The Unexpected Challenge of the Tamuz Unit

The Meitar unit, which was considered classified until recently, finds itself intensively involved in the fighting on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights.

Or Heller  

 

The IDF's Meitar unit, which operates the IDF's Tamuz missiles, was originally established in order to block enemy armored columns. However, it recently found itself intensively involved in the fighting on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights.

To fully understand the current mission range of the unit, whose story is presented here comprehensively for the first time, we need to go back 40 years, to the days of the Yom-Kippur War of 1973. The Meitar unit was established as a lesson of that war.


The Tamuz missile (known internationally as Spike), developed by Rafael as a primary lesson of that war, remained highly confidential for many years. During its clandestine period, it was regarded as one of the cards the IDF keep up its sleeve for a future war. The nature of the conflicts changed over time, however; a peace agreement was signed with Egypt, and a stable cease fire was maintained opposite Syria, at least until about two years ago.

The Meitar unit was intensively active during the Second Lebanon War. In recent months, against the background of the civil war in Syria, it has found itself launching missiles at targets over the border as part of the IDF routine security operations. This situation is radically different from the original scenario envisioned for the unit – engaging Syrian T-72 tanks or Egyptian tanks in the Sinai.

This is how the launching process unfolded in one of the recent incidents: IDF surveillance identified the firing of mortar bombs toward Israel from a Syrian Army position located about four kilometers east of the border, near the Syrian village of Bir Ajam. The order to launch a Tamuz missile was issued directly by Chief of Staff Benny Gantz, who had been authorized to do so by the political echelon, and finally – it became the responsibility of Lt. Col. Tomer, commander of the Meitar unit, who had assumed command of the unit only six weeks prior to that incident.

"When I arrived at the unit, it was deployed in the sector of the Golan regional brigade. One month later, we conducted a training exercise in the context of which we maintained dedicated operational alert on the line. That was the first time we actually launched Tamuz missiles into Syria, on 11.11.12 – an easy date to remember," recounts Lt. Col. Tomer in an exclusive interview with IsraelDefense, during a visit to the battalion. "During that time, the majority of the battalion was involved in a divisional training exercise in the Jordan Valley, where a live Tamuz missile was also fired in the context of the training scenario. We left a dedicated ORBAT on the border with Syria, but the attention paid to that sector was minimal. After 40 years of quiet, we received authorization to fire a Tamuz missile into Syrian territory."

Who actually launched the missiles?
"It was a deputy company commander who was on duty. You find yourself participating in a training exercise in the Jordan Valley, speaking to that deputy company commander on the red phone and giving him the authorization to fire that you have just received from above. The ability to bridge over the distance is challenging for me as the unit commander, but one of the most important things that I thought I should do when I assumed command of the unit was balance between the dedicated activity and (routine) operational activity. Until the incident in November 2012, we had not fired missiles for about four years, since Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip (January 2009).

"Every operational unit wants to execute the operational activity for which it had been established. It is important and it keeps you alert and aspiring to become more professional. This could be a new era for the unit, and we constantly learn the lessons in order to improve in preparation for the next time."

Indeed, since the first launch last November, the unit found itself carrying out seven launches toward Syria in the last year, serving as the IDF's primary fire resource on the Syrian border, in the context of incidents of a highly explosive potential. Contrary to the attacks against the arms inventories in Syria, attributed by the foreign press to the Israeli Air Force, the launching of the Tamuz missiles was carried out openly and Israel stands behind it. Each launch was accompanied by an official announcement by the IDF Spokesperson, which could apparently increase the possibility of a response by the Syrian Army. The objective is to send the message that Israel will not accept any situation where the Syrian civil war will 'leak' into Israeli
territory. To the IDF surveillance posts along the Syrian border it looks like a flash followed by smoke. Seconds later, the spotting reports come in, followed by the IDF fire order.

