What is the name of the Israeli army. The army of Israel is a tsakhal, small and remote. The armament of the IDF. features of completing and technical equipment

Military budget 7.87 billion dollars. Regular forces 168.3 thousand people.

Acquisition: on call. Service life: officers - 48 months, servicemen of other categories - 36 (men) and 24 (women) months. Reserve 408 thousand people, including Land Forces - 380 thousand, Air Force - 24.5 thousand, Navy - 3.5 thousand Paramilitary formations 8.05 thousand people, including border guards - 8 thousand, security guard - 50. Mob. resources 3.11 million people, including 2.55 million people fit for military service

Ground forces: 125 thousand people, 3 territorial commands, a border guard command, 4 corps headquarters, 2 armored, 4 infantry divisions, 15 tank, 12 infantry and 8 airmobile brigades. The organizational structure of the formations depends on the operational situation.

Reserve: 8 armored divisions.

Armament: more than 20 launchers OTR, 3,657 MBT (including 1,681 "Merkava", 711 М60А1 / 3, more than 100Т-55, over 100 Т-62, 111 "Maga-7", 561 М-48) , about 10 420 infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers, more than 400 armored personnel carriers, 456 towed artillery guns of calibers 105, 122, 130 and 155 mm, 960 SG (105, 155, 175 and 203mm), 212 MLRS, 1,890 mortars (81, 120, 160mm ), 1,200 ATGM launchers, more than 1,300 ZA guns, 1,298 MANPADS.

Air Force: 35 thousand people, (20 thousand average ect., Mainly in air defense), 402 b. from. (250 in res.), 100 p. in.

Tactical units and subunits: 13 Ibae and IAE air defense, tiakr, 28 zrbat.

Aircraft and helicopter fleet: 87 F-15 (A, B, C, D and I), 203 F-16 (A, B, C and D), delivered F-16I, 50 F-4E-2000, 20 F- 4E, 13 RF-4E, 26A-4N, 14 Boeing 707, 5КС-130Н, 11 С-47, 5С-130Н, 3IAI-200, 15 Do-28, 10 King Er-2000, 3 IAI-1124 " Sis-ken ", 20 Cessna U-206, 2" Islander ", 8" Queen Er-80 ", 45 SM-170,28" Super Cab ", 55 AH-1E and F, 33 Hughes 500MD, 40AN-64A, 5AS-565, 41 CH-53D, 10UH-60, 15S-70A, 54 Bell 212, 43 Bell 206. UAVs: "Scout", "Seaher", "Pioneer", "Fireby", "Samson", "Deline" , "Hunter", "Hermes-450", "Skyei", "Harpy". ZUR: "Arrow", "Hawk", "Patriot", "Chaparel",

Navy: 8.3 thousand people (including 300 commandos and 2.5 thousand average ate.), ZPL "Dolphin", ZKORV "Saar-5", YURKA (8 "Saar-4.5" and 2 "Saar-4"), 31 PKA (14 "Super Dvora", 15 "Dabur", 2 "Sheldag"), recreation center.

Extended information about the Israel Army:

The geographical position of Eretz Yisrael, which is key in the entire Middle East, has made the State of Israel from the moment of its inception one of the centers of world geopolitics. Israel's location, combined with its military capabilities, make it the dominant political-military factor in the Eastern Mediterranean. If necessary, Israel can serve as a strategic base for the defense of NATO's southern flank, block the main routes to South and East Asia, in particular the Suez Canal; within reach of Israel lies nearly half of the oil resources of the western world, concentrated in the triangle between Libya in the west, Iran in the east and Saudi Arabia in the south.

Successful raids from Israel to Uganda (Operation Entebbe to free the hostage passengers of an Air France plane on July 4, 1976) and Iraq (bombing of a nuclear reactor on June 7, 1981) once again demonstrated Israel's importance as a base of operations allowing the air force stationed here to effectively control vast areas of the Middle East and East Africa.

