Ashkenazi and Eisnkot participate
Photo: IDF Spokesman's Office
IDF concludes far-reaching exercise in North
Lessons from Second Lebanon War implemented in joint exercise for ground, air, naval forces; assessing initial decision-making stages in light of flare-up on northern front
The IDF's Northern Command completed an extensive exercise on Thursday in which several viable scenarios were drilled.
The emphasis of the exercise was examining the cooperation between ground, air and naval forces.
Lessons from the Second Lebanon War and from previous drills were implemented.
The exercise, which began on Sunday, combined all Northern Command units and included hundreds of reserve soldiers.
Chief of staff with soldiers during drill (Photo: Spokesman's Office)
The goal was to assess the IDF's immediate response to a flare-up on Israel's northern front, particularly the army's decision-making.
As in prior drills, Major-General Gershon Hacohen, commander of the military colleges, provided various scenarios and examined how the forces contended with them in real-time.
IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi and General Staff commanders took an active part in the exercise. The chief of staff himself participated in a Saraf (Apache Longbow) attack helicopter flight and a submarine voyage.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and President Shimon Peres also took time to visit the troops participating in the exercise.
They were briefed by Major-General Gadi Eisnkot, head of the Northern Command, and took part in analyzing the situation during combat simulations.
Despite the fact that in essence this was a command drill mainly examining the Northern Command, the IDF’s General Staff was significantly involved.
