Eng Newsletter - October 2010

8/8/2019 Eng Newsletter - October 2010

1/16

31 year old vehicle designer, Amir Zaid, tells of his 5 years, designingFiats and Ferraris in Italy, and his subsequent return to Israel. Hetalks to us on Italian design, the Israeli defense establishment, thetotally different type of vehicle he now designs, and the importance ofesthetics even on the battle eld!READ MORE

Operations Room

Pictures of the Month

Personal Meeting

Challenges of the Moment

On the Agenda

IDF Events

The Olive Picking season now taking place in much of the BinyaminRegional Command of Judea and Samaria, has a tradition of beingthe cause for much friction between Palestinians and Israelis. Everyeffort is being invested to pass this Season quietly. Our IDF websitecorrespondent accompanies a Reserve unit on patrol and hears thecommand of the daybeing No tolerance for harmful damage toproperty. READ MORE

In an accurate operation aimed at punishing killers of Israelis, the IDFdowned the two Hamas terrorists involved in the August 31st deadlyshooting attack of Israelis at the Benni Naim junction. The successfuloperation took place last night (Oct. 8) in Hebron. The dead terroristsincluded a senior Hamas operative. READ MORE

Ahmad Al Ashkar, a senior-ranking member of the Palestinian Eagles

organization suspected of being in the advanced planning of anupcoming terror attack against Israel, was eliminated by accurate IDFre when his vehicle was hit from the air.READ MORE

The IAF identi ed and hit a squad of terror operatives in the NorthernGaza Strip during preparations to launch missiles into Israel.READ MORE

The IDF is committed to aid and assistance wherever necessary onthe Globe.

The IDF Medical Corps enjoys an edge in professionalism, knowhowand expertise. The Search and Rescue Unit of the Home Front servediligently to save lives in countries that nd themselves in humanitariancrises and natural disasters. During the year of 2010 the IDF rescueunits assisted the people of Haiti after the massive earth quake thatstroked the island. In advance the IDF rescue units assisted the peopleof Gujarat in India, and in 2004, the IDF sent rescue forces to assist thepeople of Sri-Lanka after the tsunami hit. Attached is a special reviewon the subject. READ MORE

The Ministry of Defense Executive Director signed the of cial purchaseagreement on Thursday (Oct.7th) in New York, whereby the USA willprovide Israel with its rst F35 Fighter squadron, totaling some $2.75BillionThe deal was approved by Defense Minister Ehud Barak last August.READ MORE

Minister of Defense Ehud Barak has approved IDF Chief of StaffAshkenazis recommendation to appoint Maj.Gen.(res.) Yair Naveh asDeputy Chief of Staff. Naveh will thus return to the service and thusreplace Maj.Gen. Benny Ganz who is due to be discharged.READ MORE

As of last week, the UAV unit Sky Rider has gained its independencefrom its former artillery motherunit. Its goal is to strengthen IDF

intelligence gathering capabilities. READ MORE

The IDF held it largest ever commander sporting championships over7600 men and women of cers took part in the championships whichtook place Tuesday (Oct.6th)Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Ashkenazi scored four victories.READ MORE

October 2010

IDF Spokesperson's Unit Public Affairs Branch

SUBSCRIBE to our mailing list Contact Us

Check us out at:
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.flickr.com/IDFonlinemailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.facebook.com/pages/IDF-Monthly/158226570857750http://www.twitter.com/IDFspokespersonhttp://www.youtube.com/IDFnadeskhttp://www.idfspokesperson.com/http://www.idf.il/


2/16

October 2010

Terrorists Involved in Shooting Attack Killed

The objective of the operation was to arrest those involved in the terror attack on August 31st. Photo:IDF Spokesperson

The two Hamas terrorists involved in the August 31st shooting attack were killed last night (Oct. 8)during a military operation in Hebron

Overnight, a joint IDF-ISA-Border Police arrest operation took place in Hebron. The objective of theoperation was to arrest those involved in the terror attack on August 31st, 2010 in which four Israeliswere killed: Yizhak and Talia Aimes, Avishai Shindler, and Kochba Even-Chaim.