The Tamuz missile launcher is connected to a radar system that spots the source of enemy fire, and receives data from surveillance posts that actually see where the enemy has fired from and what exactly has been fired. The missile operator uses a sort of joystick, similar to the one used in computer games, and throughout the flight sees what the missile sees, through the electro-optical guidance head of the missile.

He aims the black crosshairs according to the position of the target. The missile dives from above and hits the target directly. It is perfectly quiet. When you notice it – it is definitely too late. At the moment of detonation, the operator's screen is filled with "snow". The Tamuz missile has a pinpoint accuracy – it never misses.

In the interview with IsraelDefense, Lt. Col. Tomer also said that the rules of engagement in effect along the Syrian border are very clear: "All of the incidents where we launched Tamuz missiles involved Syrian targets that had placed us and our forces, or nearby Israeli settlements, at risk. In some of the cases the Syrian fire was aimed directly at our forces, and involved machine guns or artillery shells that dropped around the Golan Heights, and in all of the incidents, without exception, our fire was very precise, namely, it was aimed at a specific target that had fired at us first. It was not responsive fire, it was fire intended to eliminate a threat."

When you launch, do you take into account the option that it might develop into a serious exchange of fire?
"Before the first launch, the forces had been placed on alert. It was unusual firing not only for the battalion but for the entire sector, but it is not our intention to escalate the situation or to become involved in the Syrian conflict, and not all of the fire that comes from there is actually aimed at us. We have very clear rules of engagement for our sector. The fire authorization process includes identification of the source of enemy fire, which must constitute a risk to our forces or to civilians. We identify the source of enemy fire through the use of numerous spotting and surveillance resources.

Some of these resources are operated by the battalion while others are operated by other front line units. First we understand what the source of fire is and then there is a chain of authorizations that could extend as high as very senior echelons. We are not interested in taking sides in the conflict between the Syrian army and the rebels, but to safeguard our forces and our civilians.

"As a result of the recent fire incidents, we realized that the Tamuz missile platform is a highly relevant weapon system that suits the challenges presented by the Syrian sector perfectly. Our battalion can provide readily available precision fire. It is not the same as an attack helicopter that arrives, launches and departs. We provide precise hits with relatively low collateral damage."

Today, when you are deployed along the Syrian border on a regular basis, what does the unit's routine look like?
"We maintain a constant state of alert along the Syrian line. A continuous, bloody war is under way in the Golan sector between the Syrian Army and the rebels, the civilians are trapped between the warring sides – and we witness everything. We see the friction each and every day. We have experienced combat taking place right near the fence; a high-intensity war right under your nose is a routine experience here. In one case, we monitored a platoon of Syrian tanks that entered the demilitarized zone. We elevated our state of alert and prepared a response for each of the Syrian tanks, but in the last moment the tanks changed their course and retreated."

Lt. Col. Tomer, 35, is married with two children. He served in the Unmanned Airborne Vehicles unit of the IDF Ground Forces and advanced as far as the unit's deputy commander. The unit employs the Hermes 450 UAV and maintains exceptional cooperation with the IAF for the purpose of providing the Ground Forces with an independent aerial capability.

After the Second Lebanon War, he took a leave of absence for academic studies, and subsequently served as Head of the UAV Section at the IDF Chief Artillery Officer's HQ. Excelling at his studies in the IDF Staff & Command course helped him transfer between the various organs of the Artillery Corps and eventually land the appointment as commander of the Meitar unit.

"Most of the former commanders of Meitar advanced through the unit's ranks, and when you arrive from outside, you must learn everything from the team level to the battalion level. In my previous position, I sometimes worked opposite the unit, but when you come to command it there are many things you must complete. I went through a two-month conversion course. Some eyebrows were raised initially, but it has all passed, especially in view of our on-going activity. By now, I've been commanding the unit for more than a year."

In January 2011, when the unit was revealed for the first time, it was reported that it had launched about 600 Tamuz missiles during the Second Lebanon War. This electro-optically guided missile, developed as a response to the Egyptian and Syrian armor, became the terror of the Qassam and Katyusha rocket launching detachments in Gaza and Lebanon.

