The Israeli army will establish a commando brigade comprised of several existing special units, Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot decided on Monday.
The decision is part of the new multi-year plan being developed by the Israeli military and which is meant to improve its capabilities against terror and guerilla organizations.
Also on Monday, Eisenkot approved several senior appointments in the army, namely the promotion of Col. Ofer Winter – until recently the commander of the Givati Brigade – to the rank of brigadier general in a year’s time. Winter will also serve at a senior post at Central Command.
The new commando brigade will include four special units: Maglan, Duvdevan, Egoz and Rimon.
The need for a new commando brigade became clear after the Second Lebanon War in 2006, when the IDF’s capabilities in countering Hezbollah’s guerilla warfare proved to be lacking. During the IDF’s recent operations in the Gaza Strip – and to a larger extent during last summer’s war – it also became evident that the army needs to develop a different military doctrine to combat non-state organizations.
