| Israeli Ground Forces | |
|---|---|
| זרוע היבשה | |
.svg) Emblem of the Israeli Ground Forces | |
| Founded | 26 May 1948; 77 years ago (1948-05-26) |
| Country |  Israel |
| Type | Army |
| Role | Land warfare |
| Size | |
| Part of | Israel Defense Forces |
| Headquarters | GOC Army Headquarters (Bar-Lev Camp [he]) |
| Nickname | The Greens (הירוקים) |
| Equipment | List of equipment |
| Engagements | |
| Website | Official website |
| Commanders | |
| Commander of the Ground Forces | Major GeneralTamir Yadai[2] |
| Insignia | |
| Flag | _Gray.svg) |
TheIsraeli Ground Forces (Hebrew:זרוע היבשה,romanized: z'róa hibshá,lit. 'Land arm') are theground forces of theIsrael Defense Forces (IDF). The commander is theGeneral Officer Commanding with the rank of major general (Aluf), subordinate to theChief of General Staff.
An order from Defense MinisterDavid Ben-Gurion on 26 May 1948 officially set up the Israel Defense Forces as aconscript army formed out of the paramilitary groupHaganah, incorporating themilitant groupsIrgun andLehi. The Ground Forces have served in all the country's major military operations—including the1948 Arab–Israeli War, 1956Suez Crisis, 1967Six-Day War, 1973Yom Kippur War, 1976Operation Entebbe,1982 Lebanon War, 1987–1993First Intifada, 2000–2005Second Intifada,2006 Lebanon War, and theGaza War (2008–09). While originally the IDF operated on three fronts—againstLebanon andSyria in the north,Jordan andIraq in the east, andEgypt in the south—after the 1979Egyptian–Israeli Peace Treaty, it has concentrated insouthern Lebanon and thePalestinian territories, including theFirst and theSecond Intifada.
The Ground Forces uses several technologies developed in Israel such as theMerkavamain battle tank,Achzaritarmoured personnel carrier, theIron Dome missile defense system,Trophyactive protection system for vehicles, and theGalil andTavor assault rifles. TheUzi submachine gun was invented in Israel and used by the Ground Forces until December 2003, ending a service that began in 1954. Since 1967, the IDF has had closemilitary relations with the United States,[3] including development cooperation, such as on theTHEL laser defense system, and theArrow missile defense system.
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The IDF traces its roots to Jewish paramilitary organizations in theNew Yishuv, starting with theSecond Aliyah (1904 to 1914).[4] The first such organization wasBar-Giora, founded in September 1907. Bar-Giora was transformed intoHashomer in April 1909, which operated until theBritish Mandate of Palestine came into being in 1920. Hashomer was an elitist organization with narrow scope, and was mainly created to protect against criminal gangs seeking to steal property. TheZion Mule Corps and theJewish Legion, both part of theBritish Army ofWorld War I, further bolstered the Yishuv with military experience and manpower, forming the basis for later paramilitary forces.[5]
After the1920 Palestine riots against Jews in April 1920, the Yishuv leadership realised the need for a nationwide underground defense organization, and theHaganah was founded in June of the same year.[5] The Haganah became a full-scale defense force after the1936–1939 Arab revolt in Palestine with an organized structure, consisting of three main units—theField Corps,Guard Corps, and thePalmach. During World War II, the Yishuv participated in the British war effort, culminating in the formation of theJewish Brigade. These would eventually form the backbone of the Israel Defense Forces, and provide it with its initial manpower and doctrine.
Following Israel'sDeclaration of Independence, prime minister and defense ministerDavid Ben-Gurion issued an order for the formation of the Israel Defense Forces on 26 May 1948. Although Ben-Gurion had no legal authority to issue such an order, the order was made legal bythe cabinet on 31 May. The same order called for the disbandment of all other Jewish armed forces.[6] The two other Jewish underground organizations,Irgun andLehi, agreed to join the IDF if they would be able to form independent units and agreed not to make independent arms purchases.
This was the background for theAltalena Affair, a confrontation surrounding weapons purchased by the Irgun resulting in a standoff between Irgun members and the newly created IDF. The affair came to an end whenAltalena, the ship carrying the arms, was shelled by the IDF. Following the affair, all independent Irgun and Lehi units were either disbanded or merged into the IDF. The Palmach, a leading component of the Haganah, also joined the IDFwith provisions. Ben Gurion responded by disbanding its staff in 1949, after which many senior Palmach officers retired, notably its first commander,Yitzhak Sadeh.