During the operation, the wanted terror suspects opened re at the IDF force, which then returned re

and identi ed hitting one of the suspects.

Another suspect hid in a building which the force surrounded, calling on him to surrender. The suspectrefused to do so and opened re at the forces. During the exchange of re, forces employed engineeringtools in order to cause him to exit the building. The terrorist was ultimately killed.

In addition, six other terror suspects were arrested and transferred to the custody of security forces anda number of AK-47 assault ri es were discovered.

Four Israeli civilians were murdered August 31st, 2010 while driving in their vehicle in a terrorist drive-by shooting attack on Route 60 near Qiryat Arba, east of Hebron. Two men and two women, one ofwhom was pregnant, from the nearby community of Bet Hagay, were the victims of this deadly attack.

Their names were Yizhak and Talia Aimes, Avishai Shindler and Kochba Even-Chaim.

Four Israeli civilians were murdered in a terrorist drive-by shooting attack August 31st, 2010 whiledriving in their vehicle on Route 60 near Qiryat Arba, east of Hebron. Two men and two women, one ofwhom was pregnant, from the nearby community of Bet Hagay were the victims of this deadly attack.Their names were Yizhak and Talia Aimes, Avishai Shindler, and Kochba Even-Chaim.

Names of Terrorists Killed During Tonight's IDF Operation

Nashat Karmi- a 33 year old resident of Hebron, is a senior Hamas activist. Has been one of the headsof the military wing of Hamas in Hebron and imprisoned in Israel in the past. He was released fromIsraeli prison on August 2009, and returned to terror activity a short while after. He has been declared

a wanted suspect since the terror attack on August 31st.

Mammon Natsha - a 24 year old resident of Hebron was previously arrested in 2008 for his activity asa member of Hamas.

Since the terror attack on August 31st, a number of arrests and investigations of facilitators have beencarried out. During these investigations, information regarding planned future terror attacks and there-establishment of the Hamas military wing in Hebron was revealed. The IDF will continue to pursueterror organizations that seek to endanger the lives of Israeli civilians.

Back to Page 1


3/16

October 2010

Senior Terrorist Killed Thursday Night

Ahmad Al Ashkar, a high-ranking member of the Palestinian Vultures organization, wasplanning an upcoming terror attack against Israel

In a joint IDF-ISA operation on Thursday night (Oct. 7), an IAF aircraft struck the carin which a high-ranking operative of the Palestinian Vultures organization, Ahmad AlAshkar, was driving. A direct hit on the car was identi ed. According to intelligence, theorganization was planning to execute a terror attack against Israel in the coming days.

In a joint IDF- ISA operation late Wednesday night (Oct. 6), IAF aircraft struck two terrortargets in the northern Gaza Strip in response to the rocket re from the Gaza Strip aimedat the Eshkol Regional Council, a day earlier.

The IDF will not tolerate any attempt to harm Israeli citizens and will continue to act withdetermination and strength against terror. The IDF holds Hamas solely responsible for

any terrorist activity emanating from the Gaza Strip.

Back to Page 1


4/16

October 2010

IAF Thwarts Rocket Launch Attempt by Terrorist Squad

Earlier this morning, the IAF targeted and identi ed hitting a squad of terror operativeswho were preparing to re rockets from the Northern Gaza strip into Israel.

More than 165 rockets and mortars have been red at Israeli territory since thebeginning of 2010, and over 440 rockets were red from the Gaza Strip into Israelsince the end of Operation Cast Lead.

The IDF remains committed to protecting the citizens of Israel and will continue toact against terror. The IDF holds Hamas solely responsible for terror emanating fromthe Gaza Strip.

Back to Page 1


5/16

From Sports Cars to Israels Defense

Two things about Amir Zaid are obvious at rst glance: hes passionate about cars and really interested in design.One was a constant in uence on his life almost from the get-go: since the late nineties, at the end of his studies, heentered the world of graphic design. When internet was still in its infancy, he went from start-up to start-up and didgraphic design on computer screens. The world of cars, his real passion, remained an unachieved dream.

