assault include air strikes against up to 12 key suspected nuclear sites backed by salvos fired from Dolphin Class subs in the Gulf.
President Obama wants to try sanctions before military action, but Israel hopes America and Britain could be drawn into a conflict and there are claims that Mossad is plotting to do that.
A well-timed Israeli strike against Iran, with US and UK warships in the Gulf may mean Tehran fires upon our forces, an act of war forcing us to act.
Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan was the latest Iranian scientist killed in a bomb blast on January 11.
The killings – many by motorbike assassins – were carried out by dissidents recruited by Mossad then smuggled into a covert desert base in Northern Iraq and trained in spy tradecraft and explosives.
Mossad agents have also launched a successful false flagging campaign to recruit Sunni Muslim dissidents to act against largely Shia Muslim Iran.
False flagging is when spies persuade recruits that they are from a different country in order to make missions appealing.
To do this they may have posed as officers from the CIA or MI6 to trick the agents into thinking they were working for America or Britain and not Israel.
Our source said: “Mossad officers are the most aggressive at false flagging since many in the Muslim world are nervous about dealing with Jewish spies.
“So spies sign up dissidents to do their dirty work for them.”
A leading French newspaper has claimed that Israeli intelligence agents are recruiting and training Iranian dissidents in clandestine bases located in Iraq’s Kurdish region. Paris-based daily Le Figaro, France’s second-largest national newspaper, cited a “security source in Baghdad”, who alleged that members of Israeli intelligence are currently operating in Iraq’s autonomous northern Kurdish region. According to the anonymous source, the Israelis, who are members of the Mossad, Israel’s foremost external intelligence agency, are actively recruiting Iranian exiles in Kurdistan.
Many of these Iranian assets, who are members of Iran’s Kurdish minority and opposed to the Iranian regime, are allegedly being trained by the Mossad in spy-craft and sabotage. The article in Le Figaro claims that the Iranian assets are being prepared for conducting operations inside the energy-rich country, as part of Israel’s undercover intelligence war against Iran’s nuclear energy program.
The Baghdad source told the French daily that part of Israel’s sabotage program against sensitive Iranian nuclear facilities, which includes targeted assassinations of Iranian nuclear experts, is directed out of the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan, “where [Mossad] agents have stepped up their penetration”. For this, “the Israelis are using Kurdish oppositionists to the regime in Iran, who are living are refugees in the Kurdish regions of Iraq”, the source told Le Figaro.
Although the article makes no mention of official or unofficial sanction of the Israeli operations by the Iraqi Kurdish authorities, it implies that the alleged Mossad activities are an open secret in Iraqi Kurdistan. This is not the first time that allegations have surfaced in the international press about Israeli intelligence activities in Kurdistan. In 2006, the BBC flagship investigative television program Newsnight obtained strong evidence of Israeli operatives providing military training to Kurdish militia members.
The program aired video footage showing Israeli expects drilling members of Kurdish armed groups in shooting techniques and guerrilla tactics. The Israeli government denied having authorized any such training, while Iraqi Kurdish officials refused to comment on the report. But Israeli security experts told the BBC that it would be virtually impossible for Israeli trainers to operate inside Iraqi Kurdistan “without the knowledge of the Kurdish authorities”.
More recently, in September of 2010, the government of Lebanonarrested three Kurds in Jounieh, a coastal town 15 kilometers north of Beirut, which it accused of working for Israeli intelligence. All three were members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a secessionist armed group fighting for an independent Kurdish homeland in Turkey’s far-eastern Anatolia region.
TEL AVIV, Israel, June 7 (UPI) -- The Israeli air force is sending a team to the United States this month to evaluate the controversial V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft that it's eyeing for search-and-rescue and covert special operations.
The successful March rescue of a downed U.S. Air Force F-15 pilot in Libya by an Osprey crew has doubtless enhanced the prospects of the multi-mission aircraft built by Bell Helicopter and Boeing Rotorcraft Systems.
"The (Israeli air force) has had its eye on the V-22 for a number of years and senior officers, including Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz have flown in it and were impressed with its capabilities," The Jerusalem Post reported Tuesday.
