Israel Matzav

IDF heads for the hills

The IDF is building mountain bunkers in which it will store and protect sensitive arms and equipment.

The multi-million-dollar plan was created by the IDF’s Logistics and Technology Directorate, and is set to receive a dedicated budget from the General Staff in the military’s next multi-year plan – expected to go into effect in 2012.

Under the plan, next year the IDF will begin building a relatively small bunker of several thousand square meters inside a mountain whose location is classified. If the project is successful, it will enter the next phase, which includes building several more bunkers over the next few years.

Following the Second Lebanon War against Hizbullah in 2006 – and amid predictions that IDF bases will be targeted in a future conflict – the Logistics and Technology Directorate formulated the plan, dubbed “Operational Continuity.” Its primary objective is to disperse important equipment into mountain bunkers across the country.

“At the same time, we need to be able to continue to supply troops who will be operating behind enemy lines, and have a limited amount of supplies with them.”

The army will also bolster protection of sensitive locations – such as warehouses where advanced weapons are stored. Bunkers inside mountains could serve as an alternative to open bases, the officer said.

“We work under the assumption that in the next war, IDF bases will be targeted,” a senior officer said on Monday.

Read the whole thing.

Two small questions: If this was known to be an issue during the Second Lebanon War - four and a half years ago - why was nothing done about it until now?

And given the existence of Google Earth all over the place, how are we going to prevent enemies from seeing these bunkers under construction, let alone prevent them from seeing trucks loading and unloading at their entrances?

Labels: Google Earth, weapons tunnels

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 5:49 PM