by Lilach Shoval
Military offers rare glimpse into Air Force's Shaldag commando unit, marking 40 years of clandestine operations deep behind enemy lines • Unit's hallmark is creative solutions, developing new tactics, and task force adaptability under complex conditions.
Photo credit: IDF Spokesperson's Office
For the first time since its inception 40
years ago, the IDF last week allowed a rare glimpse at the Israeli Air
Force's Shaldag commando unit, also known as the Special Air-Ground
Designating Team. Shaldag is one of the most classified units in the
army, tasked primarily with clandestine missions behind enemy lines
within the framework of what Israel calls the "war between wars."
The unit's responsibilities today primarily
include reconnaissance for IAF missions, establishing assault zones or
airfields, carrying out offensive ground operations, and taking part in
joint ground-air operations.
In addition, the unit functions as a testing
and development outfit for the air force's newest and most sophisticated
weapons systems.
Shaldag was established in 1976 as part of the
lessons learned from the 1973 Yom Kippur War, as the air force came to
realize the need for its own ground unit to maintain operational
independence and flexibility. The unit was initially purposed with
providing a solution to the enemies' array of surface-to-air missiles,
posing a threat to Israeli aircraft.
During the Lebanon War in 1982, the unit
displayed its laser-designation capabilities, marking high-quality
targets and directing pinpoint airstrikes from the ground undetected. In
the early 1990s, the unit began operations to counter the
surface-to-surface missile threat, becoming experts at hunting these
missiles. A senior Shaldag officer, meanwhile, told reporters that
during the 1990 Gulf War the unit did not conduct operations inside
Iraq.
Search and rescue, deep inside Lebanon
During Operation Grapes of Wrath in 1996, the
unit carried out over 30 operations on Lebanese soil, involving over 200
unit operators. For its contributions to that operation, the unit
received the Chief of Staff Citation.
A decade later, during the Second Lebanon War,
the unit conducted dozens of intelligence gathering missions, hunted
Hezbollah missile-launching crews, carried out assaults and performed
demolition operations. The most-publicized of its activities during the
Second Lebanon War was Operation Sharp and Smooth, which was carried out
in conjunction with Sayeret Matkal, the IDF's elite reconnaissance
unit. During the operation, the commando units raided a hospital in the
city of Baalbek deep inside Lebanon, which was being used as a Hezbollah
headquarters. Shaldag soldiers partook in the search and rescue efforts
to recover the body of Sgt. Maj. (res.) Keren Tendler, the IAF's first
female airborne mechanic.
In the early stages of the Second Intifada in
2000, Shaldag carried out numerous operations in Judea and Samaria and
the Gaza Strip. The unit was tasked with carrying out the first targeted
assassinations.
In 2014, during Operation Protective Edge in
Gaza, the unit conducted assault operations and took part in the efforts
to destroy Hamas' grid of underground terror tunnels.
The unit's claim to fame, meanwhile, are the special operations it carries out in times of calm, across all operational sectors.
According to a Shaldag insider, the unit's
missions, in most cases, require unique and creative solutions, the
development of a wide range of reconnaissance tools and task force
adaptability. For every such mission, which often call for months of
preparation, soldiers are selected according to their specific skill
set. In one of these missions, carried out in the late 1980s deep inside
Lebanon, a light airplane was gutted to fit a small force of six to
eight unit operators. The force arrived at its objective, gathered
intelligence and marked its targets with lasers to guide the ensuing
precision airstrike.
In the mid-1990s, Shaldag carried out an
operation against one of Hezbollah's most fortified installations in
Lebanon. Entrance to the highly-guarded facility, however, meant coming
into contact with the local civilian population and members of
Hezbollah. Several days ahead of the planned operation, an advance
reconnaissance team had taken up positions around the facility to
provide surveillance. Once the go-ahead signal was given, the assault
force arrived at the site, infiltrated the facility, booby-trapped
access roads and exfiltrated undetected. As the operation continued to
unfold, IAF assault helicopters were thrown into action and other
classified measures were implemented.
To qualify for the chance to join the unit, prospective
candidates must undergo a battery of aptitude tests prior to enlisting
in the military. Once graduating from the initial vetting process,
potential candidates must weather grueling training spanning nearly two
years, which has a 25% drop-out rate.
Lilach Shoval
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=36957
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