The air force had initially looked at the Osprey as a replacement for its aging fleet of Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallion transport helicopters.
But these days, the Post added, "due to the V-22's smaller size it is being looked at a complementary platform to assist in (Israeli air force) search-and-rescue operations and dropping Special Forces behind enemy lines."
Once the air force team has fully examined the V-22 in the United States, the service's helicopter directorate will submit a recommendation to the air force commander, Gen. Ido Nehushtan.
The V-22 can carry 24 fully equipped combat troops seated -- 32 floor loaded -- or more than 19,800 pounds of internal or external cargo. It has a range of 2,500 miles with a single in-flight refueling.
The Osprey is unique because it has vertical takeoff and landing capability like a helicopter, with the rotors of its two end-of-wing Rolls-Royce AE 1107C engines in the upright position.
It can shift the three-bladed rotors 45 degrees so they operate as propellers pushing the aircraft forward, with short-takeoff and landing capability.
It can reach speeds of 350 miles per hour, about double that of a traditional helicopter.
The Osprey was first designed in the 1950s but the first V-22 wasn't rolled out until May 1988. Since then its development has taken years because of the complexity and difficulties of being the first tilt-rotor designed for military service.
It has had to overcome a series of political, funding and technical battles that threatened to scrap the project before it was certified for operational deployment.
Despite a series of high-profile fatal accidents involving the V-22, the Pentagon approved full-rate production in September 2005.
The U.S. Marine Corps deployed the MV-22 in 2007 and has been steadily replacing its CH-46 Sea Knights on a squadron-by-squadron basis. The switch is due to be completed by 2019.
The U.S. Army deployed Ospreys in 2009 and it has seen combat in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. It made its combat debut in Iraq's turbulent Anbar province, an insurgent hotbed, in November 2007.
The Israeli air force team that will evaluate with V-22 will note that the U.S. Marines in Afghanistan, where the Osprey was deployed in November 2009, found that the V-22's speed and range made it a good operational match for fast combat jets.
The Marines thus split Marine Expeditionary Unit operations into two groups, one with fixed-wing jets and V-22s, the other with slower helicopters.
The U.S. Air Force's first operational CV-22 was delivered to the 58th Special Operations Wing at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., in March 2006. The aircraft is currently deployed with three Special Operations Squadrons.
There are 112 V-22s operational with U.S. forces. The Marine Corps has ordered 360 of the aircraft, each costing $110 million.
The U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command wants 50 and the U.S. Navy is expected to acquire 48.
Israel Aerospace Industries' Panther/K-80 tiltrotor unmanned air vehicle is being evaluated by special forces from other countries, the company has revealed.
The new design will be displayed at Israel's Latrun land forces conference from 5-7 October and also at the Association of the United States Army's 2010 annual meeting and exposition in Washington DC from 25-27 October.
Officers from some potential clients are expected in Israel this week to see the new UAV.
The Panther uses an automatic flight control system to manage the transition between its hovering take-off phase to forward flight and back before landing.
Take-offs and landings are performed automatically following a click of the operator console, eliminating the need for an external pilot.
The UAV has a take-off weight of 65kg (143lb), and can loiter for about 6h at an altitude up to 10,000ft (3,050m). Its operating radius is more than 32nm (60km).
Power comes from what IAI describes as three "ultra-quiet" electric motors. The air vehicle carries IAI's Mini-POP electro-optical/infrared sensor - a stabilised camera with a laser rangefinder, pointer or laser designator.
Meanwhile, IAI is also poised to unveil a scaled-down version named the Mini Panther.
With a 12kg take-off weight, the smaller system can loiter for roughly 2h and carries a Micro-POP sensor.
The portable Mini Panther system includes two air vehicles and a command and control unit carried in backpacks by two soldiers.
Each of the company's larger Panther systems comprises three UAVs and a two-person control station using identical consoles. The equipment is installed on a midsize ground vehicle, which also carries a ground datalink, support equipment and spare parts to support tactical-level operations.
However, both UAVs can be controlled by only one operator if required.
