Known by its Hebrew name, Shayetet 13, or “Flotilla 13,” is an Israeli Navy unit and one of the main reconnaissance units of the Israel Defence Forces. Sea-to-land invasions, counterterrorism, sabotage, gathering marine intelligence, rescuing hostages at sea, and boarding are among the specialisations of Shayetet 13. The unit is trained for sea, air and land actions. The unit has participated in various operations and nearly all of Israel’s major wars.
It also happens to be one of the most secretive units of Israel, if not the world. The identities of current agents and the specifics of several missions are kept under strict confidentiality. The team is regarded as one of the top special forces in the world, with comparisons to the US Navy SEALs and the British Special Boat Service. The unit’s motto is, “As the bat emerges from the darkness, As the blade cuts through with silence, As the grenade smashes in rage.” In addition the unit is also referred to as “people of silence”.
Table of Contents
- Formation and History
- Structure and Training
- Equipment and Technology
- Challenges and Controversies
- Final Thoughts
Formation and History
It was established by Yohai Ben-Nun in 1949 using members of the Palyam, the Palmach’s naval branch, the Haganah’s elite fighting unit, and the Israel Defence Forces’ predecessor. The necessity of having a specialised unit of this kind was a topic of discussion in the early IDF years, and as a result, the unit faced constraints on its size and resources. Shayetet 13 was founded with its existence kept a secret by the state, and its members wore the Israeli Navy’s general insignia instead of their own distinctive one.
Commandos from Shayetet 13 took part in the 1956 Suez Crisis. Prior to the conflict, they carried out multiple abortive reconnaissance missions and subsequently took part in the land campaign as regular soldiers. There was virtually a plan in place for Shayetet 13 commandos to seize an Egyptian Navy vessel. The soldiers in the elite unit were considered too precious to risk for low-priority targets, therefore the operation was abandoned.
The team was tasked with a variety of missions early on from recovering the debris of a Syrian Air Force MiG that had crashed into the Sea of Galilee after being shot down in August 1966 to participating in the 1967 Six-Day War was to neutralise hostile fleets. In the War of Attrition, Shayetet 13 saw a lot of fighting. It frequently supported Sayeret Matkal by conducting recurrent commando attacks in the vicinity of the Suez Canal. Then through the 1970s and into the 90s they participated in everything from joint operations with the Mossad to recover Syrian Jews out of Damascus to raiding Beirut during the war with Lebanon.
Most recently, Shayetet 13 snipers took out Syrian general Muhammad Suleiman in 2008, and then raided the Gaza flotilla of 2010. In the 2014 Gaza War, they were used to raid compounds that were firing rockets as well as manufacturing them. The unit has been heavily active in the most recent war in Gaza as a raiding unit.
Structure and Training
The unit is headquartered at Atlit naval base. The estimated 300 employees of Shayetet 13 are split up into three specialised Pluga (Hebrew for “company”) sections, which are as follows:
- Shayetet 13’s main unit is the Haposhtim (raids) unit: Special reconnaissance, direct-action, maritime counterterrorism, and hostage rescues are among their missions.
- The underwater unit: Its missions encompass anything from sabotage and undersea attacks to beachhead reconnaissance, hydrographic reconnaissance, and security. Not to be confused with the YALTAM unit of defensive divers.
- Above water unit – is similar to an American Special Boat Team and specializes in surface attacks, sea transportation of units to and from target areas
Unlike many other Israeli Special Forces Units which take men only for their 36-month mandatory service, volunteers for Shayetet 13 must agree to service at least four and a half years.
Training
Shayetet 13 recruits go through a rigorous 20-month training programme that is regarded as one of the hardest in the IDF. Teenagers who are considering enlisting in the military can experience a taste of training in diving, boats, raids, navigation, and other areas by enrolling in Shayetet 13’s summer school. Participants in Shayetet 13 go through a five-phase training process:
- Selection process: Twice a year, a selection camp is held to find new members for the unit. The medical profile for every candidate needs to be 97. Every fighter has to be a man. After undergoing a battery of medical examinations, cadets engage in four days of intense physical and mental training. Psychologists and physicians are available to help avoid burnout and physical harm. This stage places a strong emphasis on psychological toughness and assesses candidates’ capacity to handle stress and anxiety. Few people make it through this stage.