In fact, it was his true passion since childhood. Already at age four I knew the names of every car in the street, hesaid, they made me curious. I liked them, I missed them. But because theres no place for a career in vehicles inIsrael, I had to be practical. I settled, and cars were pushed aside.

And so, at age 31, Amir was a top-of-the-line graphic designer, happily married to Noa, with an Alpha Romeo car, an

apartment and a cat in Binyamina. And one bright day the decision was made.

Its hard to explain what made me do it, he said, but all of a sudden it was clear its now or never. So I went onand started the search. I found Scuola Politecnica di Design, a school for designing cars in Milan, which offered amasters track in two semesters. They said I could start studying there in two weeks. I answered that I would be veryhappy to but only next year. So we went to Italy, traveled, checked it out, fell in love and returned. We took a year tget organized and packed our lives in boxes. Then we moved.

The symbiosis of design?

It was an experience like no other in everyway. First of all, it was a culture market.The studies, as exciting as they were, wereall in Italian. You quickly realize how newimmigrants feel, Amir recalls. It doesntmatter how intelligent you are, you arelost and you stutter in a world that doesntunderstand you. And you dont alwaysunderstand it either. To this day I dont knowwhat I learned in some of the courses, hesaid and laughed. The Symbiosis of Design,for example I have no idea.

A small comfort was that most of the students were foreigners. They came from all over the world England, Brazil,Australia, Greece, even Dubai. But even among us there were huge differences. The program is for students withbackground in design, but what kind of background is another question all together. Its super uous to mention thatthose who dealt with car design were different from those who dealt with print and graphic design, like me.

There were points when I wondered for a moment if I made a mistake. I didnt go there just for the experience, Ireally wanted to succeed. But there was an advantage to my general ignorance. The people who came with previousexperience in car design were mostly xed in and stuck on a certain type of thinking. I had tons of room to grow andlearn, he said. I remember being mesmerized by some of the professors, thrilled to be learning. During the year Ideveloped abilities in the realm of 3D models. When we presented our nal projects, which were done in collaborationwith Lamborghini, one of the professional crew members of the company approached me and said your model is themost sensible one I saw here. I didnt get a job offer right away, but the year ended with a feeling of accomplishment.A feeling of I did it.

The recession like reality TV

And then your studies end, and you nd yourself alone in the world. The car design eld is a dif cult one to work inespecially for someone who comes from the outside. Its very small. There are lots of schools, many students, andvery few positions. The brand model Alpha Romeo, for example, held in its hey-day 15 designers. The biggest of carmodels, Fiat, holds between 30 and 40 positions.

I considered working outside of Italy as well, but in my heart of hearts I wanted to stay. There is something in the

October 2010

Back to Page 1


6/16

character of Italy that makes sense for car design. The car, in a sense, is a re ection of the culture; and Italian culture is lwith joy, amazing openness and a passion for life.

So he stayed another ve years. He began his journey as an unpaid intern in the Idea design studio, afterward working atthe Pininfarina antique design house, considered one of the most in uential in the history of the vehicle and among others isresponsible for almost every model of the Ferari which came out. The longest period of time, interrupted though it was, wasspent at Fiat and was full of countless projects from cars to tractors.

At times it was a thrilling experience and at others a sad one, he said. On one hand, I reached the temple. I madechildhood dream come true. Especially during my time at Fiat, I worked with people who were incredibly passionate aboutthe work. Even if designs were put aside, there was excitement in the designing process.

Ultimately, what ended his Italian adventure was the economic recession. It happened in stages. Toward the year 2009, lifebecame too stressful. Car makers were caught in the desperation of the situation. It was like being on reality TV. We startedout as eight designers, and then we were six, and then four. At the end we got the email that said the program is being frozWe thought a lot about where to go from here. My wife, Noa, was pregnant. In the end we decided to return to Israel.

When Ferari meets the armed vehicle

In Israel, as was mentioned, there is no job market for car designing. What we have, despite that, is a huge defense market.It was from there that an adventure of another type entirely began.