Israel has 40 Special Forces units, here are few of them:
Sayeret Matkal - General Staff Reconnaissance Unit 269:
Founded: 1957Sayeret Matkal, also known as General Staff Reconnaissance Unit 269, is the unit most people are referring to when discussing the Israeli war against terrorism. Operatives from this unit have led, or been an instrumental part of, almost every notable counter-terrorist (and anti-terrorist) operation conducted on behalf of Israel from 1957 to the present. It is also the primary unit dedicated to hostage rescue missions within Israel. Sayeret Matkal has been assisted on occasion by other Israeli units such as the elite Sayeret Tzanhanim, Flotilla 13, and Sayeret Golani. During periods of war, this unit is tasked with the most risky intelligence gathering operations, a function it has reportedly accomplished successfully on numerous occasions.Operations of note include the following:Operation Isotope - On May 8-9, 1972, Sayerot commandos disguised themselves as Lod Airport maintenance personnel before storming a Sebena Belgian Airlines jetliner that had been hijacked by Black September terrorists. Operation Crate 3 - In June of 1972, concern was mounting over the fate of three Israeli airmen who had been taken captured by Syrian authorities. The decision was made that in order to be in a position to negotiate their release, Israel would need bargaining chips of their own. In response, Sayeret operatives, in an operation that has become their trademark, kidnapped five Syrian intelligence officers who were conducting a border tour with Palestinian terrorists at the time.Operation Spring of Youth - On the night of April 9-10, 1973, Sayeret commandos, one disguised as a woman, conducted the assassinations of Black September leaders. What was remarkable about this operation was that the targets were in three separate locations and all in West Beirut, which was at the time enemy-held territory.Worth mentioning also are press reports that operatives from this unit were responsible for the assassination of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) deputy commander and wanted terrorist, Abu Jihad in 1988.
Sayeret Duvdevan:
Duvdevan (cherry) is an elite special forces unit within the Israel Defense Forces, directly subordinate to the West Bank Division. Duvdevan are particularly noted for conducting undercover operations against militants in urban areas. During these operations, Duvdevan soldiers typically drive modified civilian vehicles and wear Arab civilian clothes as a disguise.Duvdevan is one of the most prestigious units of the IDF, and thus recruitment to it is highly desirable among recruitment-aged youths in Israel.The Duvdevan unit motto: "For by clever deception thou shalt wage war." (Proverbs 24:6)The unit is actually recognized with only a unit identity number and Duvdevan is simply the nickname given to the unit. The commando units of the IDF are known as the katzefet, or "whipped cream" in English, of the combat forces. In the unit's short 20 year history it has stood above and beyond the traditional special units of the IDF and was thus nicknamed "Duvdevan," or "cherry" in English, in reference to its elite status even among the other special units of the IDF. The unit is unique in several ways: it is the only IDF unit (not including police units) that has no war time mission, just day-to-day hit and run operations. The unit, unlike other SF units, can operate in more than one place at once, and can operate independently. This means providing its own intelligence, backup, rescue, medical teams, extraction, snipers, demolitions, etc... The unit can perform high-risk arrests, raids, targeted killing, kidnappings and a range of other urban warfare operations.Mission:The unit falls under the command of the Judea and Samaria division (West Bank Division) of the IDF. This means the unit is under an area command, not a manpower or brigade command like most other Israeli Army units. This allows the unit to operate anywhere in the country and nowhere specific, unlike other special units that are attached to brigades, like Egoz to the Golani Brigade, Maglan to the Paratroopers Brigade, or Oketz and Lotar to the Adam army base. Only Duvdevan and Sayeret Matkal are authorized to wear their uniforms without identifying shoulder tabs. The unit is most similar to the Yamam and Yamas-Iosh police units.History:The unit underwent some major changes around 2002. They are as follows:1. The unit's basic training was relocated to the paratrooper's base. It used to be held independently at the Adam base along with Rescue Unit 669 and Oketz. When 2 men died in training the basic training was delegated to the infantry. Basic training is 7 months and is done with the Tzanchanim.2. Special units within Duvdevan were opened but remained classified.3. The unit's base was relocated and newly built. It now stands alone and independently – most IDF units have their base within a larger base.The unit prides itself on being the spearhead of Israeli counter terror operations. In 2002 the unit was awarded as such by the prime minister for having the most significant effect on the war on terror. The Duvdevan unit is regarded as one of the world's most successful counter-terror units. In January 2008, the unit successfully killed a major Islamic Jihad commander in the West Bank.In April 2008, the unit tracked down and killed Hani Ka’abi after surrounding his house in the Balata neighborhood of Nablus. He headed a terrorist cell belonging to the Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades, linked to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah. He was the mastermind of a plot to carry out a terrorist attack by slipping a slow-acting poison powder, virtually undetectable, into the food of diners at the “Grill Express” restaurant in Ramat Gan, where he had recruited two Arab kitchen workers as operatives.[2] Hosni Tzalag, Ka’abi’s deputy, and another terrorist were arrested during the operation. The soldiers recovered two rifles, ammunition magazines, and bulletproof vests at the home.