The new army organized itself when the1947–48 Civil War in Mandatory Palestine escalated into the1948 Arab–Israeli War, which saw neighbouring Arab states attack. Twelveinfantry andarmored brigades formed:Golani,Carmeli,Alexandroni,Kiryati,Givati,Etzioni, the7th, and8th armored brigades,Oded,Harel,Yiftach, andNegev.[7] After the war, some of the brigades were converted to reserve units, and others were disbanded. Directorates and corps were created from corps and services in the Haganah. This basic structure in the IDFstill exists today.
Immediately after the 1948 war, theIsrael-Palestinian conflict shifted to alow intensity conflict between the IDF andPalestinian fedayeen. In the 1956Suez Crisis, the IDF's first serious test of strength after 1949, the new army captured theSinai Peninsula from Egypt, which was later returned. In the 1967Six-Day War, Israel conquered the Sinai Peninsula,Gaza Strip,West Bank (includingEast Jerusalem) andGolan Heights from the surrounding Arab states, changing the balance of power in the region as well as the role of the IDF. In the following years leading up to theYom Kippur War, the IDF fought in theWar of Attrition against Egypt in the Sinai and a border war against thePalestine Liberation Organization (PLO) inJordan, culminating in theBattle of Karameh.
The surprise of the Yom Kippur War and its aftermath completely changed the IDF's procedures and approach to warfare. Organizational changes were made and more time was dedicated to training forconventional warfare. In the following years the army's role slowly shifted again to low-intensity conflict,urban warfare andcounter-terrorism. An example of the latter was the successful 1976Operation Entebbe commando raid to free hijacked airline passengers being held captive inUganda. During this era, the IDF also mounted asuccessful bombing mission inIraq to destroy its nuclear reactor.
It was involved in theLebanese Civil War, initiatingOperation Litani and later the1982 Lebanon War, where the IDF ousted Palestinian guerilla organizations fromLebanon. Palestinian militancy has been the main focus of the IDF ever since, especially during theFirst andSecond Intifadas,Operation Defensive Shield, theGaza War,Operation Pillar of Defense, andOperation Protective Edge, causing the IDF to change many of its values and publish theIDF Spirit. The LebaneseShia organizationHezbollah has also been a growing threat,[8] against which the IDF fought anasymmetric conflict between 1982 and 2000, as well as afull-scale war in 2006.
The IDF is an integrated military force, without a separate ground arm from 1948 to 1998, when the Ground Forces were formally brought under a single command now known asGOC Army Headquarters (Hebrew:מפקדת זרוע היבשה,Mifkedet Zro'a HaYabasha, abbreviatedMazi). The Ground Forces are not yet a formal arm of the IDF, in the same way that theIsraeli Air Force andIsraeli Navy are.
The Ground Forces include the following Corps:
|
|
|
| Ground Forces | ||
|---|---|---|
| Hebrew | English | Commander |
| חֻלְיָה Hulya | Fire Team | Mashak Hulya ("Fire Team Leader") Corporal or Sergeant |
| כִּתָּה Kita | Squad / Section | Mashak Kita ("Squad / Section Leader") Staff Sergeant |
| מַחְלָקָה Mahlaka | Platoon | Mefaked Mahlaka ("Platoon Commander") Lieutenant |
| פְּלֻגָּה Pluga | Company | Mefaked Pluga ("Company Commander") Captain |
| סוֹלְלָה Solela | Artillery Battery | Captain or Major |
| סַיֶּרֶת Sayeret | Reconnaissance | Captain or Major |
| גְּדוּד Gdud | Battalion | Lieutenant-Colonel |
| חֲטִיבָה Hativa | Brigade | Colonel |
| אֻגְדָּה Ugda | Division | (1948–1967) Major-General (1968–Present) Brigadier-General |
| גַּיִס Gayis | Army | Major-General |
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Unlike most militaries, the IDF uses the same rank names in all corps, including the air force and navy. For ground forces' officers, rank insignia are brass on a red background. Officer insignia are worn on epaulets on top of both shoulders. Insignia distinctive to each corps are worn on the cap.
Enlisted grades wear rank insignia on the sleeve, halfway between the shoulder and the elbow. For the ground forces, the insignia are white with blue interwoven threads backed with the appropriate corps color.
