The Israeli CT units are divided into three kinds of units: Takeover units, Engagement units and Assisting units

Richard Melson

August 2004

Israel Nuclear Doctrine and Special Forces: The Face of Israel’s Anti-Palestian State-Sponsored Terror

One sometimes hear the name of an Israeli special forces unit operating on the West Bank or in Gaza and one wonders who’s who. Radio and TV shows have "let slip" such names as "Egoz" ("Sayeret Egoz,") and "Sayeret Matkal," "the Golanyi Brigade," etc.

See the mention of nuclear doctrine towards the end:

Counter Terror (CT) Guide

Overview

Table Of Contents

General Organization
Inner Team Organization
Deployment
Weapons
Training
Alert

The Israeli CT units are divided into three kinds of units: Takeover units, Engagement units and Assisting units.

Takeover Units

Takeover units are the units who have CT capability as a primary specialty. They are the units who spent most of their time training on this particular expertise. They are also the units, which in most cases will perform the actual rescue attempt.

Unit YAMAM - In charge on domestic (within Israel) CT missions
S'13 - In charge on foreign (outside Israel borders) maritime CT missions.
LOTAR Eilat - In charge on domestic (within Israel) CT missions in the Eilat city area.

In several specific AO such as the Israeli harbors, airports and borders, all four units have the authority and jurisdiction to act, depending on the decision being made by the Ministry of Defense with the IDF Chief of General Staff.

Engagement Units

Engagement units are the units who has CT capability as a secondary specialty. Their role is to close and secure the raid zone, gather intelligence and wait for the designated Takeover unit to arrive. Engagement units are only allowed to perform a rescue attempt if the terrorists are starting to kill the hostages, other then that, they must wait for the designated Takeover unit to arrive.

Each Engagement belongs to an IDF Command, based on their geographic whereabouts The Commands are (as previously mentioned): North Command, Center Command and South Command.

North Command:

Sayeret Golany

Center Command:

Sayeret T'zanhanim.
Sayeret NAHAL.
Sayeret Duvdevan.

South Command:

Sayeret Givaty.

Because of their different roles and assignments Engagement units are also known as the "Outer Circle" units, while the Takeover units are known as the "Inner Circle" units.

Although not officially stated in the T'ZAVACH plan, the civilian SF units have a very advanced CT capability. In a regular textbook CT scenario the IDF own engagements units will respond, but in a rare circumstances such as wartime or when multiple terror acts happen simultaneously those units will act as standard engagement units and will respond to the call.

Assisting Units

Assisting units are the units that help the Engagement and Takeover units in their CT missions.

Attack Palga - this company is part of Unit Oket'z (Unit 7142), the IDF SF canine warfare unit. Attack Palga deploy specially trained assault dogs against terrorist and kidnappers.
One team in Unit 869 - the IDF long range observations and intelligence gathering unit - is permanently attached to Sayeret MATKAL and will assist it as well as other units in surveillance and intelligence gathering in the terrorists' held zone, before and during the rescue raid.
The TIBAM (computer planning) team. This team is made out of computer specialties that help CT units with making a model of the target.
Unit YACHSAP - in charge on Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD)

missions.
Unit 5114 (Psagot Battalion) - one of the IDF Electronic Warfare units. This unit is in charge on radio surveillance in the terrorists held zone and if needed to block the terrorists' outgoing and incoming radio transmission.

Although not considered formally as Engagement, Takeover or Assisting units, most IDF SF units, like Sayeret Shaldag, Sayeret Maglan and Sayeret Egoz, pass a CT course or do within themselves extensive CT training. This is being done for two reasons: it increases the soldiers' moral and more importantly, it improves the weapons skills dramatically especially in CQB combat.

Inner Team Organization

Each IDF assault team is divided into three main elements:

Main Entry Section.
Rappelling and Climbing Section (Terror Monkeys) - in charge on breaking in using the roofs, chimneys and windows.
Snipers Section - consists snipers (known as "Snipers 1") and spotters (known as "Snipers 2") - one for each sniper.

Part from the assault team from a designated Takeover unit or Engagement units, a dog and handler from Unit Oket'z Attack Palga and operators from Unit YACHSAP are also an integral part of the CT team.

Deployment

In a domestic CT scenario, the unit in which zone and command the scenario happened, will respond.

In a foreign CT scenario, the best-fitted units will be selected regardless of their home commands.

For example, in the Thunderbolt Operation - the Entebbe airborne hostage rescue raid in 1976 - Sayeret MATKAL was the designated Takeover unit with Sayeret Golany (belongs To the North Command) and Sayeret T'zanhanim (belongs to the Center Command) as the designated Engagement units. The two Engagement units worked in the Outer Circle, preventing from Ugandan soldiers to get close to the airport terminal in which the rescue attempt (Inner Circle) was being held by Sayeret MATKAL.

Alert

During Peace-Time

Takeover units must have at least two teams on alert at all times.
Engagement units must have at least one team on alert at all times.
Assisting units must have at least one team on alert at all times.

When a CT team is on alert, all members are fully dressed with combat gear and are able to deploy in under 15 minutes.

Each CT team on alert has specially modified GMC Vandora trucks known as LOTAR Vehicles. Each such vehicle carries weapons, equipment and seven warriors. The trucks are being used when helicopter insertion is impossible.

During Wartime

In wartime, the teams on alert are much fewer, because most Takeover and Engagement units will be deep in enemy territories, performing complicated SF operations rather than stay in Israel on CT alert status. Few teams will still be on a domestic CT alert, in order to avoid domestic terrorism acts, as well as to prevent sabotage in key military or industry installations.

The teams in wartime alert will not be used in the actual war and are really the Israeli state last line of defense. If enemy forces will break into Israel and these teams' limited strength won't be enough to stop the invasion, the next solution is a nuclear one.

AIR FORCE SPECIAL UNITS

Unit 5101, Unit 669 and Unit 5707 are considered Air Force level units and are joined together under the Special Air Forces Command (KAHAM). Unit Egrophan and unit YANMAM, however, are considered as AA corps level units, and are therefore not under KAHAM.

Both Unit 669 and Unit 5101 are considered to be elite units. Unit 5101 is even considered to be the three best units in the IDF together with Sayeret MATKAL and Shayetet 13.

Note that while the others branches of the IDF gave their SF units non-meaningful names such as "Sayeret Xyz", the IAF, doing things differently as usual, gave its four top units names that reflects the units' purpose.

Unit 5101 - is known as the Ground Air Designating Team ("T'zevet Simun Karka Avir - T'ZSKA", in Hebrew).
Unit 669 - is known as the Airborne Rescue And Evacuation Unit ("Yechidat Hilu'z Vehat'zala Behethes", in Hebrew).
Unit 5707 - is known as the Special Reconnaissance Team ("T'zevet Siuour Meuhad - T'ZASAM", in Hebrew).
Unit 7298 - is known as the Airborne Anti-Aircrafts Unit ("Yechidat Neged Metosim Mut'znahat - YANMAM", in Hebrew).

Special Missions Units

Overview