Unit 81
| Unit 81 | |
|---|---|
| יחידה 81 | |
 | |
| Founded | Unknown; likely even before the establishment of the country |
| Country |  Israel |
| Allegiance |  Israel Defense Forces |
| Branch |  Military Intelligence Directorate |
| Type | Military unit |
| Role | Providing technological solutions to operational needs |
| Size | Classified |
| Part of | Special Operations Division |
| Motto(s) | Make the impossible possible |
| Decorations | |
Unit 81 (Hebrew: יחידה 81) 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 is often related to Unit 8200, which is responsible for signal intelligence (SIGINT) and code decryption.[2]
Achievements
[edit]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.[3]
Unit Commanders
[edit]| Name | Duration |
|---|---|
| Haim Ya'ari[4] | 1948-1950 |
| Haim Timor | 1950-1957 |
| Dan Barli | 1957-1959 |
| Uri Sela | 1959-1960 |
| Haim Timor | 1960-1962 |
| Ori Goren (Greenblatt) | 1961-1966 |
| Avraham Arnan | 1966-1968 |
| Ori Goren (Greenblatt) | 1968-1970 |
| Yossi Langotzki | 1971-1975 |
| Yair Reski | 1975-1979 |
| Shlomo Tirosh[5] | 1980-1985 |
| Moshe Morocco | |
| Pinkas Bucharis[6] | |
| Ran Shachor | |
| Oz Liv | 1994-1998 |
| Tal Dilian | 1998-2002 |
| Shahar Argaman | |
| Avner Paz Tzuk | 2007-2010 |
| Yuval Reina | 2010-2013 |
| Ronen Corman[7] | 2013-2016 |
| A' | 2016-2019 |
| L' | 2020- |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Behar, Richard. "Inside Israel's Secret Startup Machine". Forbes. Retrieved 2017-07-31.
- ^ "Why spies make the best entrepreneurs". Business Insider. Retrieved 2017-07-31.
- ^ Shulman, Sophie (2021-01-08). "Unit 81: The elite military unit that caused a big bang in the Israeli tech scene". CTECH - www.calcalistech.com. Retrieved 2021-03-12.
- ^ "October 1944, Paratroopers from Eretz Israel in Mandatory Palestine".
- ^ "סג"מ שלמה תירוש".
- ^ "פנחס בוכריס" (in Hebrew).
- ^ ""יש לנו אפס תקלות": היחידה הסודית נחשפת לראשונה - וואלה! חדשות". 14 April 2014.