Hundreds of Artillery Corps troops completed on Wednesday evening an unplanned drill that was ordered by IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz the night before.
Shells and rockets were fired on targets meant to simulate Syrian sites as part of an exercise aimed to test the army's preparedness, which was eventually deemed "satisfactory."
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For the first time in years, the drill called for the immediate activation of several regiments in the Golan Heights in an attempt to simulate conflict on the Syrian border.
IDF chief on Wednesday (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
"We have found the level of readiness to be satisfactory," a top IDF official said.
A large number of regular army and reserve soldiers received telephone calls from their units at 2 am Wednesday, ordering them to report for the exercise. Some arrived from home while others were deployed in helicopters from the bases where they were stationed.
Drill was planned in advance
The suddenness was intended to allow the Artillery Corps to practice a transition into an emergency situation.
During the drill (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
"The troops were completely unaware," the official said, noting that there is room for improvement.
The IDF did not fire heavy artillery in order to avoid disrupting the lives of the residents in the region, but the weaponry was massively deployed across the Golan Heights.
The Corps' observation and radar systems, which can locate targets deep inside Syria ,were also tested Wednesday.
The drill was held only a week after a larger exercise was conducted by the Galilee Division, during which large forces were deployed to the border with Lebanon .
Wednesday's drill was launched at a time when senior IDF officers, including Deputy Chief of Staff Major General Yair Naveh, warn of a possible escalation of violence in Syria that may lead to war.
But the IDF Spokesperson's Office stressed that the exercise was planned in advance and does not suggest the army has raised its level of alert.