Troops poised for ground
offensive By Richard M Bennett
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have
undoubtedly prepared for the eventuality of a
ground invasion of the Lebanon. It has called up a
considerable proportion of those reserves
earmarked for the Northern Command, which covers
both the Lebanese and Syrian battlefronts.
While the air offensive is spectacular and
highly effective in destroying the civilian
infrastructure of Lebanon and targeting important
members of Hezbollah's leadership, the only truly
effective means of destroying the terrorist
group's military capability is with ground troops
and occupation of the areas used to fire missiles
into Israel.
Only ground troops can be
expected to find the hidden arms
dumps and command bunkers and
seal the borders with Syria to prevent
reinforcements and replacement weapons reaching
Hezbollah.
It now only awaits the
political decision from Jerusalem before the army
will try to finish the job started by the air
force.
IDF ground operations The current ground actions have been limited
thus far to concentrated artillery barrages and
special forces operations used to identify and
target Hezbollah defensive positions and to some
extent prepare the battlefield for any future
ground invasion.
These have not been
without considerable risk to the IDF, as without
doubt the main Hezbollah combat units are well
trained, heavily armed and above all, fanatically
motivated to fight.
Assuming that any
future invasion of Lebanon will be restricted to
destroying the Hezbollah infrastructure in the
southern part of the country and the lower Bekaa
Valley, then it is likely that no more than four
or five armored and mechanized brigades, supported
by special forces and additional mobile artillery
units, would attempt to quickly push about 30
kilometers to the north and establish defensive
positions along the Litani River.
However,
this has a number of serious military drawbacks
for Israel.
Hezbollah missiles would still have the range
to hit deep within Israel.
A considerable percentage of Hezbollah's most
valuable assets would still be beyond the new
Israeli frontline.
Syria and Iran, via Syria, would still be able
to re-supply and even reinforce Hezbollah.
Israel's advanced positions would have a
dangerously exposed flank opposite Syria.
It would allow international diplomatic
pressure time to halt the Israeli advance along
the Litani and make it very difficult for Israel
to then push further north, even if the military
situation demanded it.
Therefore, a
full-scale invasion, deploying a minimum of three
full divisions, is also being considered, which
would allow the IDF to reach the southern
outskirts of Beirut, occupy large parts of the
Bekaa Valley and seal the border with Syria.
Full-scale invasion Despite the
economic cost to Israel and the international
outcry that it would undoubtedly cause, a
full-scale invasion would have some considerable
advantages for Israel. It would provide Israel
with bargaining counters and an opportunity to
influence the future makeup of the Lebanese
government.
It would push Hezbollah so far to the north
that only its very longest range missiles, fewer
in number, would still be able to hit Israel.
Israel's air defenses would be given more time
to track and destroy incoming missiles safely over
Lebanon.
Syria and Iran would find it far more
difficult to re-supply Hezbollah.
Israel's armored units in the Bekaa would then
be stationed far beyond the present border and
with a potential to swing even further north and
therefore behind the main Syrian front line
positions between the Golan and the capital,
Damascus - thus providing the Syrians with a
military threat to which they would have little or
no answer in the immediate future.
Combat units If there is a land
invasion, whether limited or more ambitious, it is
likely to be led by three of the IDF's most famous
elite combat units. These are the GOLANI
Mechanized Brigade, which would probably seal off
or actually advance into the Bekaa Valley. The
BARAK Armored Brigade with the most modern
Merkava-3 battle tanks will probably punch its way
up the heavily defended coast highway toward the
Litani or onward to Beirut.
And finally
the 7th Armored Brigade would probably be used to
destroy Hezbollah forces between the Lebanese
border and the town of Tibnin on the Litani River,
but most importantly to support either of the
flank units and exploit any opportunities.
Of these three elite units, only the BARAK
is part of the Northern Command (PAZAN); the 7th
and the GOLANI are part of the Army Commands Rapid
Reaction Force. This also includes at least eight
other elite armored, airborne and parachute
brigades.
Northern Command The
Northern Command when fully mobilized for war
would include the following major units:
36th Armored Division (three to four armored
brigades) - a regular unit.
91st Regional Division
252nd Reserve Armored Division
ADOM (Eilat) Reserve Armored Division
PELED Reserve Armored Division
YOFFE Reserve Armored Division
These
are supported by independent mechanized infantry
brigades, additional mobile artillery, combat
engineers with bridging equipment and numerous
special forces units, including the PAZAN 12 and
PAZAN 14 Northern Command Special Combat Teams for
operations behind enemy lines and the T'ZASAM
Special Reconnaissance Team capable of airborne
insertion for visual reconnaissance operations
deep within enemy territory.
Northern
Command, even without significant reinforcement,
would at full strength have about 180,000-200,000
men and women, several thousand battle tanks and
about 3,000 armored combat vehicles and
self-propelled artillery, multiple rocket and
missile launchers.
IDF air
operations The current air offensive
against Hezbollah and the infrastructure of
Lebanon is being carried out mainly by the
following units: KANAF-1
109 Squadron "The Valley Squadron" F-16D Block
30 Barak
110 Squadron "Kings of the North" F-16C/D
Block 30 Barak
117 Squadron "First Jet" F-16C/D Block 30
Barak operating from Ramat David Air Base,
southeast of Haifa.
118 Squadron "Nocturnal Birds of Prey" 20
CH-53-2000 (Troop carriers) operating from Tel Nof
Air Base, east of Ashdod on the coast.
KANAF-30
160 Squadron "Northern Cobra" AS-1S III Cobra
(anti-tank and ground support)
161 Squadron "Southern Cobra" ("First Attack")
AS-1S III Cobra (anti-tank and ground
support)operating from Palmachim Air Base, south
of Tel Aviv.
Support These units
are being supported by other air combat units
based in central and southern Israel as and when
necessary. In the event that a long-range strike
is required on Syrian or even Iranian targets, the
strategic long-range aircraft of KANAF-6, 69
Squadron "Ha'patishim" ("Hammers") 25 F-15I based
at Hatzerim AB, southern Israel, west of
Beersheba, would be called on to support the
F15C/D, F16C/D and F16I.
Israel has
acquired at least 500 US BLU-109 "bunker buster"
bombs and significantly a fleet of B707 in-flight
refuelers, giving the IDF an extended reach of
more than a 1,000-mile radius.
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(Copyright 2006 AFI
Research. Used with permission.)
