Oz Brigade
| Oz Brigade | |
|---|---|
| Active | December 27, 2015-present |
| Country |  Israel |
| Branch | .svg){kind=small} Army |
| Role | special operations forces |
| Size | 4 Battalions |
| Part of | Central Command 98th Division |
| Nickname(s) | Commando brigade |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
Colonel David Zini |
The "Oz" 89th Commando Brigade ("Courage") is a brigade of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), dedicated entirely to special operations. It was established on December 27, 2015. The new brigade, dubbed the Commando Brigade, is to be composed solely of infantry special-operations units removed from their previous chain of command structures to create a new tactical formation.[1]
The new brigade has been put under the command of Colonel David Zini, and it has been set to operate as part of the 98th Division.[1][2]
Ideation and development
According to the IDF, the Commando Brigade is the brainchild of Lieutenant General Gadi Eisenkot and is the implementation of operational lessons learned after Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014 and the Second Lebanon War in 2006. According the 98th Division Commander, the Brigade is not only an integration of the elite teams of the Infantry Corps under one command, but also a body expected to lead operational and tactical thinking in order to establish a new warfare doctrine.[1][3] The new Brigade, furthermore, is intended to provide special operations units a previously lacking centre of gravity.[2]
The concept of a commando brigade was developed by IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot during the formulation of the 5-years military plan. The new brigade is said to draw further parallels between Israel's Special Forces and U.S. Rangers.[4]
Structure
The Oz Brigade structure consists of four special operations battalions of the IDF:[1][2]
- Egoz Reconnaissance Unit, Jungle guerilla warfare unit, formerly under the Golani Brigade;
- Duvdevan, Undercover special operations unit, formerly under the Central Command (Israel);
- Rimon Reconnaissance Unit, Desert (which typical to southern Israel) guerilla warfare unit, formerly under the Givati Brigade;
- Maglan, Special anti tank unit, formerly under 98th Paratroopers Division.
Some special-operations units – the General Staff Reconnaissance Unit, the Shayetet 13, Shaldag (the Air Forces’ special-operations unit 5101), the Oketz Unit (which trains dogs for anti-terror work) and Yahalom of the Engineering Corps will continue to operate independently.[5]
Insignia
The chosen insignia for the new brigade depicts the Hebrew letter Kuf (C), the first letter in the Hebrew word for Commando, composed of a commando knife rising from the sea and a double headed arrow above it. It symbolizes the special designation of the brigade and its mobility, by air land or sea.[1][6]
Related voices
References
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