Professional Documents
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Eng Newsletter - June 2011
Eng Newsletter - June 2011
Eng Newsletter - June 2011
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A review of attempts to run the Naval Blockade on the Gaza Strip with military hardware - The IDF, and its Navy in particular, constantly invest efforts in intercepting these attempts, in coordination with other nations and armies. We are listing here a reminder of past interceptions thanks to preparedness, high awareness, precise intelligence and up-to-scratch combat readiness of the Navy, the IDF and other security establishments. READ MORE How to send goods to the Gaza Strip - The IDF regularly transfers approximately 6,000 tons of goods into the Gaza Strip a day. Also, a guide to sending goods. READ MORE CoGAT transfers 16,599 tons of goods to Gaza Strip - The IDF continues to facilitate the daily transfer of thousands of supplies to the Gaza Strip including gas, building materials and more. READ MORE Major General Barbivai appointed Head of the Human Resources Directorate - Major General Orna Barbivai was raised to her new rank and she is the first woman to hold this position. READ MORE Major General Eisenberg is appointed Head of Home Command - During the ceremony the Chief of Staff noted: during these explosive and sensitive times, the role of Home Command is made all the more complex. READ MORE All that you want to know about the newest group of IAF pilots. READ MORE he new IDF career soldiers profile has been approved T The Professional Way - The changes will assure excellence in command, alongside excellence in service conditions, thus guaranteeing the best commanders for the IDF of the 21st Century. READ MORE Over 10,000 participate in the Ground Force running race - Taking place for the 4th time, this race is considered to be the second in size throughout Israel, and one of the largest military races worldwide. READ MORE
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June 2011
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June 2011
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June 2011
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June 2011
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June 2011
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June 2011
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Brig. Gen. Shuki Ben Anat, Chief Reserve Forces Officer, began his position in a difficult period. That is two years before the Second Lebanon War took place, a war in which reserve forces became stars and not because of operations. Headlines shouted repeatedly about lack pf professionalism, the grave lack of food and equipment, pictures showed furious combat soldiers who didn't receive what they deserved and moreover were made to put on a uniform yet still wait endlessly feeling their drafting and presence completely unnecessary. In January of 2008, newspaper headlines gave a written attack when findings of the Winograd Committee were published. Above all, one thing was clear, a massive change had to happen for reserves. With this knowledge, Brig. Gen. Ben Anat took office, and five years after the war he is representing a different system of reserve forces. According to Brig. Gen. Ben Anat, the main problem with the system for reserve forces was not necessarily the lack of logistical equipment but more the preparedness with which combat soldiers entered war. "The reserve forces system operated before the Second Lebanon War mostly by dealing with margins and not the heart of operational activities," he explains and thus paints a picture of the situation at the time. "The training was different and the activity people did routinely was different, much more guarding communities, check points, guarding jails where high security prisoners were and many days of reserve duty. Operation was modeled differently, more on past wars. Training was modeled after conflict with the Egyptian army but we made peace with them several years ago," explains Brig. Gen. Ben Anat cynically and adds that it's "hard to go from training by a certain model of exercises and suddenly you find yourself in a nature reserve in Lebanon. The surprise is three-fold and therefore preparedness for the system was not good enough." Along with the problem of preparedness, an aspect which one could not and to this day occupies the radio waves of the IDF is the fact that the reserve forces were very short in supply. "You cannot use reserve forces in huge masses for two reasons. You cannot take a reserve force and disconnect him from his routine, civilian life. 15 years ago, a combat soldier doing reserve duty would come for 60 days of reserve duty a year but it was taken for granted because most people did it. Today it's less to be taken for granted because life has changed and not everyone volunteers for reserve duty. The work force couldn't handle it. That's why the resource is short lived, its use, until the Second Lebanon War, was problematic," says the Chief Reserve Forces Officer.
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June 2011
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The Chief Reserve Forces Officer says that, "The two things that changed drastically after the Second Lebanon War were the issue of training and the issue of equipment." According to him, "You could say that the most obvious change in training is the change in their relevance. That is, each unit trains specifically for its purpose and in addition to the training, in terms of number of days, are shorter. They are more intensive, more relevant to tasks, more night training, longer training in terms of the missions at hand, and much more physical strain. The reserve force trains for a day or two in a training exercise in a massive exercise and the ultimate result is better. They act exactly as they would during war, living in under the same conditions with all their ammunition on their back and with their supplies just like during war and thus the effort is bigger and training more effective." In terms of equipment, too, a clear improvement has been made and Brig. Gen. Ben Anat says that, the "Army understood that the equipment must be newer and more up-to-date. So a five-year plan was made, we are in the fifth year, saying that a reserve forces today will be equipped like a regular duty soldier. We are in the process of upgrading the personal and unit weaponry and equipment. The IDF understood it and today the upgrades are much more at the top of the list." Brig. Gen. Ben Anat says that the big lack in logistical equipment on bases during the Second Lebanon War came from an excess of manpower. "Most people who didn't have equipment were those beyond capacity," he says, "In the Second Lebanon War, a long list of people were drafted beyond capacity and the unit can't hold 120% amount of equipment, ultimately it is money that is missing from somewhere else. In Operation Case Lead units drafted reserves and agreed on a certain amount of excess, above which they sent people home. Among other things, it is to avoid a situation in which people are sitting around with nothing to do, as happened in the Second Lebanon War." Beyond all the changes in the buildup of the army and its organization, the Law of Reserves was put into effect including the rights and duties of those serving in reserves. When it was put into effect it ruled certain payment plans in addition to lowering the age one may stop serving in the reserves from 54 to 40. it also mentioned number of days the army may demand of a reserve. "The law raised the motivation for whoever was already motivated," says Brig. Gen. Ben Anat of his opinion. "The law is not what creates the motivation from the beginning, but it certainly helps. On the other hand, this law is still missing some moves which will cause, ultimately, higher motivation levels over time. For example, more reward and more support in other life cycles in the country, which aren't necessarily to do with money. The Law of Reserves started to create change." The main problem according to the Chief Reserve Forces Officer is not necessarily the financial reward of the reserve soldiers but the social reward which they do not receive. According to him, the Law of Reserves succeeded in bringing younger reserves, as many as 50% of the system is around the thirties and younger. "The idea was received of the 'battalion feeds a brigade', that is when a specific battalion in regular service knows how many reserve brigades it has, that's how a situation is created in which people go from regular service to reserve in an organic way. It's what makes the drop smaller and makes the force younger," he says. Younger reserves means higher operational preparedness and the fact that they come from the organic framework causes unity and cohesiveness to the new battalion. "You have to trust the combat soldier with you, you are following him," explains Brig. Gen. Ben Anat. It is very clear that the reserve forces system has improved tenfold, but improvements have not been completed. "There will never be an 'easier fight for reserves' Hezbollah won't make it easier for them because they know it trains less and deals with kids. The combat soldiers understand these figures and it doesn't matter if its a reserve battalion or a regular service one, the preparedness must be on the same level," he concludes.
