post.com
The IDF held a surprise large-scale drill on the Golan Heights Wednesday, as turmoil continued to rock Syria across the northern border.
The drill, which involved regular service IDF soldiers, saw Artillery Corps troops - who were on ordinary patrols in the West Bank - airlifted in helicopters without prior warning to their heavy cannon firing positions in the Golan Heights. Hours later, the soldiers took part in live artillery fire exercises.
"Some of the soldiers were on vacation, and some were on operational missions in other areas, mainly the West Bank," a senior IDF source acquainted with the drill said.
"It came as a full surprise to them," the source added.
A drill of this nature and scope has not been held in the Golan region for several years.
It began at 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning, when Brig.-Gen. Roee Riptin, who is the chief artillery officer and the planner of the drill, gave the go-ahead for the exercise to begin.
The IDF said the exercise was planned well in advance and should not be linked with any current developments.
It did, however coincide with ongoing concerns over instability in Syria and the fate of chemical weapons there. Earlier Wednesday, the Times reported that a Syrian general who defected to the rebels, Major-General Adnan Sillu, said Syrian dictator Basher Assad had planned to transfer chemical weapons to Hezbollah, and weighed using the weapons on the Syrian rebels too.
Earlier this week, German weekly Der Spiegel reported that that the Syrian army test fired shells east of Aleppo that are capable of carrying deadly chemical substances.
The exercise was overseen by IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz.
"The aim was to test IDF readiness, for all scenarios. We simulated a situation in which there was no advance warning, and getting forces to the Golan in a surprise situation... its a drastic transition," the defense source explained. "The scenario we simulated involved an escalation, or some sort of immediate [need] for preparedness," he added.
The artillery forces fired rockets, missiles, and artillery after taking up their position.
The IDF command level is pleased with the results of the drill, saying the transition had gone according to plan. "We are reasonably satisfied," the source said.
Prior to Wednesday, senior IDF officers at the Operations Branch and the General Staff worked with Brig.-Gen. Riptin to plan the exercise, though only a very small number of people were kept informed of the plans.
On Tuesday evening, a drill monitoring group was assembled, and taken to the Golan Heights, where it was briefed for the first time.
The Air Force later joined artillery units from the IDF's Northern and Central Commands to take part in the drill.
"This drill is part of a routine program of checks and surprise exercises held throughout the year by the IDF comptroller," the IDF Spokesman said in a media statement.
It comes on the heels of a major Golani Brigade infantry and Armored Corps drill, held in the Golan Heights over recent weeks, which simulated combat with Hezbollah.
The drill, which involved regular service IDF soldiers, saw Artillery Corps troops - who were on ordinary patrols in the West Bank - airlifted in helicopters without prior warning to their heavy cannon firing positions in the Golan Heights. Hours later, the soldiers took part in live artillery fire exercises.
"Some of the soldiers were on vacation, and some were on operational missions in other areas, mainly the West Bank," a senior IDF source acquainted with the drill said.
"It came as a full surprise to them," the source added.
A drill of this nature and scope has not been held in the Golan region for several years.
It began at 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning, when Brig.-Gen. Roee Riptin, who is the chief artillery officer and the planner of the drill, gave the go-ahead for the exercise to begin.
The IDF said the exercise was planned well in advance and should not be linked with any current developments.
It did, however coincide with ongoing concerns over instability in Syria and the fate of chemical weapons there. Earlier Wednesday, the Times reported that a Syrian general who defected to the rebels, Major-General Adnan Sillu, said Syrian dictator Basher Assad had planned to transfer chemical weapons to Hezbollah, and weighed using the weapons on the Syrian rebels too.
Earlier this week, German weekly Der Spiegel reported that that the Syrian army test fired shells east of Aleppo that are capable of carrying deadly chemical substances.
The exercise was overseen by IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz.
"The aim was to test IDF readiness, for all scenarios. We simulated a situation in which there was no advance warning, and getting forces to the Golan in a surprise situation... its a drastic transition," the defense source explained. "The scenario we simulated involved an escalation, or some sort of immediate [need] for preparedness," he added.
The artillery forces fired rockets, missiles, and artillery after taking up their position.
The IDF command level is pleased with the results of the drill, saying the transition had gone according to plan. "We are reasonably satisfied," the source said.
Prior to Wednesday, senior IDF officers at the Operations Branch and the General Staff worked with Brig.-Gen. Riptin to plan the exercise, though only a very small number of people were kept informed of the plans.
On Tuesday evening, a drill monitoring group was assembled, and taken to the Golan Heights, where it was briefed for the first time.
The Air Force later joined artillery units from the IDF's Northern and Central Commands to take part in the drill.
"This drill is part of a routine program of checks and surprise exercises held throughout the year by the IDF comptroller," the IDF Spokesman said in a media statement.
It comes on the heels of a major Golani Brigade infantry and Armored Corps drill, held in the Golan Heights over recent weeks, which simulated combat with Hezbollah.
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