The Israelis activate a new flock of special forces

(To Tiziano Ciocchetti)
14/07/20

On July 12, the IAF (Israeli Air Force) activated a new flock of special forces. The 7th flock will incorporate the special units of the Air Force, in order to improve their operational and response capabilities against terrorist threats.

The IAF already had a single command, the Special Air Forces Command (KAHAM), on which Unit 669, Unit 5707 and Sayeret Shaldag depended.

Unit 669 is intended for missions Personnel recovery and evacuation injured, both in contexts combat than in support of civil authorities.

Unit 5707, or T'zasam, is in charge of light up targets and to provide terminal guidance of the Israeli Air Force precision ammunition, through the use of laser designators and other optical devices.

The department has a 20-month training process, focused on reconnaissance and air-ground coordination. Despite careful training it is not a unit of raiders and is not intended to directly engage the enemy. It could be approached to our RRAO, before the elevation to special forces department in 2017.

The Sayeret Shaldag (Unit 5101) is in charge of carrying out strategic missions, to be carried out throughout the Middle East (unit similar to the 17th flock of the Italian Air Force), with secondary capabilities to carry out anti-terrorism and liberation operations hostages. The department is taking on an increasingly prominent role in the Israeli military scene, joining the Sayeret Matkal for prestige and potential.

Initially as a unit in charge of the laser terminal guide for precision air-surface ammunition, the Sayeret Shaldag soon took on a wider role, becoming a special force strict sensu, with strong ties to Sayeret Matkal, with whom he shares the training process (Gibush), in fact the officers are often transferred, during their career, between the two departments.

In recent years, a sort of reorganization has taken place tending to assign Sayeret Matkal mainly information gathering missions, assigning airborne assault operations to the Shaldag.

The training lasts 22 months, two more than the other Israeli special departments, as, unlike these, it includes a period of coaching between the new detachments and those more experienced and close to leave.

For the rest, the training process follows that of Sayeret Matkal, with particular attention paid to endurance marches and land navigation, with the addition of courses on air-ground cooperation, target designation and laser terminal guidance.

The training begins with the usual four months of basic training, followed by two and a half months of advanced infantry training, two weeks of parachuting course, three of basic training in counter-terrorism techniques, a few months of land navigation, mainly night and on varied terrain, a month of diving course at the base of the Navy of Haifa, collaboration exercises with the Air Force, target designation, two months of intelligence course and collection and analysis of information, marksman course chosen for the selective shooting of precision.

We remind readers that while in most countries it is necessary to be already military in service in order to access special forces, in Israel the feeding of unconventional units sometimes takes place even before the call to arms.

The new flock will allow greater integration between the departments, implementing their operational capabilities and allowing better standardization of equipment.

Photo: IDF