IDF unit — Artillery Corps / Totchanim (חיל התותחנים): howitzers, Sky Rider drones, Meitar and Moran special units, profile 72, training, women, olim
What it is
The Artillery Corps provides fire support for the ground forces: self-propelled howitzers (M109 “Doher”, now being replaced by the “Roem”), MLRS rockets, precision missiles, tactical drones, artillery radars and meteorology. It is organised in regional formations (Golan Formation in the north, “Amud HaEsh” in the centre, and the Kela David precision-fire formation) with battalions named Keren, Namer, Raam, Reshef, Drakon, and others. Beret: turquoise.
Notable sub-units:
- Sky Rider / Rochev Shamayim (Unit 5252, 215th Brigade) — combat soldiers who fly tactical drones embedded with infantry and armored units.
- Meitar — the Artillery Corps’ special-forces unit (precision guided missiles, forward observation), entered via a 3-day gibush; ~16 months training.
- Moran — precision-missile unit.
- Forward observers (tatzpitanim / kishur) attached to manoeuvre units.
Requirements
- Medical profile: minimum 72 for the corps; special units (Meitar, Moran, Sky Rider) generally want 82+. As of September 2026 the new profile 70 also opens Artillery to recruits who would previously have been 64.
- Gibush: none for regular batteries — request on the manila. Meitar has its own 3-day gibush.
- Hebrew: no formal score; fire missions are coordinated by radio in Hebrew, so olim with a score of 6 or below do Michve Alon first.
- Gender: mixed — women serve as combat soldiers in artillery batteries, drones and observation.
Path in and training
- List Totchanim on the manila (note Sky Rider / Meitar if interested).
- Training at the Artillery school (Shivta, Negev): about 4 months basic (some tracks 2), then advanced/professional training of 2–4 months depending on the role (gun crew, fire direction, radar, drone operator, observer). Turquoise beret at the end of basic.
- Operational deployment on the Lebanon, Gaza or Judea & Samaria sectors; commanders’ course (~3 months) and officers’ course afterwards.
Service length
- 32 months for men; women in combat artillery roles serve 32 months.
- Olim arriving at 22–27 who volunteer for combat: 24 months minimum.
- Reserve duty afterwards.
For olim
- Alongside Shiryon, artillery is the standard combat option for a 72 (now also 70) profile, and it takes women — making it one of the few combat tracks open to an olah with a mid-range profile.
- Technical tracks (drones, radar, fire-direction computers) reward good maths and English documentation skills; mention technical background at the Tzav Rishon interview.
- Common lone-soldier placement; Negev bases, so lone soldiers usually live in the south.
Contacts
- Meitav: 1111 · Lone Soldier Hotline: *6563
- NBN Lone Soldiers Program: army@nbn.org.il