Posted on 09/18/2006 12:06:35 PM PDT by SmithL
"We did not know enough about Hizbullah's deployment in south Lebanon," a senior IDF officer said on Monday.
The officer added that the war revealed a number of shortcomings regarding the handling of ground intelligence. He said that a lack of coordination between the air force and ground troops weakened the ability of IAF pilots to come to the aid of soldiers on the ground.
"While the pilots had intelligence information that was updated in 2006, ground forces used intelligence from 2000 - I am not singling anybody out for blame, but there is no doubt that presented problems," he said.
The officer also spoke of rescuing the wounded from combat zones during the war. The air force performed 110 rescue sorties, 59 in Lebanese territory, rescuing 350 soldiers.
The officer commended two rescue operations carried out under fire and the difficult commando operations in Baalbek and in Tyre.
The officer also claimed that the drone which was launched by Hizbullah during the war in Lebanon, and which was shot down in the area of Haifa, was intended to strike the Gush Dan region, Army Radio reported.
"We found in the wings of the drone 10 kilograms of explosives, with ball-bearings packed inside," the officer said.
"We are talking here about a very accurate machine. In the past there have been attempts by Hizbullah to infiltrate Israeli airspace with drones fitted with video cameras, but never drones armed with explosives."
"Therefore, analyze the enemy's plans so that you will know his shortcomings as well as strong points. Agitate him in order to ascertain the pattern of his movement. Lure him out to reveal his dispositions and ascertain his position. Launch a probing attack in order to learn where his strength is abundant and where deficient."
What the IDF has learned this summer (about themselves as well as about Hezbollah) may come in handy in the near future.
hmm...no mention of UN peacekeepers giving away IDF positions.
That's well-said. The IDF hasn't fought a major slug-fest in quite some time and this should give them some great "lessons learned".
I told a friend at the beginning of the conflict that the Israelis may not be as effective in this one as US troops (despite their vaunted reputation). My reasoning was that we have developed and tested the air-ground battle doctrine and this conflict seemed like a natural combined forces conflict--combining small numbers on the ground to draw the enemy out and locate him and precision guided weapons from the air to take him out.
It sounds like part of the problem was lack of doctrine an some was lack of practice. The emails from Israeli soldiers describing raids where they ended up hiding in a house for three days were consistent with ground forces proceeding with no effective coordination with precision air support.
I don't know if this is lack of hardware, doctrine, or training. But the combined assault did not work as a US assault would have.
Hope they do a very critical lessons learned because they are going to need them soon. But at this point, the IDF is no longer the best military, man-for-man, in the world. We are the undisputed title-holders.
The IDF will learn and make adjustments. They did after every war, sometimes during the war.
High volume. Articles on Israel can also be found by clicking on the Topic or Keyword Israel. also
2006israelwar or WOT
..................
Interesting choice by Israel and Halutz. Gen Doron Almog was hounded out of the UK on specious "war crimes" charges brought under so called international law by Palis and their leftist comrades.
...................
"Mr Sharon was referring to the near-arrest of General Doron Almog, a former Israeli army commander, at Heathrow Airport on Sunday, and the decision of General Moshe Yaalon, the army's former chief of staff, not to attend a speaking engagement in London this weekend because of fears that he too might be arrested.
Israeli military chiefs have been alarmed by the lawsuit filed on behalf of Palestinian victims of alleged war crimes committed by the IDF in 2002 and the issuing of an arrest warrant for General Almog - who stayed on his plane and returned to Israel after being tipped by embassy staff in London."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1783749,00.html
Agreed. I think their reputation for ruthlessness has given them an almost mythical aura of invincibility.
And, consider the opposition.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.