Combat Intelligence Collection Corps (Israel) Explained

Unit Name:Combat Intelligence Collection Corps
Country:Israel
Type:Combat Intelligence
Branch:GOC Army Headquarters
Dates:2000–today
Specialization:Reconnaissance and intelligence gathering close to enemy lines
Command Structure:Israel Defense Forces
Current Commander:Brigadier General Amir Avstein
Motto:Hatzofeh Lifnei Hamahaneh ("The Scout Ahead of the Camp")
Colors:Sand-colored Beret, Black Boots, White & Yellow Flag
Identification Symbol Label:Emblem
Identification Symbol 2 Label:Flag

The Israeli Combat Intelligence Collection Corps (previously known as Field Intelligence Corps) is the newest of the Israel Defense Forces GOC Army Headquarters' five corps, created in April 2000 and tasked with collecting combat intelligence. It is responsible for intelligence units from the battalion level and up to the entire force. Due to the need for collecting combat intelligence and in maintaining observation networks, it is in the midst of expansion.

Units

The corps consists of the following units:

Each battalion includes foot soldiers, and female observers that control stationary cameras from a control center.

Training

Two weeks after drafting, training commanders decide where each soldier will serve (which battalion) based upon the psychological, physical, and motivational state of the soldier. The training base is in the southern region of the Negev Desert, close to Eilat.

The requirements to join as a field recon specialist is a medical profile of 82 or 97, and intelligence score of at least 40.

Infantry units
Mounted unitsStarting in March 2019 recruitment was discontinued and all mounted units were converted to infantry units.

History

Israel has a long history of intelligence units and operations, dating back to the Palmach's "German Platoon", aka the Middle East Commando. After the creation of the IDF, field intelligence units were formed on an ad-hoc basis, by the Regional Commands.

In 1993, the first dedicated field intelligence unit meant for operating in any front, the Yahmam (abbreviation for Target Field Intelligence, also known as the Nitzan Commando), was created. The unit was designated to provide intelligence in real time and sighting enemy targets. It was appended to the GOC Army Headquarters and its soldiers wore black berets, even though they were under the direct command of the General Staff. During the 1982–2000 South Lebanon Conflict, it operated as an elite outfit tasked with collecting combat intelligence. After the February 4, 1997 Israeli helicopter disaster, in which the unit lost two men out of a total of 73 killed, the Supreme Court of Israel instructed to reveal their names, and consequently, the unit's existence was revealed to the public.

The unit was created as a corps in April 2000, under Amnon Sufrin. In late 2008, the GOC Army Headquarters decided to rename it to the "Combat Intelligence Collection Corps" from "Field Intelligence Corps", to emphasize its combat nature and to dissociate itself from the military intelligence directorate to which it was previously professionally subordinate to.[1] [2] The name was changed in November 2009.[3] The corps' beret color was changed from dark green, which is associated with military intelligence, to yellow.

On October 7th, 2023 27 female members of Unit 414 of the Combat Intelligence Collection Corps were killed or captured by Hamas during the Nahal Oz attack.

Chief combat intelligence Officer

The chief combat intelligence officer is a brigadier general appointed by the head of the GOC Army Headquarters.

NameYears
Amnon Sufrin2000–03
Yuval Halamish2003–05
Guy Lipkin2005–07
Ariel Karo2007–09
Eli Pollack2009–2012
Guy Bar-Lev2012–2015
Mordechai KahaneAugust 2015 – November 2017
Dan NeumannNovember 2017 – July 2018
Amir AvsteinJuly 2018 –

External links

Notes and References

  1. Start Learning: Instead of Field Intelligence – Combat Intelligence Collection Corps. Cohen, Gili. Bamahane. July 24, 2009. 2998. 15. he.
  2. Web site: With God's Help: Field Intelligence Corps will be Renamed to Combat Intelligence Collection Corps. Ben Dror, Arnon. March 25, 2009. Israel Defense Forces. 2009-07-23. he. https://web.archive.org/web/20090406111330/http://dover.idf.il/IDF/News_Channels/today/09/03/0202.htm. April 6, 2009. dead.
  3. Web site: Redesigned Combat Intelligence Collection Corps Aims High. November 23, 2009. Israel Defense Forces. 2012-04-17. he. https://web.archive.org/web/20110521104004/http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/09/11/2303.htm. May 21, 2011. dead.