Chief of Staff Gen. Mordechai Gur expressed satisfaction today with the performance of Israeli military units in a 48-hour exercise on the Golan Heights that ended yesterday. He said he was convinced that the Israeli Defense Forces would measure up to higher standards than ever, should a new war break out, exceeding even the achievements of the Yom Kippur War.
The military maneuvers, the first on the Golan Heights since the Yom Kippur War, involved armor, infantry, paratroopers, artillery, engineers and the air force. The exercise marked the end of a prolonged training period. Gur noted that most of the troops participating in it did not see action in the Yom Kippur War. Only part of the officers cadre had actual combat experience. Nevertheless, he said, the various units acquitted themselves well in the mock battles, which called for breaching enemy lines, opening salients for tank advances and containing actions. New weapons were employed and the lessons of the Yom Kippur War were applied. Gur said.
The maneuvers that ended yesterday were part of a series of military exercises intended to keep Israeli forces at combat readiness. Last month large-scale simulated battles were conducted in Sinai accompanied by a practice mobilization and call-up of the reserves.
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