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Unit 5101, more commonly known as Shaldag (, '' Kingfisher''), is one of the premier Israeli Air Force (IAF) Sayeret units. The unit is part of the 7th Special Air Forces Wing and is based in the
Palmachim Airbase Palmachim Airbase (, ) is an Israeli Air Force, Israeli Air Force (IAF) base and spaceport, which the IAF and the Israel Space Agency, Israel Space Agency (ISA) operate jointly. It is located west of the city of Yavne on the Mediterranean coas ...
. The unit is led by an officer at the rank of lieutenant colonel. It specializes in clandestine operation, combat search and rescue, commando style raids, hostage rescue, irregular warfare, long-range penetration, military intelligence operations, special operations, and special reconnaissance within enemy territory.


History

Shaldag was founded in 1974, in the aftermath of the
Yom Kippur War The Yom Kippur War, also known as the Ramadan War, the October War, the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab–Israeli War, was fought from 6 to 25 October 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states led by Egypt and S ...
, by Muki Betser, a Sayeret Matkal veteran who brought several Matkal veterans with him. Initially operating as a Sayeret Matkal reserve company, it was eventually transferred to the IAF. Shaldag's mission is to deploy undetected into combat and hostile environments to conduct special
reconnaissance In military operations, military reconnaissance () or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, the terrain, and civil activities in the area of operations. In military jargon, reconnai ...
, establish assault zones or airfields, while simultaneously conducting air traffic control and commando actions. Shaldag operates from
Palmachim Airbase Palmachim Airbase (, ) is an Israeli Air Force, Israeli Air Force (IAF) base and spaceport, which the IAF and the Israel Space Agency, Israel Space Agency (ISA) operate jointly. It is located west of the city of Yavne on the Mediterranean coas ...
. Its soldiers carry M16 or
M4A1 The M4 carbine (officially Carbine, Caliber 5.56 mm, M4) is a 5.56×45mm NATO assault rifle developed in the United States during the 1980s. It is a shortened version of the M16A2 rifle, M16A2 assault rifle. The M4 is extensively used by ...
assault rifles fitted with the M203 grenade launcher. For special missions, they carry Glock 17 and 19 9×19mm series pistols and
Mauser Mauser, originally the Königlich Württembergische Gewehrfabrik, was a German arms manufacturer. Their line of bolt-action rifles and semi-automatic pistols was produced beginning in the 1870s for the German armed forces. In the late 19th and ...
SR 82/66 sniper rifles.


Recruitment and training

To be considered for service in the unit, a candidate must have a medical profile between 82-97. Candidates who pass the initial commando units day selection, undergo a five-day commando selection trial (which also tests candidates for Sayeret Matkal and Unit 669). Candidates who are accepted are enlisted in the November draft. Medics in the unit are drafted in August. Shaldag Unit operators undergo the longest training phase of any unit in the IDF, lasting 22 months, and training has a heavy emphasis on navigation. Training consists of phases, with navigation exercises between each phase, designed to provide extensive navigation experience while alleviating intense physical tension from long forced marches with heavy weights. The phases are:http://www.isayeret.com/content/units/air/shaldag/article.shtml * Six months of basic and advanced infantry training. * Parachuting course at the IDF's parachuting school. * Counter-terrorism course at the IDF's counter-terrorism school. * All-weather and all-terrain navigation exercises. * Air-to-ground cooperation and airborne operations. * Intelligence gathering, communication, and reconnaissance training. * Specialized training for those with designated roles such as medics and snipers. * Two-week course in enduring enemy captivity, including being subjected to a surprise mock kidnapping, held in prison-like conditions, and subjected to threats, interrogation, physical violence, and humiliation. At the end of training, Shaldag operators receive a book about David Stirling, founder of the British
Special Air Service The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special forces unit of the British Army. It was founded as a regiment in 1941 by David Stirling, and in 1950 it was reconstituted as a corps. The unit specialises in a number of roles including counter-terr ...
, and the SAS's actions in North Africa during World War II. Unit members who finish their training are required to sign on for 24 months of career services, in addition to their mandatory service of 2 years and 8 months.


