The IDF announced on Thursday that it held its first Arrowhead agility test in three years, reintroducing the multi-brigade fitness competition after a years-long hiatus.
Troops from the Paratroopers Brigade, Givati Brigade, Golani Brigade, Nahal Brigade, Kfir Brigade, Lotar Unit, and Refaim Unit competed in multiple events, including running, shooting, and Krav Maga.
The competition doubles as one of the last fitness tests the soldiers will face before finishing their training courses.
According to the IDF, this year’s competition differed from previous ones and was modeled after conditions similar to what they will encounter in the field.
This year, rather than having participants run on a flat course, soldiers ran on a course through forest and sand dunes, each carrying 20 kg. of weight. Soldiers also practiced running carrying stretchers together.
At the end of the run, troops also immediately participated in shooting exercises.
The second part of the competition consisted of two Krav Maga practice scenarios. In one, soldiers were tested on skills such as defending against a fellow soldier, playing the role of an “attacker,” attempting to take their weapons and stab them.
The second part of the Krav Maga section was direct hand-to-hand combat.
At the end of the tests, each brigade is scored based on running times, shooting accuracy, and Krav Maga skills.
The overall winner of the competition was the Paratrooper Brigade, with the Givati Brigade in second place and the Lotar Unit in third.
The head of the IDF’s Training and Research at the Combat Capability Directorate, Major M., said that changes to the competition format were made to ensure soldiers were prepared for battlefield conditions before deployment.
“These changes are rooted in drawing lessons from prolonged combat,” he explained. “We realized that the things we were tested on in the past no longer illustrate what happens on the battlefield in the best way.”
Commander of the Combat Fitness Division, Col. (res.) Avi Dahan, further elaborated that the activities were designed to occur in quick succession to test the troops’ physical and mental resilience.
Source:
www.jpost.com