Each missile has a range of 25 kilometers and a velocity of 220 meters per second, and a cost estimated at half a million NIS. The missile became operational as far back as 1981. One year later, the Moran unit was established to operate this missile. It was regarded as an elite, confidential unit.

In 1994, the unit was subordinated to the IDF Artillery Corps and the Meitar unit was established in its place. Many of the soldiers serving in Meitar were originally IAF flight school cadets, naval officer cadets or submarine trainees, who failed to complete those courses. Only by the end of their basic training are the troopers introduced to the missile, through what they call the "revelation march", after which they are stationed at the unit's base in Mitzpe-Ramon. In recent years, since it was revealed, the number of conscripts asking to serve in the unit has increased significantly.

"Any high-quality operational activity being exposed to the public, without the confidential details, contributes to the interest of conscripts to join the corps. In the past, if you asked what the Artillery Corps was, the answer in most cases would be 'something archaic'. Today, it's a modern corps employing a large number of platforms," states Lt. Col. Tomer proudly.

The threats have changed dramatically. How do you make the required adjustments between warfare intended against regular armed forces and tactics designed for pinpoint targets, like enemy launching details on the move?
"We adapt our weapon systems to the current characteristics of the fighting. For example, the need to hit pinpoint targets that are neither armored vehicles nor tanks on the move, using a single missile. The smaller and more mobile the target is, the greater the challenge. The whole concept of engaging pinpoint targets is engaging an adapting enemy and the ability to be relevant. This requires a higher level of proficiency and other capabilities that pertain to the studying of the terrain. It is similar to the way things are done in the Air Force, where the level of competence is maintained on a daily basis. It involves cognitive and technical capabilities of mobilizing the missile and becoming familiar with the terrain. In the context of the conflicts in recent years, we engaged an extensive range of targets, during the Second Lebanon War as well as during Operation Cast Lead."
What does it say about the preparedness for a potential 'Third Lebanon War'?
"The unit is fully competent to handle any mission assigned to it, in the context of a full-scale war or in the context of routine security operations. Today, the system must be modular as things change very quickly. In a full-scale war, we will undertake such tasks as the hunting of rocket launchers as well as providing assistance to the ground maneuver. The unit's competence is generic: everyone can do everything, but eventually, you will select the team that is the most suitable for the specific mission you will assign to it. What takes place today along the Syrian line helps us improve the readiness and preparedness of the unit for war. It is a very interesting sector, and I am glad we are here. Like any other unit or regular battalion, we are at front line positions for nine months out of the year, and we train in the remaining three months. We are currently undergoing a short, six-week refresher course, and then we will head back to the line, after a training exercise that will simulate a full-scale war."

A fascinating debate is currently underway between the IDF Ground Forces and the IAF concerning precision fire. Where do you stand?
"Each branch should retain the capabilities that are relevant to the missions assigned to it. The abilities of precision rockets are important, and should be a part of the independent capabilities of the Ground Forces. It is always necessary to find the right balance between specializing in spatial fire and the independence of organic formations. The Ground Forces should retain its capabilities and its fire potential."

The last launch incident Lt. Col. Tomer commanded occurred in August 2013, when the unit engaged enemy artillery that had fired continuously at one of the towns in the area of Moshav Keshet Yonatan on the Golan Heights.

"It was necessary to eliminate that threat; we engaged that artillery piece and destroyed it from a range of many kilometers."
Do you think that your next launch toward Syria is only a matter of time?
"We aren't in the business of assessments, but in the business of preparedness. We never know when the other side may want to hit us again, but we are ready and attempt to perfect our capabilities every time, whether it involves our techniques and drills or our weapon systems. We attempt to make the most of the resources available to us. The corps cooperates with the defense industries, and several moves have already been initiated in order to improve the accuracy of the missile as well as our preparedness. We live the present day and are ready for the war that may erupt tomorrow."