Israel's unusually high military potential - relative to its size and population - is the result of the need to counter the permanent military threat from Arab countries. The feeling that the armed forces of the Jewish state are preserving the ancient tradition of Jewish warriors - Yeh oshua bin noona , King David, Maccabees (see. Hasmoneans), defenders of Masada and fighters of Bar Kokhba (see. Bar Kokhba uprising) - and the awareness of the inadmissibility of repeating the tragic experience of the centuries-old Galut, when the Jewish people were defenseless in the face of their enemies, contribute to instilling in the Israeli soldier high motivation and awareness of historical responsibility to the Jewish people and its state. Other factors of the high combat capability of the Israeli army include an effective military infrastructure, technological capabilities that no other country comparable to Israel in the world possesses, and a wealth of combat experience. At the same time, the small territory and limited human resources, concentration of the population in a limited number of urban centers, long borders and the lack of strategic raw materials make Israel militarily vulnerable.

Operationally, the armed forces are subdivided into three territorial districts (Northern, Central and Southern), and in terms of the types of troops - into ground, air and naval forces.

Air defense tasks include:

Ensuring the country's air defense. This task is performed by Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems and advanced HAWK complexes in cooperation with the command and control system and fighter aircraft.
Ensuring the country's missile defense. The warning about the launch of ballistic missiles towards Israel comes from a network of American early warning satellites. The interception is carried out by specialized anti-missile "Hets-2", and in case of failure - by "Patriot" missiles.
Defense of selected military and civilian objects (for example, Air Force bases, nuclear center in Dimona).
Air defense of ground forces. This task is carried out by mobile air defense systems; their divisions are armed with the Stinger and Chaparel anti-aircraft missile systems, as well as the Makhbet missile and artillery systems.
Protection and ground defense of the Air Force bases.

The first air defense systems (40-mm anti-aircraft guns L-70) were supplied to Israel by the FRG government in 1962; In the same year, the first HAWK anti-aircraft missile systems arrived in Israel from the United States. It was Germany and the United States that supported the development of Israel's air defense throughout all subsequent years. As of 2002, Israel had 22 batteries of heavy anti-aircraft missile systems, as well as about 70 portable installations of light anti-aircraft missile systems.

Israeli navy for a long time remained the least developed branch of the army. However, after unprecedented successes in 1973 (19 destroyed enemy ships without losses from the Israeli side), a period of rapid development began, and now the Israeli Navy is considered not only one of the most operational in the world, but also the dominant naval force in the Eastern Mediterranean basin.

The Israeli navy has about 9,500 men; during the mobilization of the numerical strength of the Navy reaches 19,500 people. The Israeli navy (data for 2002) has six submarines (three - the outdated Gal model, laid down in 1973-74, commissioned in 1976-77) and three - Dolphin models, laid down in 1994-96, commissioned in 1999-2000), fifteen (according to other sources - twenty) corvettes of the "Eilat" type and missile boats of the "Hets", "Alia" and "Reshef" types and thirty-three patrol boats boats.

In Tsakh al and the police, several units were created, the main task of which is countering terror... Among them: Yamam - a special anti-terror police unit responsible for anti-terrorist operations in Israel; Sayeret Matkal (General Staff Intelligence) responsible for anti-terrorist operations outside the country; Shaetet-13 (13th flotilla, special forces of the Navy, responsible for anti-terrorist operations abroad with the participation of naval forces); Lothar Eilat (Lothar - lohma be-terror / fight against terror /, unit 7707, responsible for anti-terrorist operations in Israel in the area of \u200b\u200bthe city of Eilat; due to the geographical remoteness of Eilat and its proximity to the Egyptian and Jordanian borders, it was decided to create a separate unit for it). In addition, anti-terrorist special forces were created in each of the military districts: Sayret "Golani" (reconnaissance company of the infantry brigade "Golani") in the North, Sayret Tsanhanim (reconnaissance company of the paratrooper brigade), Sayret Nahal (reconnaissance company of the Saer Nahal infantry brigade) and Duvdevan "(special forces of the so-called mystarvim, operating in Arab camouflage in controlled territories) - in the Central and Sayret "Givokiyati" (reconnaissance company of the infantry brigade "Givokoikati") - in the Southern Military District. In 1995, to counter the "partisan war" in Lebanon, Sayret "Egoz" was recreated (disbanded in 1974 together with Sayret "Cherub" and Sayeret "Shaked"); subsequently, the soldiers of this unit made an invaluable contribution to the fight against Palestinian terror in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) and in Gaza.