Yamam - SWAT Unit:
Mission:The Yamam (?an acronym for Special Central Unit) is the elite civilian counter-terrorism unit in Israel. The Yamam is capable of both hostage-rescue operations and offensive take-over raids against targets in civilian areas. Besides military duties, it also performs SWAT duties and undercover police work.History:The Yamam was established in late 1974 after the Ma'alot massacre, where a failed operation by military special forces units resulted in the 21 children being murdered before the hostage takers were killed. Since hostage rescue in friendly territory is different from that in hostile areas, it was decided to establish an elite civilian force, which develops and practices a special CQB (Close Quarters Battles) doctrine for "counter-terrorism" operations in friendly territory and hostage rescue.
The Yamam has carried out many paramilitary operations. Some of the missions known to the public prior to the al-Aqsa Intifada are listed below:* March 1978, a Yamam force engaged the terrorists who took over a bus in an event known as the "Coastal Road Massacre".* In March 1988, the Yamam was called into action after a group of three Palestinians hijacked a bus full of women returning from work at the Negev Nuclear Research Center near Dimona, in an incident known as the "Mothers Bus".
The Yamam struck, killing all three hijackers, but not managing to prevent three Israeli passengers from being killed.* September 8th 1992: Yamam snipers shot and killed Eithan more, who killed 4 women in Mental Health clinic in Jerusalem.* May 3rd, 1994: Yamam snipers shot and killed armed man in Uzi Meshoolam's compound after he shot on a police helicopter.* On 3 March 2000, the Yamam captured an armed group hidden in the Israeli-Arab town of Tayibe with the aid of Sayeret Duvdevan and an IDF Caterpillar D9 bulldozer. In the end of the raid, one man was arrested and four were killed.During the Second Intifada, under the Shin Bet's command, Yamam forces intercepted many terrorists, either by arresting them or killing them. Several high profile terrorists were killed by Yamam operators.
Often, when the wanted Palestinian militants barricaded inside a building, Yamam force put a siege on it while IDF Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozers forced them out by razing the structure.The unit is primarily responsible for civilian hostage rescue within Israel's borders, but from about the mid-1990s it has also been used for tasks such as arresting police suspects who have barricaded themselves in structures and requiring specialized extraction methods, as well as in personal security for VIPs and in counter-terror operations within the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
The Yamam are schooled in basic Arabic and dress to assimilate within the Arab population to avoid detection in order to carry out raids to arrest those suspected of conducting terrorist activities within Israel.However, most of the Yamam's activity is classified, and published Yamam operations are often credited to other units.
Yamas - Mistaravim:
Mission:Mistaravim, lit. Arabized, is the name given to those counter-terrorism units of the Israel Defense Forces in which soldiers are specifically trained to disguise themselves as Arabs in order to kill or capture a wanted terrorist. These are also commonly known as the 'Arab Platoons'. In Tom Clancy's Op-Center: Acts of War, it is stated that Mistaravim do not allow their real identities to become known to people outside their unit, and that even when they are undercover, they go to great lengths to avoid being recorded.
