The IDF conducted one the largest paratrooper brigade training exercises in over 15 years on Tuesday night, with over 1,000 paratroopers taking part in the drill over southern Israel. All the units department and squadron commanders took part in the jump, including Paratrooper Brigade Commander Col. Amir Baram who said of the drill, "At the door of the plane, the paratrooper stands alone. Though down on the ground the entire brigade comes together and prepares for an attack." The last time the IDF Paratroopers Brigade performed an operation drop was over the Suez Canal in 1956. On Tuesday night, the paratroopers took off from the Nevatim Air Force Base near Be'er Sheva, later going on to carry out the parachuting drill over the area of the IDF's Zeelim ground forces training base (near Kibbutz Zeelim). The paratroopers parachuted down equipped with exceptionally heavy baggage weighing 60 kilograms (132 lbs) which included weaponry designed to last for up to 36 hours of warfare.
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"An exercise of this magnitude hasnt been carried out for several years, since the late 1990s," said Col. Baram before the parachuting began. "We are reviving this skill so as to have it included in the military's tool arsenal, to be prepared for any and all scenarios that may present themselves."
"Each soldier is motivated, strong and brave ... this is an extremely complicated operation testing the IDF paratroopers' unique capability to take advantage of operational opportunities and bring an entire brigade deep into enemy territory with all its equipment, soldiers and commanders prepared for battle," said Col. Baram, according to the IDF Spokesperson's unit.
"The jump was incredible," said Sgt. Gal Harari of the Paratroopers' Reconnaissance Battalion, still catching his breath, while paratrooper of 202 Battalion, Sgt. Bar Lynn similarly said, "While in the air and right before you hit the ground you don't feel the cold, only adrenaline."
Col. Baram said that in preparation for the exercise, the Paratrooper Brigade updated their doctrine. "The Middle East is changing. The borders of the state of Israel are still stable, but it's impossible to know what will happen in the years ahead. For this reason we must bring back skills that existed in the past. It is impossible to know when we will need to use them."
The brigade commander added that he could not contemplate a situation where the paratrooper division would parachute into Iran, noting rather that Tuesday's drill, "is relevant to much closer regions. Every self-respecting Western military retains such a capability."
Officers stressed that Tuesday's exercise was not conducted in relation to any specific operational scenario. IDF officials said that preference is always given to landing forces via helicopters and that parachuting jumps should only take place only in areas inaccessible to helicopters, due to their limited amount of fuel-carrying capability compared to that of other aircraft. Currently the brigade hopes that similar parachuting exercises can take place each year, in order to maintain the soldiers' skill level.
"Jumping as a brigade is completely different. The entire brigade stands prepared and the aircraft are lined up. It's very unusual for an entire brigade to jump together, although the exercise is very well organized in splitting up the forces, securing the area and directing everybody. Jumping with so many people is an absolutely incredible feeling," said Lt. Assaf Ben-Ari.
During the course of Tuesday's parachuting drill, four IDF paratroopers were injured and evacuated to Be'er Sheva's Soroka Medical Center. "The low number of injured soldiers, despite the challenging air conditions, indicates the high level of professionalism that was built through the drill," an IDF spokesperson said.
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