From the formation of the IDF until the late 1980s,sergeant major was a particularly importantwarrant officer rank, in line with usage in other armies. In the 1980s and 1990s the proliferating ranks of sergeant major became devalued, and now all professionalnon-commissioned officer ranks are a variation on sergeant major (rav samal) with the exception ofrav nagad.
The rank insignia ofcommissioned officers.
| Rank group | General / flag officers | Senior officers | Junior officers | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Israeli Ground Forces[9] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | |||||||||||||||
| רב-אלוף Rav aluf | אלוף Aluf | תת-אלוף Tat aluf | אלוף משנה Aluf mishne | סגן-אלוף Sgan aluf | רב סרן Rav seren | סרן Seren | סגן Segen | סגן-משנה Segen mishne | ||||||||||||||||
The rank insignia ofnon-commissioned officers andenlisted personnel.
| Rank group | Senior NCOs | Junior NCOs | Enlisted | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Israeli Ground Forces[9] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | No insignia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| רב-נגד Rav nagad | רב-סמל בכיר Rav samal bakhír | רב-סמל מתקדם Rav samal mitkadem | רב-סמל ראשון Rav samal rishon | רב-סמל Rav samal | סמל ראשון Samal rishon | סמל Samal | רב טוראי Rav turai | טוראי Turai | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Israel Defense Forces has several types of uniforms:
The first two resemble each other but the Madei Alef is made of higher quality materials in a golden-olive while the madei bet is inolive drab.[10][11] The dress uniforms may also exhibit a surface shine[11][12]
The service uniform for all ground forces personnel isolive green. The uniforms consist of a two-pocket shirt,combat trousers,sweater, jacket or blouse, and shoes or boots. The green fatigues are the same for winter and summer and heavy winter gear is issued as needed. Women's dress parallels the men's but may substitute a skirt for the trousers.
Headgear included a service cap for dress and semi-dress and afield cap or"Kova raful" bush hat worn with fatigues. IDF personnel generally wearberets in lieu of the service cap and there are many beret colors issued to IDF personnel.Paratroopers are issued a maroon beret,Golani brown,Givati purple,Nahal lime green,Kfir camouflage, Combat Engineers gray. Other beret colors are: black for armored corps, turquoise for artillery personnel. For all other ground personnel, except combat units, the beret for men was green and for women, black.
In combat uniforms theOrlite helmet has replaced the BritishBrodie helmet Mark II/Mark III,RAC Mk II modified helmet with chin web jump harness used byparatroopers and similar to theHSAT Mk II/Mk III paratrooper helmets,[13] USM1 helmet,[14] and FrenchModèle 1951 helmet – previously worn by Israeli infantry and airborne troops from the late 1940s to the mid-1970s and early 1980s.[15]
Some corps or units have small variations in their uniforms – for instance,military policemen wear a white belt andpolice hat. Paratroopers are issued a four pocket tunic (yarkit/yerkit) worn untucked with a pistol belt cinched tight around the waist over the shirt.[16]
Most IDF soldiers are issued black leathercombat boots, certain units issuereddish-brown leather boots for historical reasons — the paratroopers,[16] combat medics, Nahal and Kfir Brigades, as well as someSpecial Forces units (Sayeret Matkal,Oketz,Duvdevan,Maglan, and the Counter-Terror School). Women were formerly issuedsandals, but this practice has ceased.
IDF soldiers have three types of insignia, other than rank insignia, which identify their corps, specific unit, and position.
A pin attached to the beret identifies a soldier's corps. Soldiers serving in staffs above corps level are often identified by the General Corps pin, despite not officially belonging to it, or the pin of a related corps. New recruits undergoingtironut (basic training) do not have a pin. Beret colors are also often indicative of the soldier's corps. Most non-combat corps do not have their own beret, and sometimes wear the color of the corps to which the post they're stationed in belongs. Individual units are identified by a shoulder tag attached to the leftshoulder strap. Most units in the IDF have their own tags, although those that do not, generally use tags identical to their command's tag (corps, directorate, or regional command).
While one cannot always identify the position/job of a soldier, two optional factors help make this identification: anaiguillette attached to the left shoulder strap and shirt pocket, and a pin indicating the soldier's work type, usually given by a professional course. Other pins may indicate the corps or additional courses taken. An optional battle pin indicates a war that a soldier has fought in.
The military service is held in three different tracks:
Sometimes the IDF would also hold pre-military courses (קורס קדם צבאי or קד"צ) for soon-to-be regular service soldiers.