Nuclear potential ... The existence of a constant threat to national security from its Arab neighbors is forcing Israel to maintain a powerful armed force in the country, equipped with modern means of warfare, including weapons of mass destruction. Although Israel has never conducted open nuclear tests, it is estimated that Israel is now the world's sixth nuclear power after the United States, Russia, Britain, France and China. Israel's nuclear program dates back to the 1950s; its origins were D. Ben-Gurion and S. Perez ... Scientific support of the nuclear program was carried out by a team of scientists from. In 1952, under the control of the Ministry of Defense, the Nuclear Energy Commission was created, headed by E. D. Bergman. In 1956, Israel entered into a secret agreement with France to build a plutonium nuclear reactor. The construction of the reactor began in a remote corner of the desert Negev , near Dimona. The installation for reprocessing irradiated fuel was created in 1960, and the 26 MW reactor was put into operation in 1963 (Now the reactor power reaches 150 MW, which, according to experts, makes it possible to obtain weapons-grade plutonium in an amount sufficient to produce more than ten bombs average power per year.) Six Day War the first two nuclear devices had already been assembled, beginning in 1970. Israel began producing three to five nuclear warheads a year. At the same time, Israel refused to sign the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, having reached an understanding with the US administration (and personally with President R. Nixon), according to which, "it was assumed but not recognized" that Israel is a state with nuclear weapons. Only on July 13, 1998, at a press conference in Jordan, Sh. Peres, then Prime Minister of Israel, for the first time publicly admitted that Israel possesses nuclear weapons, but neither he nor any other Israeli leader then or later did not release any details related to this area. According to various estimates, Israel can potentially have by now from one hundred to five hundred nuclear warheads, the total TNT equivalent of which can be up to fifty megatons. Since 1963, ballistic missile systems have been created in Israel, capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Back in 1989, the Jericho-2B ballistic missile with a range of up to 1,500 km, capable of striking targets, including throughout Libya and Iran, passed successfully. The Israeli Armed Forces also have nuclear weapons delivery systems (including American-made F-16, F-4E Phantom and A-4N Sky Hawk aircraft). Israel is the only power in the Middle East with a high degree of probability that it has nuclear weapons systems of land, sea and air.

Defense spending of Israel in 2002 amounted to $ 9.84 billion (1984 - $ 4.3 billion). While Israel's defense spending has been steadily increasing, per capita spending has remained relatively stable, albeit quite high, at about $ 1,500 a year.

The military aid received by Israel from the United States makes a great contribution to the maintenance of Israel's defenses. For the first time, Israel received free military aid from the United States in 1974 (in the amount of $ 1.5 billion). For the period from 1974 to 2002. Israel received gratuitous military aid from the United States totaling $ 41.06 billion. At the same time, Israel is obliged to spend most of the military aid funds in the United States on the purchase of military equipment, spare parts, ammunition and equipment, which constrains the development of defense industry enterprises in Israel itself.

Procurement, production and export of weapons ... The first large purchases of weapons were made in 1948 in Czechoslovakia (rifles, machine guns, and later - Messerschmidt fighters). At the same time, Israel bought weapons from France and other countries, and also acquired surplus American military equipment. In 1952, Israel signed an agreement with the US government on the purchase of military equipment, but during this period the share of Israel's military purchases from the United States was negligible. The first jets of the Israeli Air Force - "Meteor" - were purchased from Great Britain, which eventually became the main supplier of naval equipment, primarily destroyers and submarines. In the 1950s. France is gradually becoming the main supplier of weapons for the Israel Defense Forces (primarily jet aircraft) - up to the embargo on arms supplies to Israel imposed on June 2, 1967 by President de Gaulle. In the 1960s. the role of the United States as an arms supplier for the Israel Defense Forces is growing, but the US becomes the main supplier only after the Six Day War.

