Training for natural disasters
Following a natural disaster, one of the IAF’s main missions is evacuation of injured civilians.
In mid-June, Israel’s emergency forces and the Israel Defence Force (IDF) trained for an earthquake scenario involving thousands of injured civilians and hundreds of destroyed homes. The wide-scale, week-long training exercise was led by the IDF’s Home Front Command.
The Israeli Air Forces (IAF) Yanshuf (Black Hawk) transport helicopter squadrons Rolling Sword and Desert Birds participated in the week long exercise that. The helicopters were responsible for transporting Home Front Command troops, transporting supplies and evacuating injured individuals to hospitals. The Israeli Police also operated various aircraft, including patrol helicopters and firefighting aircraft, said the IAF.
“The IAF’s advantage gives it a significant role in an extreme earthquake scenario,” explained Maj. Yoav, head of the search and rescue section of the Air Support Department. “The aircraft will have an important role in the reflection of the aerial image for the various forces. The UAV and Surveillance Division will perform aerial photography and gather intelligence, abilities exclusive to an aerial force. The Air Force is the eyes in the sky when the ground shakes.”
Following a natural disaster, one of the IAF’s main missions is evacuation of injured civilians, said Maj. Yoav: “The assistance of transport aircraft in such a situation allows the forces to reach blocked areas in relatively short times. When dealing with human life, every minute become critical. Sometimes, there is no room in hospitals for the injured individual. In such a situation, we will fly them to a different hospital, even if it’s in the other side of the country”.
Before performing missions from the air, there are many necessary preparations that the IAF conducts in order to provide quality air support, most of which are performed on the ground, said the Force. The IAF’s Cooperation Unit and Teleprocessing Battalion established an Aerial Command Room alongside all of the other command rooms in the field.
Maj. Tal, a department head in the Cooperation Unit and an aircrew member from the Elephants Squadron, commented: “From the command room, I communicate with every element relevant to aerial activity. The Cooperation Unit’s personnel are the IAF’s representatives in the field. Every scenario that requires IAF assistance outside of the Air Force is managed by the Participation Department, but the ones in the field who connect between all of the relevant elements are us.”