They are also said to be trained in counter-detection of human or mechanical surveillance.Training:Training for this unit is about fifteen months:* Four months basic infantry training in the Mitkan Adam army base - the IDF Special Training Center.* Two and a half months of advanced infantry training in the same base.* Two months unit's basic training, which focus on advanced urban navigation exercises and the beginning of CT training.* Four months Mistaravim course, which covers everything from learning the Arabs' traditions, language and their way of thought to civilian camouflage (hair dying, contact lenses, Arabs' clothing).* One-month courses - sniper, driving and different instructors courses.
669 - Airborne combat search & rescue:
Mission:669, Airborne Rescue And Evacuation Unit 669 is the Israel Defense Forces heliborne medevac extraction unit, subordinate to the Special Air Forces Command of the Israeli Air Force. It is considered one of the IDF's premier elite units.History:Unit 669 was founded in 1974, in the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, when an ad-hoc medevac unit made some 5000 extractions. Its initial mandate was to extract and provide initial medical treatment to downed (and possibly injured) pilots beyond enemy lines.
However, in later years the unit also participated in extraction of soldiers of other arms of the Israeli Defense Forces, especially Sayeret (Special Forces) fighters in operations beyond enemy lines and seamen in distress.Training:Due to the possibility of having to fight their way to casualties beyond enemy lines, unit soldiers are highly trained in special forces tactics and become highly efficient ground soldiers in addition to their high level of paramedic training. Typically, their training and selection lasts 18 months.
Courses that candidates must pass include:* Combat medics' course* Parachuting course in the IDF Parachuting School* Scuba Diving course* Counter-terrorism course in the IDF Counter-Terror Warfare School* Rappelling course* Rescue under harsh conditions* Navigation* Commanders' courseUpon completion of their training, unit soldiers are expected to sign on for an extra 16 months of service following their three-year mandatory service.
Shaldag:
Unit 5101, better known as Shaldag, is primarily tasked with targeting enemy structures and vehicles for assault by Israeli fighting aircraft. Using their high-energy laser designators, they can mark targets for fighter-bomber launched laser-guided bombs or Hellfire missiles from Israeli AH-64 helicopters.Many times this involves long range patrols to the target sites. Because of this Shaldag is also sometimes used for reconnaissance.
They also provide assistance and operate in Counter Terrorism and hostage rescue operations.They are staged out of Palmahaim Air base; the unit comprises 40-50 soldiers, with five to six teams of eight to nine operators. They are regularly outfitted with M-16 or M4A1 assault rifles with the M203 grenade launcher attached. When performing Counter-Terrorist/hostage rescue duties they carry the Sig-Sauer or Glock 9mm series pistols and the Mauser SR 82/66 sniper rifle.
Members of Shaldag are considered elite, and go through a rigorous selection and training phase musch like members of other Israeli units such as Sayeret Matkal and Sayeret Tzanhanim. Their training consists oflong marches, basic and advanced land navigation, and coordination and radio communications with Israeli Air Force and Army pilots. It is reported that these soldiers go through a minimum of 1 year and 8 months of training before they are considered operationally ready.
Members of Shaldag were able to prove their worth in the 1996 Lebannon action by finding and designating mobile rocket launchers for destruction. These launchers had been used in unguided terror attacks along the Lebannon-Israeli border.
Shayetet 13 - Flotilla 13:
Within the IDF (Israeli Defense Force) Navy exists an elite unite of commandos known as the Bat Men. Their official name is Shayetet 13, or Flotilla 13, and they are responsible for the IDF Navy's Special Warfare capabilities. Flotilla 13 can trace it's roots back to the birth of the Israeli nation, and in their service they have managed to carve an international reputation as one of the best, if not most experienced, naval special warfare units in the world.Israel's Naval Commandos under go a rigorous selection phase like most other elite units. In the case of the Naval Commandos, however, the initial selection phase stresses psychological toughness and tests hopefulls in their ability to take and operate under stress and fear.
There is not a big push to weed out those unfit for the unit quickly, the training process is long and hard, with plenty of time for those who don't quite match up to move on to other units. In all, a potential Shayetet 13 operator will have to undergo almost a year and 8 months or training before he can pin on the coveted crest of the unit.After the selection phase, trainee's attend the IDF's Bislach (infantry school) for two-and-a-half months of advanced infantry training.
