Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
Oz Brigade
Israeli military special operations brigade From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
The 89th Brigade "Oz" ("Courage" in Hebrew) is a special forces brigade of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).[2] It was established in December 2015. The new brigade, dubbed the Commando Brigade, is composed solely of infantry special-operations units removed from their previous chain of command structures to create a new tactical formation.[3] Commanded by Colonel Omer Cohen, the brigade operates as part of the 98th Division.[3][4][5]
Remove ads
Ideation and development
Summarize
Perspective
According to the IDF, the Commando Brigade is the brainchild of Lieutenant General Gadi Eisenkot and is the implementation of operational lessons learned during Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014 and the Second Lebanon War in 2006. According to the 98th Division Commander, the brigade is an integration of the elite teams of the Infantry Corps under one command, and a body expected to lead operational and tactical thinking in order to establish a new warfare doctrine.[3][6] The new Brigade is intended to provide special operations units a previously lacking centre of gravity.[4]
The concept of a commando brigade was developed by IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot during the formulation of the 5-years military plan. The new brigade is said to draw further parallels between Israel's special forces and the American 75th Ranger Regiment.[7]
Other special-operations units, Sayeret Matkal, Shayetet 13, Shaldag, Oketz and Yahalom continue to operate independently.[8]
Brigade organization
The 89th Brigade consists of three (formerly four) commando units of the IDF.[3][4] The brigade had a fourth battalion, the now defunct Unit 845, or "Rimon", desert warfare unit, which was absorbed into Maglan in June 2018.[9] It also has an elite transport unit tasked with transporting special operations soldiers to and from battlefields in a variety of conditions,[10] assorted support units, and a commando training school. As of 2025, the brigade consists of:
Remove ads
Commanders
- Brigadier General David Zini (2015–2017)
- Brigadier General Avi Blot (2017–2018)
- Colonel Kobi Heller (2018 –2021)
- Brigadier General Meni Liberty (2021–2023)
- Colonel Omer Cohen (2023-present)
Insignia
The insignia chosen for the new brigade depicts the Hebrew letter Quf (ק), the first letter in the Hebrew word for Commando (קומנדו), composed of a commando knife rising from the sea and a double headed arrow above it. It symbolizes the special designation of the brigade and its mobility, by air, land or sea.[3][13]
See also
- Special forces of Israel
- Mista'arvim
- 11th 'Yiftach' Brigade - functions as the reserve commando brigade in the IDF
References
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads