Unit 81 (Hebrew: יחידה 81, "Unit eight - one") is a secret technology unit part of the Special Operations Division of the Military Intelligence Directorate, an independent service of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The unit focuses on building and supplying cutting-edge technologies to Israeli combat soldiers and spies.[1] It often related to the Unit 8200 responsible for signal intelligence (SIGINT) and code decryption.[2]
History
Haim Yaari (1915–1986) first known commander of the Unit 81, former commander of Shai the secret service of Haganah and one of the founders of Mossad.
The origin of the unit is unknown. The unit existed since at least the early days of the State of Israel in 1948 and was referred to as the "Intelligence Branch 8" but must have existed in some form long before the establishment of the country in Shai the secret service of the underground Jewish defense forces Haganah under the British Mandate of Palestine. The unit was then responsible for the development of special technologies and the training of the operators and agents responsible for operating them. It was later called Unit 432.[3]
Operations
All operations of the unit are highly classified. The unit consists mainly of military personnel, but civilians also serve in the unit including highly qualified experts in unique fields such as quantum physics, aerospace engineering, and nanotechnology.
Among other things, the unit develops advanced cyberwarfare weapons, tools for SIGINT, and combat systems used by the Sayeret Matkal the most elite special forces unit of the IDF that is also part of the Special Operations Division.
According to a 2021 report by the Israeli business newspaper Calcalist in the last decade alone 100 veterans of the unit have founded 50 technology companies having raised US$4 billion with their accumulated valuations surpassing US$10 billion.[5]
^Simantov, David; Hershkovitz, Shai (2011). Publishing in the IDF - The First Decade of the IDF Intelligence Division. Israeli Ministry of Defense Press. p. 109.
Israel
Israel Defense Forces
Military Intelligence Directorate