IDF Underwater Special Missions Unit

The Elite and Classified Units You’ve Never Heard of:

IDF Underwater Special Missions Unit

Serving under the Israeli Navy, the Underwater Missions Unit’s soldiers are specially trained to perform intricate tasks, from underwater welding to salvaging entire ships from the depths of the sea. The soldiers undergo a prestigious year-long course, which prepares them for any and all underwater operations. By the end of the course, the soldiers will be world-class divers and will be able to dive up to a remarkable 90 meter depth!

The Alpine Unit

The Alpine Unit perfects regional-specific defense tactics such as shooting while skiing and even snowmobiling at exhilarating speeds. This unit is uniquely comprised of volunteer reserve soldiers who served in elite units during their regular service. Having proved their skills as infantry troops against Israel’s greatest challenges, the soldiers return for reserve duty into one of the most demanding natural battlefields – The Hermon Mountain.

669

The 669 specializes in Search and Rescue evacuations, utilizing the world’s most advanced helicopters to administer immediate medical care to those in need. This rescue unit was founded as a result of a fatal plane crash between two Israeli Air Force jets when a crew member drowned during the failed rescue attempts, during the frozen winter of 1974. The elite soldiers train for over a year and a half to hone their skills in becoming expert rescuers. At the end of the training the soldiers will thrive in even the most extreme of situations, such as a rescue evacuation from Israel’s highest mountain top, at minus 5 degrees. Today, about 70% of the unit’s evacuations operations have aided both the Israeli and Palestinian civilian population.

Meitar Unit

Meitar is a special, elite and top secret unit of the IDF, whose soldiers specialize in an Israel-made, hi-tech, anti-tank missile called the Tamuz. It has a range of 25km with a velocity of 220m/sec. The missile is launched by operating a detonator which is set on the top of an armored personnel vehicle. This detonator is operated by a squad of four, an APC commander, a driver and two navigators. In order to operate the equipment, the soldiers undergo nearly 12 months of special training, culminating in an 85km trek to test their abilities in missile navigation and operation.