While still in Italy, I understood that if I come back, I would work in the defense industry. I wanted to keep designing vehito do what Im good at in Israel, too. And, what can you do, real budgets here lie in defense.

So he began designing. Among the projects Amir worked on in the last year are attack vehicles, control rooms and otherobjects. You cant talk about most of them in detail. But here is an example: introducing the Solitaire.

In the past months Amir came into contact with Tamid Porat, a guru in the eld of security design, who is credited amoother projects with designing the Tavor ri e. The rst fruit of their collaborative labors is the autonomous Solitaire vehicle,surveying robot. It is built on the existing model of the Argo vehicle (a sort of bathtub on six wheels Amir said), and afor great movement in dif cult terrains, use of communication systems and lming abilities including advanced optics suchas night vision and heat-activated vision.

About design and the ability to function

Working on the Solitaire was an exciting experience, Amir said. it was one of those times you feel I hit something hI designed something right. In the end, despite all the differences, there are a lot of similarities between work on sports carsand work on security objects. In both cases the product has to be comfortable to operate and designed in a way that conveysthe right message.

The rst thought that comes to mind when you say robotic vehicle, he explains, is something from science ction. Hugcars, complexity, something that looks like Avatar. But the truth is its the opposite. A security vehicle has a purpose. Oftenthere is no time to test it and get used to it, it has to work right away. So there is no place for decoration. Everything hbe sharp and simple.

With that, the design is critical. A lot of people dont understand the importance of the right design, especially in this countIts easy to think we live in a reality where there are more pressing matters than aesthetics. But if the vehicle doesnt givesense of strength, if you look at it and dont get right away that its purpose is security, something is missing. Conveying tright message creates the basis for right action.

Its not an easy thing to do, most of the designs ultimately get stored away. But when you are able to create an exact desithere is a strong sense that you made something crucial. It gives you the fuel to keep going.

October 2010

Back to Page 1


7/16

October 2010

Back to Page 1

An Olive Branch of Peace

IDF is currently working with Palestinians in the Judea and Samaria region to ensure that this year's oliveharvest will be successful and peaceful

"Sabah el Hir", said the Battalion Commander, wishing a good morning in Arabic. "Sabah El Nur," he wasanswered with a smile. The morning is just dawning and forces are spread throughout the Talmon villages.Between the unending green hills are hidden the olive groves. A woman wearing a red veil smiles at thesoldiers while carrying the purple olives which she has just picked from a tree. This is the season for the oliveharvest in the Judea and Samaria region. The harvest began this month and is expected to last until December.

Ironically, over the years the olive branch has become a media attention-grabbing source of friction. The oliveorchards, a main source of income for many Palestinians in the Judea and Samaria region, are at the heart ofexplosive debates in clashes between Palestinian and Israeli residents there.

The military forces throughout the area during these months are stationed there to maintain a sense of calmand to protect the normal fabric of life in the region. "The mission of the forces is to protect those who live hereand to ensure that the harvest is carried out in a calm, owing and stable manner," Lt. Col. (res.) Assaf Eliyahu,the Commander of the Patrolling Battalion of the Carmeli Reserves Brigade told his soldiers on the eveningbefore they went on duty.

The following morning he guarded the orchards with his advance command team. "Were there any argumentsbetween the groups?" he asks his reservists. "Everything was quiet" they respond. Lt. Col. Eliyahu continueson towards the orchards and asks the harvesters in uent Arabic how everything is. "Everything is calm. Icame to pick olives until four o'clock. The soldiers are ne and so are the residents," the Palestinian harvesteranswered. He continues to explain about this year's harvest and about the growth in this year's crop, evenexplaining the speci c olives that he is harvesting to the soldiers.


8/16

The relative quiet in the region is quite encouraging. This year, in the majority of locations there was no need for coordinatioof harvesting times between the various relevant bodies. The international and Israeli organizations which come to assist withthe work coordinate their activities with the Civil Administration and the IDF recognizes their desire to help the Palestinianharvest.

"There is no tolerance for damage. There is no preferred treatment"

The harvest has indeed begun peacefully, despite a number of issues which were raised between Palestinians and Israeli inthe area. The villages of J'ith, Farata and Sra, and the towns of Havat Gilad, Alon Moreh and Givat Ronen were the locationof a number of violent incidents."I believe that the issue was created essentially due to provocation. It is a trend in recent years," Maj. (res.) Yisrael Shayklerpointed out. "A little while back there was a complaint by one of the towns regarding harvesters arriving at an undesignated

time. We arrived and let the Palestinians continue. We understand that people leave work and school for this harvest. Welet them nish. Of course there were other incidents, but they are quite rare, and usually they too were solved calmly withoutoo much confrontation."

The reserves forces currently in the area know how to deal with such rare incidents calmly and maturely. That being said, thipopulation demographic is treated not only during the harvest. "While still in regular compulsory service, the commandersclarify that rst and foremost you are a human and only afterwards you are a soldier," one of the reservists explains. "ThPalestinians are people like us and the IDF emphasizes that we must treat them accordingly. If there are other incidents, theyare the exception to the rule."

Cpt. (res.) Dudu Ravivo is already 52 years old and volunteers in reserves. He took part in many widespread operationalactivities during his service. "It was a national motif. The olive signi es something," he says. "Because of the media focusthere are many more disruptions during the harvest period. In recent years the directives are stricter than in the past. Thesoldier is given clear orders. There is no tolerance for any damage caused to anyone. Our battalion is at the highest levelof command and we rst and foremost place the greatest emphasis on professionalism. There is no preferred treatment toeither side."

The Head Reserves Of cer, Brig. Gen. Shuki Ben-Anat, arrived to visit the Patrolling Battalion of the Carmeli ReservesBrigade at work. He spoke to IDF Wesbite, describing the training that reservists must undergo to work with the civiliaPalestinian population. "A reservist is someone who has experienced life. He has clear thoughts and good judgment and hecan deal with friction. There is an advantage to having maturity and experience."

October 2010

Back to Page 1


9/16

October 2010

The values of responsibility and having a mission guiding the Israel Defense Force, manifestations of the spirit of the IDF, direits soldiers and of cers also on missions far from home. The knowledge, professionalism, operational experience and skills ofthe Medical Corps and the Search and Rescue Unit of the Home Front Command are used to save lives in countries undergoinhumanitarian crises and natural disasters.The State of Israel comes to the assistance of nations large and small, rich and poor. The unique hallmark of Israeli missionlies in their professionalism, rich experience accrued over many years and dedication, whose roots are found in the spirit andvalues characterizing the IDF.This overview presents in brief some of the important missions in which the Medical Corps and the Search and Rescue Unparticipated: extracting people caught in ruins, rapidly constructing eld hospitals, undertaking complex surgeries and assistingin dif cult births in the eld, and supplying medication and medical equipment. These missions have generated a great deal ofwonder and admiration on the part of international professional organizations as well as pride in the people of Israel and Jewall over the world.

.

Mexico City, 1985On September 19, 1985, two tremendous earthquakes shook Mexico City and left massive destruction and thousands of injuriesand people trapped under rubble in their wake.A delegation comprised of the IDF Search and Rescue Unit equipped with dozens of tons of medical and humanitarian equipmentwas speedily dispatched to the disaster zone: medication, tents, rescue equipment, experts from the Search and Rescue Unitand medical teams from the Medical Corps. Those involved earned widespread international respect and admiration.

IDF Teams Provide Help in Disaster Zones

The IDF mission to Haiti,2010

Back to Page 1


10/16

Armenia, 1988

On December 7, 1988, a powerful earthquake struck Armenia, leaving tens of thousands dead and injured and many morehomeless.Search and rescue teams as well as a eld hospital, courtesy of the Medical Corps, were dispatched; these were beefed upthanks to medical experts called into reserve duty, including experts in pediatrics, intensive care and obstetrics. The Israelisearch and rescue teams and medical personnel helped save many lives.