Israel is one of only a few nations that conscript women or deploy them in combat roles. In practice, women can avoid conscription through a religious exemption and over a third of Israeli women do so.[17] As of 2010, 88% of all roles in the IDF are open to female candidates, and women were found in 69% of all IDF positions.[18]
According to the IDF, 535 female Israeli soldiers were killed in combat operations in the period 1962–2016,[19] and dozens before then. The IDF says that fewer than 4 percent of women are in combat positions. Rather, they are concentrated in "combat-support" positions which command a lower compensation and status than combat positions.[20]
The IDF's mission is to "defend the existence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of the state of Israel. To protect the inhabitants of Israel and to combat all forms of terrorism which threaten the daily life."[21]
The Israeli military's primary principles derive from Israel's need to combat numerically superior opponents. One such principle, is the concept that Israel cannot afford to lose a single war. The IDF believes that this is possible if it can rapidly mobilize troops to insure that they engage the enemy in enemy territory.[22] In the 21st century, various nonconventional threats including terrorist organizations,subterranean infrastructure operated by Hamas, etc. have forced the IDF to modify its official defense doctrine.[23]
Field rations, calledmanot krav, usually consist of cannedtuna,sardines,beans,stuffed vine leaves,maize andfruit cocktail and bars ofhalva. Packets of fruit flavored drink powder are provided along with condiments likeketchup,mustard, chocolate spread and jam. Around 2010, the IDF announced that certain freeze driedMREs served in water-activated disposable heaters likegoulash, turkeyschwarma andmeatballs would be introduced as field rations.[24]
One staple of these rations wasloof, a type of Kosherspam made from chicken or beef that was phased out around 2008.[25] Food historian Gil Marks has written that: "Many Israeli soldiers insist that Loof uses all the parts of the cow that the hot dog manufacturers will not accept, but no one outside of the manufacturer and the kosher supervisors actually know what is inside."[26]
The Ground Forces possess various domestic and foreign weapons and computer systems. Some equipment is from the United States, modified for IDF use, such as theM4A1 andM16assault rifles, theM24 SWS 7.62 mmbolt actionsniper rifle, theSR-25 7.62 mm semi-automatic sniper rifle, and theAH-1 Cobra andAH-64D Apacheattack helicopters.
Israel has a domestic arms industry, which has developed weapons and vehicles such as theMerkava battle tank series, and various small arms such as theGalil andTavorassault rifles, and theUzisubmachine gun.
Israel has installed a variant of theSamson RCWS, a remote controlled weapons platform, which can include machine guns, grenade launchers, and anti-tank missiles on a remotely operated turret, inpillboxes along theIsraeli Gaza Strip barrier to preventPalestinian militants from entering its territory.[27][28] Israel has developed observationballoons equipped with sophisticated cameras and surveillance systems used to thwart terror attacks from Gaza.[29]
The Ground Forces possess advancedcombat engineering equipment including theIDF Caterpillar D9armored bulldozer,IDF Pumacombat engineering vehicle,Tzefa Shiryon andCARPET minefield breaching rockets, and a variety ofrobots and explosive devices.
The IDF is planning a number of technological upgrades and structural reforms for the future. Training has been increased with greater cooperation between ground, air, and naval units.[30]
The Ground Forces are phasing out the M-16 rifle in favor of theIWI Tavor variants, most recently theIWI Tavor X95 flat-top ("Micro-Tavor Dor Gimel").[31] The outdatedM113 armored personnel carriers are being replaced by the newNamer APCs, with 200 ordered in 2014, as well as obtaining theEitan AFV, and upgrading theIDF Achzarit APCs.[32][33]
The backbone of the Artillery Corps, theM109 howitzer, will be phased out in favor of a still-undecided replacement, with theATMOS 2000 andArtillery Gun Module under primary consideration.[34]
The IDF is planning a future tank to replace the Merkava, which will be able to fire lasers and electromagnetic pulses, run on a hybrid engine, with a crew as small as two, will be faster, and will be better-protected, with emphasis on active protection systems such asthe Trophy over armor.[35][36]
TheCombat Engineering Corps assimilated new technologies, mainly in tunnel detection andunmanned ground vehicles andmilitary robots, such as remote-controlledIDF Caterpillar D9T "Panda" armored bulldozers,Sahar engineering scout robot and improvedRemotec ANDROS robots.
The Haganah ("defense") was founded in June 1920...
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