Combat Intelligence Collection Corps

The Israeli Combat Intelligence Collection Corps is the newest of the IDF GOC Army Headquarters' five corps, created in April 2000 and tasked with collecting combat intelligence. It is responsible for intelligence units from the battalion level and up to the entire force. Accordingly, it is professionally subordinate to the Military Intelligence Directorate. Due to the need for collecting combat intelligence and in maintaining observation networks, it is in the midst of expansion.

Structure
The corps consists of the following units:


 * The Shahaf (Seagull) 869 Battalion (Northern Command).
 * The Nitzan 636 Battalion (Central Command).
 * The Nesher (Eagle) 414 Battalion (Southern Command).
 * The Combat Intelligence School, also known as the Center for Reconnaissance and Intelligence
 * The Unit Command, in The Central Command Of IDF in Tel-Aviv

Special units
Each Battalion has a special unit for classified high risk operations. The soldiers selected for the special units are the best from the Combat Intelligence Collection Corps.


 * The Nesher (Eagle) 414 special unit called "HaNayedet" (The Moving) – the unit operates on the Gaza Strip and the Egyptian border
 * The Shahaf (Seagull) 869 special unit called "HaMovil" (The Leader/The Designated Unit) – the unit operates on the Lebanon border
 * The Nitzan 636 special unit called "Zikit" (Cameleon) – the unit operates in the West Bank

Training
The training is nearly similar at the beginning between normal and special forces. The only big difference is that the Special Forces' training is 2 months longer and hast in the last two months different training and much harder.


 * Special Forces
 * Basic Training 4 months (Rifleman 04) – Combat Intelligence School
 * Advanced Training 4 months (Collecting Fighter 07) – Combat Intelligence School
 * Unit Training (here each unit has its own training that takes around 2 months) – Northern, Southern and Central command


 * Normal Forces
 * Basic Training 3 months (Rifleman 03) – Combat Intelligence School
 * Advanced Training 3 months (Collecting Fighter 07) – Combat Intelligence School
 * Unit Training (here each unit has its own training that takes around one month) – Northern, Southern and Central command

History
In 1993, the Yahmam (abbreviation for Target Field Intelligence) unit, also known as the Nitzan Commando, was created. The unit was designated to provide intelligence in real time and sighting enemy targets. It was appended to the Artillery Corps and its soldiers wore black berets, even though they were under the direct command of the General Staff. During the 1982–2000 South Lebanon Conflict, it operated as an elite outfit tasked with collecting combat intelligence. After the February 4, 1997 Israeli helicopter disaster, in which the unit lost two men out of a total of 73 killed, the Supreme Court of Israel instructed to reveal their names, and consequently, the unit's existence was revealed to the public.

The unit was created as a corps in April 2000, under Amnon Sufrin. In late 2008, the GOC Army Headquarters decided to rename it to the Combat Intelligence Collection Corps, to emphasize its combat nature. The name was changed in November 2009, with beige berets concurrently adopted to replace the dark green berets previously shared with the Intelligence Corps.

Chief Combat Intelligence Officer
The Chief Combat Intelligence Officer is a Brigadier General appointed by the head of GOC Army Headquarters in coordination with the Military Intelligence Directorate. As of 2009, the Chief Combat Intelligence Officer is Eli Pollack.