Turkey, 1999An IDF delegation comprised of the Search and Rescue Unit of the Home Front Command and medical teams from theMedical Corps was sent to Turkey in the wake of an earthquake, measuring 7.8 on the Richter Scale, that struck in August1999. More than 40,000 people lost their lives and 27,000 were injured.All night long, the Israeli team unpacked its equipment and 48 hours after the disaster struck a eld hospital had been erectedin the city of Adafasi. Over the next two weeks, the hospital would take in 1,200 injured; its operating rooms would carry ou46 emergency surgeries; and the delivery room would bring 15 newborns into the world.

India, 2001In January 2001 an earthquake struck Gujarat, India, leaving tens of thousands of people injured. The State of Israel wasamong the rst nations to respond with an offer of humanitarian assistance after it became clear that the local medical systemhad been badly affected. The IDF ended up erecting a eld hospital in the city of Bhuj.During the two weeks in which the eld hospital operated, over 1,200 patients were treated there, 127 people were hospitalized,54 surgeries were carried out, and 13 births were attended.

Sri Lanka, 2004At the end of December 2004, a massive earthquake struck the Indian Ocean, generating lethal tsunamis that ooded anddestroyed widespread areas in Southeast Asia.

The Israeli search and rescue team left for Sri Lanka as soon as word of the disaster spread. The delegation included thehead of the Trauma Center of the Chief Medical Of cers Command as well as three physicians from Hadassah Hospital, arepresentative from the Home Front Command and a representative from Israels Ministry of Foreign Affairs.In conjunction with the search and rescue force, it was decided that Israel would send assistance in the form of equipmentonly, despite the fact that a large medical contingent was waiting at Ben-Gurion International Airport for a ight to the disasterzone.To comply with this request, large amounts of medical equipment from the Medical Corps warehouses, logistical supplies

and food were sent, along with mental health professionals from the Ministry of Health, including the head of the IDFs mentahealth services.

October 2010

Back to Page 1


11/16

Haiti, 2010

The most recent event that occasioned the sending of a humanitarian mission was the earthquake that struck Haiti. In thewake of the earthquake, which measured 7.3 on the Richter Scale, a delegation left for the Caribbean on January 14, 2010.The disaster that struck the tiny nation was overwhelming. Many infrastructures collapsed, hundreds of thousands of Haitianswere injured, killed, or trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings.

Many nations around the world started sending humanitarian assistance to Haiti, including Israel, which decided to send anIsraeli military mission. The Home Front Command and the Medical Corps were chosen to lead the delegation because oftheir experience and proven abilities in this eld.Within a mere 8 hours, the Israeli medical delegation had erected the largest eld hospital serving the victims of the disaster;it started accepting patients the minute it was complete. In the rst days of the disaster, the IDF hospital was the mostadvanced hospital operating on Haitian soil.1,111 people were treated at the hospital; 317 surgeries were carried out; and 16 infants came into the world there.Wars and CrisesRwanda, 1994As a result of the blood-drenched civil war between the Hutus and the Tutsis, millions of refugees massed in temporaryrefugee camps in the countries bordering Rwanda.During the night of July 23, 1994, an airborne delegation of Soldiers Without Borders from the Medical Corps left Israel foZaire in order to help Rwandan refugees whose lives were endangered.The delegation, which arrived in three rounds, included 270 medical professionals (soldiers and of cer) and vast amounts ofmedical equipment, food and clothing.The Medical Corps deployed a eld hospital that included an emergency room, an operating room and an ICU, therebyextending life-saving medical and humanitarian help to the refugees. Thanks to this activity, the spreading cholera epidemicwas brought under control within a month.

Kosovo, 1999On April 6, 1999, the Life Ring mission of 60 professionals headed by the Medical Corps left Israel to extend assistance tothe Albanian refugees in Kosovo.

