Forward progress: 70 years of the Israel Defense Forces IDF’S 70TH ANNIVERSARY
O
n 18th April 2018, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) celebrated its 70th anniversary – a period of time in which it has been involved in multiple campaigns and wars to secure the State of Israel and its borders. However, the IDF also celebrates 12 years of stability along its northern border following the Second Lebanon War of 2006 with senior commanders describing how lessons learned arising from this particular conflict continue to shape the IDF’s ability to counter emerging challenges to the peace today. This includes the introduction of capabilities to deter the tactical, operational and strategic movements of Hizbollah force elements across the Lebanese border, as well as other state and non-state adversaries threatening Israel’s borders elsewhere. Examples include concepts of operation, tactics, techniques and procedures to counter the proliferation of urban and subterranean warfare as well as rocket and ballistic missile threats across the region. Acknowledging how the IDF has suffered only four operational fatalities since the Second Lebanon War, senior service officials today describe a relatively peaceful operating picture providing commanders with the opportunity to consider the current state of the IDF and how best to increase its operational
effectiveness in a future set to be dominated by a series of rapidly evolving threats. However, the contemporary operating environment remains a busy one, according to senior IDF sources. Emphasis includes the focus on countering a resurgent Hizbollah to the North, which continues to build up rocket and weapons caches across Beirut and South Lebanon, many of which retain the capability to strike between 80 and 90 per cent of Israel. Sources explained how Hizbollah continues to rely increasingly on urban areas to disguise its own movements amongst the civilian population while also presenting “significant challenges” for the combat forces of the IDF seeking to minimise any collateral damage. Meanwhile, a similar situation is being witnessed in Gaza where Hamas has focused “industrial efforts” in the construction of “hundreds of kilometres” of subterranean tunnel networks used for ingress and egress into and out of Israel. Finally, IDF officials also warn of the “strategic effects” of Iranian force elements in the region, including the Quds Force which continues efforts to create a land bridge from its western border through to Lebanon. Increasing levels of Iranian interference in Israel were witnessed on 10th February 2018 when an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was reported to have Created in partnership with
Soldiers from the co-ed Caracal Battalion complete their rigorous eight months of training to receive their beret.
1