IDF drills mobilization under missile fire

IDF 162nd Division holds first-of-a-kind exercise aimed at ensuring draft of reservists won't be disrupted in attacks.

By YAAKOV KATZ
IDF reservists drill_390 (photo credit: IDF)
IDF reservists drill_390
(photo credit: IDF)
Amid predictions that Israel will come under massive missile fire in a future war, the IDF’s 162nd Division held a first-of-a-kind exercise on Tuesday aimed at ensuring that the draft of reservists will not be disrupted by attacks.
The drill was held at division headquarters and at its various emergency storage centers throughout the country that hold equipment for reserve units.
“In the past we fought wars that did not involve the home front. We understand that the next war will be different and that during the draft we will come under fire – in the cities and in the induction centers as well,” explained Brig.-Gen. Agay Yehezkel, commander of the division.
One of the IDF’s superior mobilized divisions, 162 is the home of the Nahal Infantry Brigade and the 401st Armored Brigade, as well as a number of reserve units. It operates under the Central Command, but at times of war has the ability to move to different fronts as required.
The drill on Tuesday simulated a scenario involving missile attacks against Israel from the Gaza Strip in the South and Lebanon and Syria in the North.
The drill was the first stage ahead of a larger exercise that Yehezkel will oversee in the future when he drafts several thousand reservists to test their ability to arrive at the storage centers, receive their equipment and rendezvous with their units.
The IDF predicts that in a future war, Hezbollah, Hamas and Syria will have the ability to fire close to 10,000 rockets and missiles into the country.
As a result, the military has been reinforcing bases where it stores equipment for reservists to enable what the IDF calls “operational continuity” – the ability to continue operating despite the ongoing missile attacks.
“We are digging trenches and adding layers of protection but are also preparing the soldiers’ state of mind.
We are explaining to them that even though it will be different next time, they will still need to come and know what to do,” Yehezkel said.