In the city of Skopje, the Macedonian capital, the mission deployed a eld hospital with 100 beds, operated by experts ininternal medicine, pediatrics, epidemiology and infectious diseases, orthopedics and gynecology, as well as paramedics,nurses, medics and X-ray technicians. The hospital also included a medical lab, pharmacy and operating room.The IDF earned high praise from the NATO command, the U.N. and the local Macedonian population for this activity.TerrorismArgentina, 1994On July 19, 1994, a carbomb rocked the Jewish community building in Buenos Aires. Hundreds of people lost their lives orwere maimed in the explosion, and many were buried live under the rubble. Israel dispatched a search and rescue missionto Argentina; it included dozens of physicians, of cers and soldiers whose job was to help in the search efforts, save livesand provide medical treatment.

Kenya, 2002In November 2002, a lethal terrorist attack was carried out in Mombasa, Kenya, where large groups of Israeli tourists were onholiday. A mission of the Medical Corps, headed by the deputy to the Chief Medical Of cer of the IDF, arrived on the sceto help move the victims to Israel for further medical treatment. 16 people were killed in this attack, including 3 Israelis; 7tourists, including 17 Israelis, were injured

October 2010

Back to Page 1


12/16

October 2010

Final Agreement Signed for the Purchase of F-35 Fighters

The deal, approved by Defense Minister Ehud Barak last August, was signed on Thursday (Oct. 7) in New York.

It is of cially con rmed: at the ceremony held on Thursday (Oct. 7) in New York, the CEO of the Defense Ministry, Maj. G(res.) Udi Shani, signed the agreement between Israel and the US for the IDF purchase of the rst operational squadron ofF-35 aircrafts for an amount of $2.75 billion.

The delivery of the aircrafts, costing $96 million each, is scheduled to begin in 2015 and should last two years. The agreementwas signed upon approval by the government, the Knesset and the Ministry of Defense.

This is a historic event and a new era in Israels security and strategic strength which will allow Israel to maintain its militaqualitative edge in order to cope with the challenges both near and far for many years; the deal also holds tremendousimportance for the national economy through the manufacturers commitment to purchase billions of dollars worth ofequipment from Israeli industries, the CEO of the Defense Ministry said during the conference.

Shani added that it is Israels intention to acquire more aircrafts of this type. We have an option to purchase more aircraftshe noted, adding that the deal is an additional expression of the strategic alliance and of our friendly relations with theUnited States, and of their support of the Israeli qualitative edge.

The F-35 Lightning is the Stealth ghter jet produced by the American Lockheed Martin company, and is considered to bethe most advanced ghter jet developed in the world today. It is a plane suitable for an extensive scope of missions, intendedboth for attack and interception, whose development began in 2003 in a joint initiative by the US and the UK.a

Back to Page 1


13/16

October 2010

Next Deputy Chief of the General Staff: Maj. Gen. (res.) Yair Naveh

Maj. Gen. (res.) Yair Naveh has been of cially approved for the role of Deputy Chief of the General Staff

Minister of Defense, Ehud Barak, approved the recommendation by the Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi,to appoint Maj. Gen. (res.) Yair Naveh for the role of Deputy Chief of the General Staff.

Maj. Gen. (res.) Naveh will return to service and begin the position of Deputy Chief of the General Staff in the coming weereplacing Maj. Gen. Beni Gantz who will resign from his service in the IDF. The appointment of Maj. Gen. (res.) Naveh wdone at the suggestion of the future Chief of the General Staff, Maj. Gen. Yoav Galant.

Maj. Gen. Yair Naveh was born in the year 1957 and was drafted in 1975 to the Golani Brigade. Over the years he served

many high ranking roles in the brigade, from Company Commander to Brigade Commander.

In 2003, as a Major General, he was appointed Commander of IDF Home Front Command. He served in this position unti2004, after which he was appointed Commander of GOC Army Headquarters, a position he held until 2007 when he retiredfrom the IDF. Maj. Gen. Naveh has a bachelors degree in History and Political Science and a masters degree in BusinessManagement. He graduated from the College for National Security with honors and from the School for Command. He ismarried and a father of four.