Following completion of this school, they next are sent to a 3 week HALO HAHO school to learn the foundation of parachute ops. Following this school the trainees are asigned to Atlit Naval Base to complete their training, receiving their underwater and counter-terrorism training at this point.As with other special forces units, the training and selection is arduous, but Shayetet 13's training phase is considered to be the most difficult in the entire IDF.
Oketz Unit:
The Oketz Unit, lit. sting, is the independent canine special forces (sayeret) unit, founded in 1939 as part of the Haganah, within the Israel Defense Forces. The unit specialises in training and handling dogs for military applications. Originally, Oketz trained dogs to attack kidnappers, but training has become more specialized, and now the canine unit. Each dog is now trained to have a particular speciality. Attack dogs are trained to operate in urban areas, as well as in rural, bushy areas (they were used extensively in Lebanon).
Dogs are trained as tracking and chasing dogs, for manhunts and detecting breaches at the borders. Dogs are also trained as weapons and ammunition dogs, to search for guns and munitions, as explosive dogs, to sniff out hidden explosives and as search and rescue dogs, to find people in collapsed buildings.Oketz operators are often assigned to other units in the case of a particular need for their specialist skills, such as in the extraction of terrorists from fortified buildings. Though not affiliated with the IDF Paratroopers Brigade, Unit Oketz operators wear the same distinctive red berets and the unit's graduation ceremony is held at the Paratroopers headquarters.
However, in order to join Oketz, the recruit must choose Kfir Infantry Brigade as first priority in the request form and then pass through trials.Dogs:Oketz prefers Belgian Shepherd Dog (Malinois), over the German Shepherd Dog and Rottweiler, which were employed formerly. The reasons for the choice are twofold: they're the perfect size to be picked up by their handler while still being able to attack an enemy, and their coats are short and general neutral to fair in color, making them less prone to heatstroke.
Egoz Reconnaissance Unit:
The Egoz Reconnaissance Unit is an elite special forces unit of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) that specializes in guerrilla and anti-guerrilla warfare among other things. The Egoz Battalion is part of the Northern Command's Golani Brigade.Before the year 2000, Egoz operated mainly in Israel's Northern Command, combating threats from the Hezbollah.
Following Israel's withdrawal from Southern Lebanon, its operations were moved to the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In 2003 and 2004, Egoz prevented more terrorist acts than any other IDF unit. The unit still does some reconnaissance in southern Lebanon.The Egoz Unit was founded in 1956 as a special forces unit (sayeret), but was disbanded and re-organized in 1964 due to a friendly fire incident. After the Six-Day War, it became a battalion. It was disbanded again following the Yom Kippur War due to manpower shortages in other units, and re-formed in 1995 as an anti-guerrilla unit (company).
Most of the initial fighters came from the Shimshon Unit. Its commander was from the Navy Commandos and as a result, much of the discipline, tactics and professionalism come from the Navy Commandos, and are the foundations upon which the unit was built on.The training of an Egoz unit begins with basic training, advanced exercises, and unit marches, after which each soldier is interviewed by Israeli intelligence to determine if he should be screened out from the second phase of training.
The second phase consists of learning camouflage warfare, various kinds of assaults, land navigation, completing the squad leaders course, jeep driving course, counter-terrorism course, parachute course, reconnaissance course and the alpine course – if there is snow in the Hermon area- among other courses that are highly classified.When operating in Lebanon, the unit uses unmarked cartridges, as well as the Russian-made RPD and PK light machine guns. Soldiers using the M16 standard issue weapon have the Litton Akila night vision system mounted on it.
Sayeret Tzanhanim:
Sayeret Tzanhanin is a commando force roughly analogous to the United States Army's Rangers. They are capable of airborne operations, and have conducted many long range patrols into Lebanon since the Lebanon War.Sayeret Tzanhanin's most public mission was the raid on the Entebbe Airport in Uganda. In that action they assisted Sayeret Mat'kal in the liberation of 103 Israeli and Jewish hostages being held there.
