10/8/2014
The people operating the IDF C4I Directorate's airborne relays are regarded as the special operations unit of the military communication world. They accompany the IDF’s elite units, from the air, in every corner of the globe. A rare glimpse
The airborne relay unit of the IDF C4I Directorate was established during the War of Attrition and is still regarded as one of the Directorate's most confidential units. The unit has two primary objectives. The first objective is to enable command of operations in mountainous terrain where the mountains mask and disrupt communication between IDF elements. In such scenarios, a wireless communication operator mans a mission aircraft, where he receives messages from the forces on the ground and relays them to the command echelon. The second objective is to enable IDF GHQ to command special operations at particularly long ranges.
Special Measures for Special Operations
In effect, the operators of the airborne relays are C4I specialists who "live" with the IAF, which provides the platform and the pilots. The cooperation between the C4I Directorate and IAF is one of the most important points stressed by Lt. Col. Itzik, commander of the Tzameret battalion of the C4I Directorate – the element in charge of employing the airborne relay unit. “It is a specialized, small and highly operational organization, measured by its ability to respond promptly. The battalion provides services to IDF GHQ. The airborne relay unit is engaged in operational activity – parts of which are covert while other parts are overt. We are subordinated, administratively and professionally, to the IDF C4I Directorate, but receive our mission orders from the IDF Operations Division. This is also the reason why the battalion is located at the Quirya compound in Tel-Aviv – to be close to IDF GHQ,” explains Lt. Col. Itzik.
It is important to note that the C4I Directorate is not the only element within IDF that operates airborne communication relays. Owing to the importance of this capability, the IDF provided redundancy and similar units operate under IAF and the Intelligence Directorate as well. “The difference stems from the different requirements. The aircraft of IAF and the Military Intelligence Directorate are fitted with certain capabilities that these branches require. We have to serve everyone. At the same time, the platform is interchangeable, namely – the equipment of the C4I Directorate may be removed and replaced by the equipment of the IAF or the Intelligence Directorate,” says Lt. Col. Itzik.
Do you provide your services to the IDF exclusively?
“I have never encountered a request for our services from another agency (ISA or Mossad, A. R-D), but it is possible. We have the ability.”
As stated, the unit was established pursuant to a need that had emerged during the War of Attrition (March 1969 – August 1970). In those days, the Egyptian Army launched numerous offensive operations against the IDF elements deployed in the Sinai. In response, the IDF executed special operations deep inside Egyptian territory as reprisals. These operations gave rise to the need for a communication relay in the sky that would enable the forces operating on the ground to communicate with rear-area command elements.
Along with Lt. Col. Itzik, Sgt. Maj. Denis serves as the acting commander of the airborne relay unit. He has been manning that position for almost a decade and was responsible for the rehabilitation and rebuilding of the unit. “At some point, the unit was abolished owing to budget cuts, and was subsequently re-established on the basis of a different aircraft type. We had to rebuild everything – the reserve personnel of the unit, the training system and the recruitment process,” explains Denis.
“The unit has a very special combination of reservists and regulars. Every one of our reservists keeps a flight suit in their cars. When we summon them, they report for duty immediately. Every reservist signs a special document that authorizes us to alert him or her directly to the aircraft at short notice. These people have a very strong sense of mission. It is not easy to maintain a normal lifestyle as a civilian (and some of them are parents) knowing that you may be alerted to the aircraft at any minute. Some of our people are in their 40s and 50s, and possess many years of experience.” The people of the unit are also proud of the fact that their wireless operator personnel includes both male and female operators.
Don’t you think that the satellites and UAVs have made the need for a manned communication relaying aircraft redundant?
“The communication link with the satellite is not always available. Some forces need someone human to be up there, owing to the equipment they work with. They want to know that there is someone up there who can handle malfunctions in real time. Additionally, in every operation there are always complementary/overlapping communication resources. You cannot initiate a deep-penetration operation and accept the risk that the intruding force might be left without communication,” says Lt. Col. Itzik.
Like any other unit in the IDF, the airborne relay unit also conducts itself differently during routine situations and emergency operations. During peacetime/routine situations, the unit is primarily engaged in training, maintenance and support for specific operations. In an emergency, it switches to 24/7 airborne presence. When things heat up, additional personnel is summoned to the base, so that the airborne and ground crews can replace one another and maintain an uninterrupted airborne presence. “In previous operations, like the second Lebanon war (2006), Operation Defensive Shield (2002) or Operation Pillar of Defense (2012), we reached a situation where IDF GHQ had to assign priorities to the units that would receive our services. Demand was greater than supply,” explains Lt. Col. Itzik.