June 2011
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A review of attempts to run the Naval Blockade on the Gaza Strip with military hardware
We are listing here a reminder of past interceptions thanks to preparedness, high awareness, precise intelligence and up-to-scratch combat readiness of the Navy, the IDF and other security establishments. Victoria, March 2011 March 15th 2011 saw the raid of the Israel Navys Navy Seals alongside the Coastguard, on the vessel Victoria. Large stocks of military arsenal were found on board, including the strategic C-704 missile as well as numerous Rocket Propelled Grenades of 60mm and 120mm. The ship was rapidly overcome without any resistance shown by the crew, following which it was led into Ashdod Port for further inspection and offloading. The Vessel was on its way from the Turkish port of Mersin to Alexandria Port in Egypt. Prior to docking at Mersin, the vessel had visited the ports of Latakia in Syria and Beirut in Lebanon. 3 containers packed with military arsenal were discovered, among them 2 Chinese made C-704 missiles, presently used by the Iranians, alongside instruction manuals in Farsi. These missiles are ground to sea, capable of reaching Ashdod Port. Hamas does not deploy these as yet, and the mere fact of them obtaining these missiles would dangerously alter the balance of military power. These missiles are also known as Nasser with an effective range of 35KM. The missile carries a warhead of 130KG explosives and is guided by radar.
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June 2011
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Francop, November 2009 The Iranian vessel Francop carrying the flag of Antigua was en route from Iran to Syria, loaded with 40 containers packed with arms, weighing a total of about 300 Tons. The Arsenal included sniper rifles, ammunition, grenades, Katyusha type rockets (122mm), all intended for the Hezbollah organization. It is assumed that had this shipload reached its destination, it would have sufficed for one months warfare against Israel.
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June 2011
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Overland Arms Smuggling Events Since the introduction of the Maritime and Naval blockade on Gaza, much of the smuggling effort into the Gaza strip has moved to underground tunnels dug under the Philadelphi corridor that separates the Gaza Strip from Egypt. The contraband that passes through these tunnels includes human beings, drugs, rockets, weapons, and other military hardware. During the past years this effort has increased several times over, helping improve the range and effectiveness of weapons launched against Israel from within the Gaza Strip. The tunnels provide a living for a large number of Egyptians, and the latter have little interest in shutting down this business. Following on Operation Cast Lead (Dec08/Jan09), smuggling has intensified once Hamas and Islamic Jihad have set it as their target to obtain quality weapons that will inflict greater damage and improve their standing versus Israel in a future conflict. In their rearming efforts, Hamas and Islamic Jihad have enthusiastic support from Iran, who in its campaign to increase its influence on the Palestinian movements as well as Palestinian Terror Organizations, expresses this support by supplying hardware generously. Since 2010, this means of smuggling has enabled the introduction of hundreds of internationally recognized and known rockets, about 1,000 mortar shells, tens of thousands of anti tank missiles, tons of explosives as well as the means to manufacture such. The smuggling industry brings about a meeting of interests between Iran who supplies, in its aim to expand its influence among Palestinians, and Hamas who in their staunch resistance to Israel, seeks an advantage by arming itself with quality arsenal.
June 2011
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June 2011
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June 2011
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June 2011
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June 2011
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All that you want to know about the newest group of IAF pilots
The latest group of IAF cadets have finished their flight training course and the graduation ceremony during which they will receive their wings will be held on Thursday (June 30) in the presence of President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz and IAF Commander Maj. Gen. Ido Nehushtan. This group of new IAF flight course graduates has a significantly higher percentage of soldiers who served in other units of the IDF before starting the flight course (16 percent compared to 5 percent in the previous cycle). 53 percent of the flight course graduates are from cities. The city that produced the most graduates is Haifa with eight. Maccabim-Re'ut came in second with five. Nine percent of the graduates come from moshavim and two percent from kibbutzim. 51 percent were born in the center of the country, 37 percent in the north, 12 percent in the south and 14 percent were born overseas. None of the new graduates is an only child. 46 percent are a middle child, 30 percent are the youngest child and 24 percent are the eldest child. Two of the graduates are cousins with each other. One of the graduates is married.
June 2011
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June 2011
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