- Six months of basic and advanced infantry training with the Nahal Brigade.
- Preparation phase: this three-month period includes advanced training in infantry and weaponry, parachute training, small-boat operation, fundamentals of maritime warfare, lengthy swims, forced marches, and demolitions.
- Combat diving advanced training lasting four weeks. In this training, cadets study the fundamentals of combat diving as well as how to handle adverse conditions like cold, darkness, cloudy water, and high-risk underwater scenarios.
- Phase of dedication: Most dropouts occur during this phase of training, which is the most demanding and lasts for almost a year. Training in close-circuit systems for advanced diving, underwater demolition, sea-to-land assaults using ships, submarines, and parachute jumping are all part of this phase. The snipers in the unit also receive six weeks of sniper training, which is split up into three weeks at the IDF Counter-Terror School for short-range sniper training appropriate for hostage situations, and three weeks at the IDF Sniper School for long-range sniper training. After that, cadets receive training in maritime counter-terrorism manoeuvres like boarding ships, rigs, and structures close to the coast. Based on their skills and interests, troops are split up among the three specialized groups throughout this phase and trained on their specialization.
Cadets receive instruction in a range of martial arts during their training, including Israel’s national martial art, Krav Maga, which is a style of hand-to-hand combat.
At the conclusion of their training, recruits from other special forces units and pilot cadets must also complete a course on enduring enemy captivity, which is required of Shayetet 13 recruits. After an unexpected, fictitious kidnapping, they spend two weeks in detention facilities, where they endure physical abuse, threats, and interrogation in addition to being made to perform degrading tasks.
Equipment and Technology
The Shayetet 13 unit utilizes a variety of weapons and equipment, and much if it is considered a close guarded trade secret. We do know that they use the following weapons systems:
- M4 carbine
- AK-47
- M203 grenade launcher
- CTAR-21 carbine
- X95 carbine
- Uzi 9mm Sub-machine gun
- Negev machine gun
- SR-25 sniper rifle
- M24 sniper rifle
- Glock pistols
Their main mode of transportation are Zodiac RHIB boats, Morena RHIB boats, and Snunit fast attack craft.
Challenges and Controversies
The Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth revealed in 2000 that Shayetet 13 veterans experienced a notably elevated risk of cancer and other grave ailments in contrast to the whole populace. After it, the IDF established a panel of inquiry. The highly contaminated Kishon River, which the unit utilised for swimming and diving drills up until the early 1990s, was thought to be the source of the problem. At the same time, hazardous chemicals were being routinely dumped into the river by Haifa’s petrochemical plants.
The committee of investigation declared that it could not discover statistical evidence linking diving in the Kishon River to cancer, but it was unable to come to a definitive judgement. After significant discussion, a compromise was struck whereby certain troops were acknowledged to have developed ailments as a result of their military service, while others were not. In the years that followed, unacknowledged veterans and commercial fisherman who fished in and near the river launched numerous, fruitless lawsuits against the government and the polluting industries.
Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz issued an order for a fresh probe into the situation in December 2021. The investigation concluded that the high rates of disease had been caused by pollution and that the soldiers’ exposure to hazardous substances in the Kishon River was “incomparable to any other case like it.” Thus, the Israeli Defence Ministry declared all veterans who had trained in the Kishon River to be disabled veterans regardless of the kind of the sickness they later suffered.
Final Thoughts
Shayetet 13 stands not only as a silent force within Israel’s military but as a beacon of excellence that transcends national borders. Its legacy, marked by achievements, sacrifices, and a commitment to the highest standards, resonates in the annals of military history. As we salute the heroes of Shayetet 13 and reflect on their silent contributions to global security, we acknowledge that, even in the shadows, their impact is enduring and their legacy, formidable.