The strength of the Israel Defense Forces is determined not only by modern weapons purchased abroad, but largely dependent on the industrial infrastructure with which the Israeli armed forces form a single military-industrial complex: the armed forces pose technical challenges to the Israeli military industry, and the military industry enriches the arsenal Tsakh ala with its technical achievements, opening up new operational possibilities. The high level of the Israeli military industry is the result not so much of economic factors as of political decisions, since from the very first days of the existence of the Jewish state it became obvious that in emergency circumstances one cannot rely on the delivery of weapons and equipment ordered abroad. Today, Israeli industrial products cover almost all major branches of military production and include electronic and electrical equipment (in particular, radar and telecommunications equipment - an area in which Israel is among the world's best manufacturers), precision optical equipment, light small arms, artillery, and mortars, missiles, some of which are the best in their class, tanks, aircraft (light - for operational communications and maritime patrolling, transport, unmanned aerial vehicles, fighters and fighter-bombers), warships, ammunition, personal equipment, military medical equipment and etc.

By the beginning of 2002, the total number of enterprises in the military-industrial complex (MIC) of Israel was about one hundred and fifty, and the total number of people employed in defense enterprises exceeded fifty thousand people (of which about twenty-two thousand people are employed in three state-owned companies: the Aviation Industry ", The Association" Military Industry "and the Department for the Development of Arms" Raphael ").

The total volume of production of the Israeli military-industrial complex in 2001 exceeded $ 3.5 billion, and Israeli defense enterprises signed contracts for the export of their products worth $ 2.6 billion (Israel accounts for 8% of world arms exports). The Israeli military industry not only provides a significant part of Tsakh al's need for weapons, equipment and supplies, but also exports its products for hundreds of millions of dollars to the South (Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru) and Central (Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Mexico ) America, South Africa, East Asia (Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand) and many other countries that avoid publicity of their military purchases in Israel, as well as in NATO countries, including the United States. In recent years, Israel has been successfully developing military-technical cooperation with China, India, Turkey, and Eastern European countries.

The products of the Israeli military industry are in demand in the world market due to their high quality. The aircraft converted by Israeli enterprises in recent years are in service with Croatia, Romania, Turkey, Zambia, Cambodia, Burma, Sri Lanka and other countries. Israel controls 90% of the world market for unmanned aircraft, with the United States being the main buyer; this technique is also purchased by many other countries. Among the important objects of Israeli export of military equipment, it should also be noted communications equipment (for example, systems for searching and detecting ejected pilots of aircraft and helicopters, as well as scouts and special forces soldiers, allowing them to be located with an accuracy of 10 m); sights and night vision devices for both small arms and armored vehicles and helicopters; electronic combat control systems for units of various levels; radar installations for various types of weapons; means of searching and detecting mines, unexploded ordnance (which is very important for many countries in Asia and Africa); robots for safely detonating detected explosive devices; small arms and many other types of military equipment and supplies. The advantage of Israeli weapons and military equipment supplied to the foreign market is that almost all of it has been tested in real combat operations, modified in accordance with the requirements of the field conditions of its operation, and therefore has a very high reliability. Income from the export of Israel's military industry serves its further development

Introduction

Israel's unusually high military potential - relative to its size and population - is the result of the need to counter a permanent military threat from Arab countries. The feeling that the armed forces of the Jewish state preserve the ancient tradition of Jewish soldiers - Yehoshua bin Nun, King David, Maccabees, defenders of Masada and Bar Kochba fighters - and the awareness of the inadmissibility of repeating the tragic experience of the centuries-old Galut, when the Jewish people were defenseless in the face of their enemies, contribute to instilling in the Israeli soldier a high level of motivation and an awareness of historical responsibility to the Jewish people and its state.

Other factors for the high combat capability of the Israeli army include an effective military infrastructure, technological capabilities that no country comparable to Israel in the world possesses, and a wealth of combat experience. At the same time, the small territory and limited human resources, concentration of the population in a limited number of urban centers, long borders and the lack of strategic raw materials make Israel militarily vulnerable.