Training activities are "wet", meaning airborne. The people at the unit say that many sorties have been flown recently. “We are airborne during about one third of the year. This translates to hundreds of flights per year. We can have multiple sorties during a single day. For this, we need both reservist and regular personnel,” explains Denis.
The unit operates out of Sde-Dov AFB, and the wireless operators spend their time with the pilots as if they were all one organic team. “We are the first to know, along with the pilots, when a specific aircraft is grounded. There were times when the pilots phoned us to say that an aircraft had become available, and we were airborne within a matter of minutes. This is a necessary synergy,” adds Lt. Col. Itzik.
One of the scenarios for which the unit prepares is a maneuver by the IDF outside the State of Israel. This scenario does not involve a small team of Sayeret Matkal or the IDF Navy’s 13th Flotilla (Naval Commandos), but a rather large OrBat made up of infantry units and platforms fitted with the Tzayad (Digital Ground Army) system, to which communication should be provided. “The unit is capable of handling such scenarios, too,” says Lt. Col. Itzik. “The communication service we provide is relatively secure, so it is reliable, too. We fly along routes specified for us by IAF. This is a good solution for deep-penetration operations that can be activated very quickly.”
Has the adoption of the Tzayad system by the IDF Ground Arm changed your operational doctrine?
“It has changed the equipment we use and the way we operate it. I don’t know whether it will change our operational doctrine – we’ll know that in the future. At the same time, the new systems are more complex to operate. The difference between operating communication systems on board an aircraft and operating the same systems on the ground is reflected mainly in the event of a malfunction. On board the aircraft, you are on your own, under the pressure of an on-going operation. It is different. It is a reality that demands that you become intimately familiar with the systems you operate.”
Unlike other platforms such as naval vessels or vehicles, where changes may be introduced for the purpose of a specific operation by a specialist unit, the communication equipment installed on board the aircraft is a permanent configuration. Whereas the carrying platform is an airborne platform, the communication equipment should be compatible with regard to frequencies and other characteristics, so as not to interfere with the operation of the aircraft (coexistence). Accordingly, any introduction of new communication equipment to the aircraft requires a lengthy trial and testing process. “In most cases, we do not install equipment for a specific operation. We operate the force – we do not build it up. Another element within the C4I Directorate is charged with force build-up. If we decide to introduce a new system, it will translate to a very long process. A total war situation is the exception.”
“We are air crew members to all intents and purposes,” says Lt. Col. Itzik. “Namely – we must conform to medical criteria, to safety criteria and to other criteria. This content world is unique to air crews. You select the soldiers that are best qualified out of those recruited to serve in the C4I Directorate. This unit is on alert all the time – all week, at all hours.”
Following the standard recruitment process and the basic course of the C4I Directorate at the IDF 7th Training Base, Denis goes to the training base and selects the trainees best qualified for the task. Denis explains that the unit looks for soldiers with a unique personality – who can remain calm even when something goes wrong. “On board the aircraft you are in command. Unlike the operation of communication systems on the ground, where you can always consult someone in the event of a malfunction, on board the aircraft it is just you and your crew – and that’s it. One should bear in mind that any moment when no communication is available on board the aircraft translates to no communication with the force on the ground,” says Denis. Once those best suited to the unit profile have been selected, they have to pass the same medical examinations as the air crews. Those who pass the examinations come to the unit and receive specialized training.
Ben, an outstanding soldier of the unit, explains that the specialized training takes between six months and a year, depending on the amount of flight hours and the proficiency acquired. There is also a specialized training course for crew leaders. “The crew on board the aircraft consists of 2 to 4 wireless operators, depending on the mission and the user being supported. In some cases, a representative of the user may come on board in order to ‘translate’ their operational language to us. Under pressure, the warfighters use a jargon that is only familiar to them. This information can affect the success of the operation.”
Do you have to understand what the ground force is doing down there?
“On the one hand, you should provide the air crew with the most complete picture possible. On the other hand, this is very sensitive information,” explains Lt. Col. Itzik. “As the battalion commander, I know more than everyone else, but even I don’t always know everything. The more distant the date scheduled for the operation, the less will be revealed. Once you are airborne and flying over the ground force, during the actual operation, the leash will be slackened somewhat. At the same time, compartmentalization is still maintained so that in some cases the crew on board the aircraft is not fully aware of everything that takes place on the ground. Emotionally, it is not a simple undertaking to provide communication ‘blindly’.”
No comments:
Post a Comment