Unit pin and emblem

The unit's warrior pin and the unit's insignia were created in 1987 while Avihu Ben-Nun was the IAF commander. The warrior pin includes a kingfisher, wings, and a star of David. The unit's name apparently originates from a saying of David Stirling: that his unit would come down on an enemy like a kingfisher comes down on its prey.


Known operations

Shaldag carried out several missions during Operation Litani of 1978. One of its last missions was reconnaissance near Hasbaya. The unit crossed into enemy territory, came under fire, and a team commander lost his leg to a landmine. The company commander managed to retreat without further casualties or the loss of equipment. It took part in the 1982 Lebanon War, and assisted in Operation Mole Cricket 19. In 1984 Shaldag took part in Operation Moses in
Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...
. In 1991 it took part in Operation Solomon: On May 24–25, under the command of
Benny Gantz Benjamin Gantz ( ; born 9 June 1959) is an Israeli politician and retired army general. He served as a Minister without portfolio#Israel, minister without portfolio from 2023 to 2024, as the Ministry of Defense (Israel), minister of defense bet ...
, Shaldag unit secured the airlift of 14,000 Ethiopian Jews from
Addis Ababa Addis Ababa (; ,) is the capital city of Ethiopia, as well as the regional state of Oromia. With an estimated population of 2,739,551 inhabitants as of the 2007 census, it is the largest city in the country and the List of cities in Africa b ...
to Israel. During the
First Intifada The First Intifada (), also known as the First Palestinian Intifada, was a sustained series of Nonviolent resistance, non-violent protests, acts of civil disobedience, Riot, riots, and Terrorism, terrorist attacks carried out by Palestinians ...
, its operatives were the first to mount undercover operations in civilian disguises in the Palestinian territories, prior to the formation of the Samson Unit and Duvdevan Unit. During the 1982–2000 South Lebanon conflict, Shaldag took part in operations
Accountability In ethics and governance, accountability is equated with answerability, culpability, liability, and the expectation of account-giving. As in an aspect of governance, it has been central to discussions related to problems in the public secto ...
and Grapes of Wrath. It proved particularly valuable during the latter, when it helped quickly pinpoint Hezbollah rocket squads in time for the Israeli Air Force to take them out. It received the Chief of Staff Citation for its conduct in that operation. It also participated in the
Second Intifada The Second Intifada (; ), also known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada, was a major uprising by Palestinians against Israel and its Israeli-occupied territories, occupation from 2000. Starting as a civilian uprising in Jerusalem and October 2000 prot ...
, and is known to have been responsible for the assassination of Yussef Abu Sway, a Palestinian militant who had taken part in shooting attacks against Israelis. During the
2006 Lebanon War The 2006 Lebanon War was a 34-day armed conflict in Lebanon, fought between Hezbollah and Israel. The war started on 12 July 2006, and continued until a United Nations-brokered ceasefire went into effect in the morning on 14 August 2006, thoug ...
, Shaldag took part in Operation Sharp and Smooth, the August 1 raid on
Baalbek Baalbek (; ; ) is a city located east of the Litani River in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley, about northeast of Beirut. It is the capital of Baalbek-Hermel Governorate. In 1998, the city had a population of 82,608. Most of the population consists of S ...
. Delivered by helicopters near Baalbek at 01:00, its troops proceeded north to the Sheik Habib neighborhood in order to arrest suspected
Hezbollah Hezbollah ( ; , , ) is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and paramilitary group. Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese Parliament. I ...
operatives. En route, they encountered four Hezbollah fighters and killed them. A total of 19 Hezbollah fighters were killed, with no Israeli fatalities. In 2007 Shaldag was also reportedly involved in Operation Orchard, the destruction of a Syrian nuclear reactor. The unit is reported to have infiltrated an underground depot near the Syrian site suspected of being a
nuclear reactor A nuclear reactor is a device used to initiate and control a Nuclear fission, fission nuclear chain reaction. They are used for Nuclear power, commercial electricity, nuclear marine propulsion, marine propulsion, Weapons-grade plutonium, weapons ...
, in order to designate the target for the incoming Israeli fighters that destroyed it. During the 2014 Gaza War, Shaldag operatives assisted in uncovering Hamas tunnels, and provided support for IDF units operating during fighting in Gaza. Notably, a Shaldag sniper team supported Nahal Brigade infantry forces in the northern Gaza Strip. According to the Israeli Air Force's official twitter, Shaldag is actively involved in the
Gaza war The Gaza war is an armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel fought since 7 October 2023. A part of the unresolved Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflict, Gaza–Israel conflicts dating ...
.