Sayeret Tzanhanin was responsible for preventing the Ugandan Army from posing as a threat to the operation as well as placing beacons that allowed the Israeli C-130s to take off from the pitch dark runways.During Operation Law and Order, Sayeret Tzanhanin neutralized the Shi'ite Hizbollah terrorist presence in the strategically located town of Maidun. During the urban battle that saw RPGs, .50 caliber machine guns, and LAW rockets used at point blank range, over 50 terrorists were killed. Two Sayeret Tzanhanin officers and one NCO were killed, dozens of others were wounded.
During the Gibush, a three day long training and testing period, potential recruits are rigorously monitored as they are taken to the limits of their physical and mental stamina. Only the strongest survive. Out of a hundred candidates, only a few dozen will be allowed to progress beyond the Gibush. One of the final events in their training is the Masa'a Kumta, or Beret March.
During this exercise Tzanhanin candidates endure a 90km forced march (roughly 50 miles) with full gear (this can include anti tank missile launching units) over rough terrain.Sayeret Tzanhanin commandos are trained in the use of numerous weapons. Assault rifles such as the M-16, AK-47, and Galil 5.56mm are familiar to its members; as are the FN-MAG and a IMI modified M-14 sniper rifle. Grenades, mortars, LAW rockets, and RPGs are also part of their arsenal.
Sayeret Maglan:
Also known as Unit 212 or Sayeret Maglan is an Israeli Special Forces unit which specializes in operating behind enemy lines and deep in enemy territory using advanced technologies and weaponry.The unit's name is derived from the Ibis bird (In Hebrew: Maglan).The IDF keeps the unit's designated missions a secret and gives no information about it or the operations in which the Unit takes part. Maglan only became publicly known in 2006. Very little is known about the unit, only that the force performs arrests and assassination of high value persons and that the unit specializes in camouflage and stealth operations behind enemy lines, deep within hostile territory.
Like Sayeret Matkal, although the troops in the unit wear a red beret and brown combat boots and conduct basic training at one of the paratroopers' bases, they are not part of the Paratroopers. Maglan has a 25 months training program, and many of the cadets drop out due to the harsh nature of the program. Similarly to Sayeret Matkal, Maglan answers to the IDF's General Staff and not to one of its regional commands.
Maglan is a relatively new unit. It is rumored that it was deployed on SCUD hunting missions in Iraq during the First Gulf War in 1991.During the Second Lebanon War, the unit took part in many operations and achieved great success. During Operation Beach-Boys, the unit operated along the western coastal strip of Lebanon and destroyed 250 targets, among them 40 rocket launchers.
Sayeret Yahalom:
Yahalom is a special elite combat engineering unit of the Israeli Engineering Corps of the Israel Defense Forces. The name "Yahalom" (Diamond in Hebrew) is an abbreviation of "Special Operations Engineering Unit".Combat Engineering Unit for Special Operations - YahalomSayeret Yahalom specializes in special engineering missions which include:* Commando and Counter-Terrorism missions.*
Accurate demolitions and planting of pinpoint explosives.* Defusing bombs, landmines and unexploded ordnance (Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD)).* Maritime sabotage and obstacles breaching.* Searching and destroying smuggling tunnels.* Developing advanced methods and tools for demolitions and EOD.* Teaching and training engineering corps soldiers and other Special Units in demolitions and EOD.Sayeret Yahalom is a classified unit and almost none of its special activities are exposed to the public.
When its activities are published, they are usually just credited to a "combat engineering force"; a term which can just as well be used to describe regular Engineering sappers, IDF Caterpillar D9 operators and infantry engineering companies.Jane's Defence Weekly has claimed that Sayeret Yahalom are working closely with Sayeret Matkal and Shayetet 13, by providing them with demolition, explosive and sabotage skills.
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These are the most elite IDF sayeret units. As such they perform the most important missions of the IDF, usually of a strategic nature. Its soldiers undergo longer training regimes than other sayeret units and are also proficient in long range solo navigation (as opposed to other units where long range navigation is done with a minimum of 2 fighters).*
Sayeret Matkal - the IDF principal special operations/commando unit, used mainly to obtain strategic intelligence behind enemy lines, counter-terrorism, and to perform hostage-rescue missions outside of Israel's borders.* Shayetet 13 - the naval commando unit.
