JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The IDF’s first reserve battalion of the Hasmonean Brigade, the Shimon Battalion (1200), successfully completed its first battalion-level military exercise in the Golan Heights last week, marking the unit’s official establishment and its readiness for operational service.

During the exercise, the troops trained in a range of combat scenarios, including open-field warfare, raid operations, and urban combat, as part of their final preparations for deployment.

The battalion is expected to begin operational missions in Israel’s northern sector over the coming months and throughout the High Holiday period, according to operational requirements.

Battalion “Shimon” is the first reserve battalion established within the Hasmonean Brigade and is composed in part of graduates of the IDF’s “Phase B” enlistment track, incorporating charedi men who had previously received exemptions from military service but later volunteered for reserve duty. They serve alongside charedi soldiers who transferred from other IDF frameworks.

As part of their training, the recruits completed a full infantry training program at the Hasmonean Brigade’s training base, specially adapted to accommodate the charedi lifestyle. The battalion is also expected to absorb graduates of the brigade’s regular-service track in the future.

To prepare the unit for combat operations, its soldiers completed specialized courses in explosives and demolition, fire support, drone operations, anti-tank warfare, combat medicine, and mortar operations. The courses were tailored to the needs of charedi servicemen and were designed to enable the battalion to operate as a fully self-sufficient combat unit.

According to the IDF, dozens of new regular and reserve battalions have been established since the outbreak of the war as part of a broader effort to expand the military’s manpower. The initiative is intended to increase the number of active servicemen while easing the burden on existing regular and reserve forces.