October 7 surprise attack

Following the surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the unit was deployed to fight Hamas terrorists in the communities they had infiltrated. The unit's fighters were flown by helicopters to the rear of the terrorist units and fought in the Battle of Re'im Camp, the Battle of Kibbutz Be'eri, the Battle of Kibbutz Alumim, the Battle of Holit, and the Battle of Kfar Aza. Sayeret Matkal fighters fought for long hours to clear the communities of terrorists and rescue the residents. In the following days, they engaged in face-to-face combat with terrorists in several hotspots, killing dozens of terrorists and rescuing dozens of residents. During the battles to liberate the communities, five of the unit's fighters were killed.


2023 Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip

The unit participated in the raid on Shifa Hospital and the exposure of Hamas's tunnel network beneath it, together with Yahalom fighters from the Combat Engineering Corps and Oketz Unit. During the operation at Shifa Hospital, Sayeret Matkal fighters arrested five Hamas fighters and uncovered about 30 vehicles belonging to the terrorists, some equipped with military gear and communication devices. On December 20, Sayeret Matkal, along with Shayetet 13, the 401st Brigade, and Oketz fighters, completed the takeover of the "Senior Officials' Quarter" of
Hamas The Islamic Resistance Movement, abbreviated Hamas (the Arabic acronym from ), is a Palestinian nationalist Sunni Islam, Sunni Islamism, Islamist political organisation with a military wing, the Qassam Brigades. It has Gaza Strip under Hama ...
in Palestine Square in the Rimal neighborhood in central Gaza City. The quarter served as the main governmental and security hub of Hamas. The complex includes an extensive tunnel network connecting the offices of senior officials, safe houses, offices, and residences of the military wing and the military leadership of Hamas in the Gaza Strip.


Raid in Masyaf

On September 8, 2024, the journalist Barak Ravid reported on the Axios website that the Shaldag unit conducted a
raid RAID (; redundant array of inexpensive disks or redundant array of independent disks) is a data storage virtualization technology that combines multiple physical Computer data storage, data storage components into one or more logical units for th ...
in
Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
near the city of Masyaf and destroyed an underground precision missile factory that built by Iran. The Shaldag soldiers surprised the Syrian guards at the facility and killed several of them during the raid. The forces used explosives they brought with them in order to blow up the underground facility. At the same time as the raid, fighter jets of the Israeli Air Force carried out the airstrikes designed to prevent the Syrian army from sending reinforcements to the area. This was confirmed by the Israeli Air Force in January 2025.


2024 Israeli invasion of Syria

The Shaldag unit partook in military operations during the Israeli invasion of Syria in December 2024. During the invasion, the unit conducted a raid into the Mount Hermon area located within the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) buffer zone in the
Golan Heights The Golan Heights, or simply the Golan, is a basaltic plateau at the southwest corner of Syria. It is bordered by the Yarmouk River in the south, the Sea of Galilee and Hula Valley in the west, the Anti-Lebanon mountains with Mount Hermon in t ...
. The raid was confirmed by a Twitter post by the Israeli Air Force, with photos depicting the unit's troops on Mount Hermon during the raid.


Notable members

* Muki Betser *
Benny Gantz Benjamin Gantz ( ; born 9 June 1959) is an Israeli politician and retired army general. He served as a Minister without portfolio#Israel, minister without portfolio from 2023 to 2024, as the Ministry of Defense (Israel), minister of defense bet ...
*
Doron Almog Doron Almog (; born 1951 as Doron Avrotzky) is a former major general in the Israel Defense Forces reserves. In 2016, he received the Israel Prize for his lifetime of achievement.
* Tal Russo * Gal Hirsch


See also

* United States Air Force Combat Control Team * Israeli special forces units


References

{{Air force infantry Air force special forces units Special forces of Israel Israeli Air Force units Military units and formations established in 1974 1974 establishments in Israel