Also in charge of maritime hostage-rescue missions. Part of the Israeli Navy, its selection and training is considered the most arduous of the entire IDF, due to its maritime role.* Shaldag Unit - the Israeli Air Force commando unit, it specializes in forward air control and target designation for the Air Force.
Εμπορικά πλοία, ιδιοκτησίας του πλουσιότερου ανθρώπου στο Ισραήλ, χρησιμοποιήθηκαν για τη μεταφορά Ισραηλινών κομάντος για επιχειρήσεις στο εσωτερικό του Ιράν. Ο θάνατος του Σάμι Οφέρ, του πλουσιότερου Ισραηλινού, στις αρχές του μήνα σε ηλικία 89 ετών, έδωσε τέλος στις κατηγορίες που εξαπέλυσε εναντίον του η αμερικανική κυβέρνηση για παραβίαση των εμπορικών κυρώσεων κατά της Τεχεράνης με την πώληση πετρελαιοφόρου πλοίου στο Ιράν.
Στελέχη του υπουργείου Αμυνας στο Τελ Αβίβ αποκάλυψαν, όμως, στην εφημερίδα Haaretz, ότι τα εμπορικά πλοία του Οφέρ μετέφεραν στην πραγματικότητα ελικόπτερα Blackhawk, κρυμμένα σε ειδικά διαμορφωμένα εμπορευματοκιβώτια, που χρησιμοποιήθηκαν από τους κομάντος σε αναγνωριστικές επιχειρήσεις στις ιρανικές μυστικές πυρηνικές εγκαταστάσεις. Η χρήση τέτοιων μέσων προσέφερε στους Ισραηλινούς επιχειρησιακή βάση, με ικανότητες ανάλογες εκείνων αποβατικού σκάφους. Τουλάχιστον 13 πλοία από τον στόλο του Οφέρ έχουν δέσει σε ιρανικά λιμάνια την τελευταία δεκαετία και συγκεκριμένα στο λιμάνι του Μπαντάρ Αμπάς στην έξοδο του Περσικού Κόλπου και στον πετρελαϊκό τερματικό σταθμό της νήσου Χαργκ στον μυχό του Περσικού.
Σύμφωνα με καλά πληροφορημένες πηγές, οι πράκτορες της Μοσάντ, που δολοφόνησαν πέρυσι το ανώτατο στέλεχος της Χαμάς Μαχμούντ Μαμπχού, σε ξενοδοχείο του Ντουμπάι, είχαν διεισδύσει στο κρατίδιο μέσα σε πλοίο του Οφέρ. Παρά τους ισχυρισμούς μερίδας του ισραηλινού Τύπου, ότι τα ταξίδια των πλοίων του Οφέρ είχαν εξασφαλίσει έγκριση από την ισραηλινή κυβέρνηση, ο πρωθυπουργός Μπέντζαμιν Νετανιάχου αρνήθηκε κάθε τέτοιο ενδεχόμενο.
Οι ειδικές δυνάμεις του Ισραήλ έχουν χρησιμοποιήσει και κατά το παρελθόν εμπορικά πλοία στις επιχειρήσεις τους. Τον Απρίλιο του 1988, ομάδα των ειδικών δυνάμεων απέπλευσε από τη Χάιφα, με πλοίο, στο αμπάρι του οποίου υπήρχαν κρυμμένα ελικόπτερα. Ανοιχτά της Τυνησίας, ειδικά εγκατεστημένες υδραυλικές θύρες επέτρεψαν στα ελικόπτερα να απογειωθούν από το πλοίο μεταφέροντας τους κομάντος, υπό τη διοίκηση του σημερινού αντιπροέδρου της κυβέρνησης, Μοσέ Γιαλόν. Πράκτορες της Μοσάντ, που περίμεναν στην ακτή, τους οδήγησαν σε παραλιακή έπαυλη. Εκεί, οι κομάντος πυροβόλησαν και σκότωσαν τον Χαλίλ Ουαζίρ, υπαρχηγό του Αραφάτ. Λίγα λεπτά αργότερα, οι κομάντος ταξίδευαν πίσω στη Χάιφα.
