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Camp Ariel Sharon ( he, מחנה אריאל שרון, ''Mahane Ariel Sharon''), also called the City of Training Bases ( he, עיר הבה"דים, ''Ir HaBahadim''), is a complex of military bases being built in southern Israel, belonging to the
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the Israel, State of Israel. It consists of three servic ...
and named after the former Major General and Prime Minister
Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon (; ; ; also known by his diminutive Arik, , born Ariel Scheinermann, ; 26 February 1928 – 11 January 2014) was an Israeli general and politician who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Israel from March 2001 until April 2006.
S ...
. In total, it is a
NIS
Nis, Niš, NiS or NIS may refer to:
Places
* Niš, a city in Serbia
* Nis, Iran, a village
* Ness, Lewis ( gd, Nis, links=no), a village in the Outer Hebrides islands
Businesses and organizations
* Naftna Industrija Srbije, Petroleum Industry o ...
50 billion project.
Upon completion it will be the largest military base in the country, with the ability to house over 10,000 recruits in training. The base is located near
Yeruham
Yeruham ( he, יְרוֹחַם, ''Yeroham'') is a town ( local council) in the Southern District of Israel, in the Negev desert. It covers 38,584 dunams (~38.6 km²), and had a population of in . It is named after the Biblical Jeroham.
Un ...
and next to the
Negev
The Negev or Negeb (; he, הַנֶּגֶב, hanNegév; ar, ٱلنَّقَب, an-Naqab) is a desert and semidesert region of southern Israel. The region's largest city and administrative capital is Beersheba (pop. ), in the north. At its southe ...
Junction of roads
40 and
224.
The base will serve as an umbrella training facility, housing
training bases 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 20 and other training bases, including noncombat
recruit training
Military recruit training, commonly known as basic training or boot camp, refers to the initial instruction of new military personnel. It is a physically and psychologically intensive process, which resocializes its subjects for the unique deman ...
bases. It will cover a built-up area of
History
The project was formulated by the
Planning Directorate The Planning Directorate was the central body in the Israel Defense Forces' General Staff whose focus was on the strategic and tactical planning, the building of military forces, and military organization of the armed forces. It also served as a ...
of the Israel Defense Forces in 2002 as part of a multi-year plan. The cornerstone was laid on December 1, 2003 and the project was approved by the
Israeli cabinet in April 2007.
The headquarters of the base was inaugurated in November 2014. The Adjutant Corps School will move into the base in February 2015, followed by the Military Police School.
Planning and construction
The View to the Negev
concern, which comprises
Minrav,
Binat and
Electra
Electra (; grc, Ήλέκτρα) is one of the most popular mythological characters in tragedies.Evans (1970), p. 79 She is the main character in two Greek tragedies, '' Electra'' by Sophocles and '' Electra'' by Euripides. She is also the centra ...
, is building the project and will maintain it for 25 years, at a cost of
NIS
Nis, Niš, NiS or NIS may refer to:
Places
* Niš, a city in Serbia
* Nis, Iran, a village
* Ness, Lewis ( gd, Nis, links=no), a village in the Outer Hebrides islands
Businesses and organizations
* Naftna Industrija Srbije, Petroleum Industry o ...
12 billion, under a
private-public partnership.
The base was designed overall by the architect
Ofer Kolker. Participating architectural firms include Zarhi Architects, Bar Hana Architects and the architect Shlomo Gendler.
The complex is planned to consist of 120 buildings. This includes 31 residential buildings, a dining room and kitchen, conference hall, commercial center, 12 schools, 12 technical workshops and logistics centers, 11 electrical substations, and some synagogues.
The City of Training Bases will be largely closed to private vehicles. A
bike share program is being considered for the permanent staff of the base to get around. The base itself will be served by a transportation hub that will replace the existing hub in Camp Natan (
Beersheba
Beersheba or Beer Sheva, officially Be'er-Sheva ( he, בְּאֵר שֶׁבַע, ''Bəʾēr Ševaʿ'', ; ar, بئر السبع, Biʾr as-Sabʿ, Well of the Oath or Well of the Seven), is the largest city in the Negev desert of southern Israel. ...
), and later by a railway line.
Environmental planning
The planning was made around the Sekher Stream which passes through the base. A hill was created from the excess earth dug up during construction. Thousands of trees and over 100,000 plants in total will be planted throughout the base. According to the landscape architect Izzy Blanc, the base will largely resemble an urban park. All of the water that will be used to water the plants will be
reclaimed water
Water reclamation (also called wastewater reuse, water reuse or water recycling) is the process of converting municipal wastewater
Sewage (or domestic sewage, domestic wastewater, municipal wastewater) is a type of wastewater that is produce ...
.
Each building in the campus will have an energy usage meter, and planners hope that this will encourage conservation among soldiers.
Bases and facilities
The City of Training Bases will house the following military bases:
* The School for Logistics (Bahad 6), moving from Camp Yigael Yadin (
Tzrifin
Tzrifin ( he, צְרִיפִין) is an area in Gush Dan (Dan Region) in central Israel, located on the eastern side of Rishon LeZion and including parts of Be'er Ya'akov. The area proper is defined as an 'area without jurisdiction' between the two ...
)
* The School for Telecommunications (Bahad 7), moving from Tzrifin
* The School for Medicine (Bahad 10), moving from Tzrifin
* The Adjutant Corps School (Bahad 11), moving from Tzrifin
* The Military Police School (Bahad 13), moving from Camp Mota Gur
* The Ordnance Corps School (Bahad 20), moving from Tzrifin
* The Education Corps School, moving from Camp Sha'arei Avraham
* The Liaison (
COGAT) School
* A recruit training base that will replace Camp Dotan ("Camp 80") and Batar Nitzanim
The hill made from the excess earth will contain a monument to the late Israeli general and prime minister
Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon (; ; ; also known by his diminutive Arik, , born Ariel Scheinermann, ; 26 February 1928 – 11 January 2014) was an Israeli general and politician who served as the 11th Prime Minister of Israel from March 2001 until April 2006.
S ...
.
Structure and command
Below is a list of commanders for the base:
Impact
The base, one of the biggest in Israel, is expect to create a large number of jobs in the remote area where it is being built, especially in
Yeruham
Yeruham ( he, יְרוֹחַם, ''Yeroham'') is a town ( local council) in the Southern District of Israel, in the Negev desert. It covers 38,584 dunams (~38.6 km²), and had a population of in . It is named after the Biblical Jeroham.
Un ...
.
References
External links
*
{{coord, 31.0600, N, 34.8461, E, source:wikidata, display=title
Military installations of Israel
Southern District (Israel)
Ariel Sharon