Back to Page 1


14/16

October 2010

The Rochev Hashamayim Units New Independence

As of last week, the UAV unit Rochev Hashamayim gained its independence, its goal of strengthening IDF intelligencegathering well on the way

Its of cial: on October 10th, the new unit Rochev Hashamayim was declared completely independent. At a ceremonyheld for the occasion attended, among others, by GOC Army Headquarters Commander, Maj. Gen. Sami Turgeman,and Palmachim IAF base Commander, Brig. Gen. Itay Reiss, the units new symbol was revealed: a winged horse with asword in the background.

Thus far, the Rochev Hashamayim Battalion was subordinate to the Artillery Corps UAV unit but will now be an independent

battalion in every respect. In the coming year, the unit is expected to be transferred from the Palmachim airbase to itspermanent location at base Julis.

Rochev Hashamayims function is to equip the regiment commander and other commanders with video recordings,explained Lt. Eliyah Keffah, Deputy Commander of the Operational Company in the Rochev Hashamayim unit. Theteams are trained for various missions, with the goal of encouraging the enlistment of many more soldiers.

Soldiers learn to operate the Elbit companys UAVs and are thus able to provide an updated snapshot of the battle eldat any moment. The tiny plains y above the soldiers heads, their cameras broadcasting images to those decipheringfootage on land.

A special on-land team programs the ying object, setting its route before its takeoff, if necessary also being able to endits ight midair. The hope is in the future, a representative team from Rochev Hashamayim will join each infantry battalion,its purpose to improve the IDFs intelligence gathering abilities.

Back to Page 1


15/16

October 2010

IDF Commanders Championship Day

The annual Commanders Championship Day was held on Tuesday (Oct. 6); Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Ashkenazi scored fourgoals

The 2010 IDF Commanders Championship ended on Tuesday afternoon (Oct. 6) with the main event being a soccer matchbetween the General Staff team and the Maccabi Haifa team, at the Wingate Institute. The tense match, characterized byremarkable skills from both teams, ended in a 4:4 tie.

The General Staff team was led by the Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, who was assisted by formeprofessional player Eyal Berkovic. The rst half started with a save for the General Staff team by GOC Home Front CommandMaj. Gen. Yair Golan, the teams goalkeeper. After Maccabi Haifa scored the rst goal, Lt. Gen. Ashkenazi managed to savehis teams honor and also scored a goal.

After Maccabi Haifas second goal, Lt. Gen. Ashkenazi scored a second goal, but the 2:2 tie wouldnt last more than twminutes, when a third goal was scored for Maccabi Haifa. Later in the game, the Chief of Staff scored two additional goalone of them after a great play by GOC Southern Command Maj. Gen. Yoav Galant. But the joy of victory was premature, aMaccabi Haifa managed to score once more on the General Staff goalie, resulting in a 4:4 tie.

The IDF and the commanders take tness seriously

Over 7,000 male and female of cers participated in the IDF combat tness competitions during the Commanders Championshipwhich has been held now for several years and constitutes the agship event of the Ground Forces Combat Fitness Division,

designed for improving the physical tness and health of career personnel.

The Head of the Combat Fitness Division, Col. Dr. Avi Moyal told IDF Website before the competitions that this is tful llment of a dream. The improvements being undertaken in this eld by the army are unparalleled in the world. We viethis day as a pivotal event of the year. It warms the heart to see that the IDF and its commanders are taking the issue

tness seriously.

Teams of of cers from all the IDF units had been training for the event for the past few months and participated in the varicompetitions including an endurance race, a navigation race, swimming, football, basketball, beach volleyball, mountainbiking, table tennis and more.

At the end of the ceremony, trophies were awarded to the winners of the various competitions by the Chief of General Staalong with the Commander of the Ground Forces, Maj. Gen. Shlomo Turgemon, Chief Infantry and Paratrooper Of cer, Brig.Gen. Yossi Bachar and Head of the Combat Fitness Division, Col. Dr. Avi Moyal.

Back to Page 1


16/16

Date post:	10-Apr-2018
Category:	Documents
Upload:	idfmonthly-gov
View:	221 times
Download:	0 times

Eng Newsletter - October 2010

Documents