Organization of the Israel Defense Forces

Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces Lieutenant General M. Levy (center) with a group of officers. 1985. Photo by N. Kharnik. State Press Bureau. Israel.

Withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon. 1985. Photo by N. Kharnik. State Press Bureau. Israel.

Israel Defense Forces return home after an operation against terrorists based in Lebanon. 1993. Photo by A. Ohayon. State Press Bureau. Israel.

Prime Minister E. Barak, former Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, bypasses the line of soldiers; behind him - the commander of the ground forces, Major General M. Sukenik. 2000. Photo by A. Ohayon. State Press Bureau. Israel.

Israeli troops in Jerusalem's Gilo district, which were fired upon from the neighboring Arab village of Beit Jala. 2000. Photo by M. Milner. State Press Bureau. Israel.

Prime Minister I. Shamir with a group of officers at one of the training bases of the Israel Defense Forces. 1987. Photo by M. Ayalon. State Press Bureau. Israel.

F-16 fighter preparation for takeoff. 1991. Photo by Ts. Israeli. State Press Bureau. Israel.

Defense Minister M. Ahrens with a team of technicians serving the F-16 fighter planes. 1991. Photo by Ts. Israeli. State Press Bureau. Israel.

Demonstration flight of Israeli Air Force aircraft at the military parade dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the State of Israel. 1998. Photo by M. Milner. State Press Bureau. Israel.

Recruitment

According to the 1986 Law on Military Conscription, active service, and upon completion, the annual military training (miluim) is compulsory. Boys serve for 3 years, and girls for 2 years. A deferment from conscription can be granted to particularly successful students of higher educational institutions (within the framework of the so-called academic reserve, atuda academy).

The distribution of conscripts by type of service depends on their physical condition, which is indicated by their medical profile.

Repatriates may also be granted a deferral or reduced service life depending on age and marital status at the time of arrival in the country (girls who repatriated over the age of 17 are not eligible for conscription; young people who arrived in the country over the age of 24 are not military service).

After completing compulsory service, each soldier is assigned to a reserve unit. Men under the age of 51 serve no more than 39 days a year; this period may be extended in extraordinary circumstances. Recently, a policy has been pursued aimed at facilitating the service of reservists: reservists who served in combat units can retire at the age of 45.

After completing their military service, persons of interest to the Tsahal may remain in the army on a contract basis. The main command and administrative personnel of Tsahal are recruited from super-conscripts. Graduates of officer and flight courses, as well as special military-technical schools are required to serve a certain (usually three-year) term under a contract.

The conscription of women is a specific feature of the Israel Defense Forces, which makes it possible to free up more men for combat service and thereby, to a certain extent, compensate for the numerical superiority of the armies of the Arab countries hostile to Israel. Women are employed in communications, servicing electronic equipment, assembling parachutes, in instructor, clerical and administrative positions, etc. Women serve in all branches of the armed forces and many (mostly in long-term service) carry officer ranks and occupy positions of responsibility.

Yeshiva students who fully devote themselves to religious studies and girls from religious families (optional) are exempted from military service (or, like new immigrants, serve a shorter period than usual).

Military ranks in the Israel Defense Forces

Soldiers: turai - private; turai rishon (tarash) - corporal; rav-turai (rabbat) - senior corporal; rav-turai rishon - junior sergeant; samal - sergeant; samal rishon - senior sergeant; rav-samal - the foreman; rav-samal rishon (rasar) - ensign.

Officers: memale-makom katsin (mamak) - subleutenant; segen-mishne (sagam) - junior lieutenant; Segen is a lieutenant; seren - captain; rav-seren (resen) - major; gan-aluf (saal) - lieutenant colonel; aluf-mishne (alam) - colonel; tat-aluf (taal) - brigadier general; aluf - major general; rav aluf - lieutenant general (army general).

Only the Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces is in the rank of rav-aluf.

Army management

The Israel Defense Forces are subordinate to the Israeli government, represented by the Minister of Defense. The Department of Defense is responsible for long-term defense policy and strategic planning, determined by a dedicated ministerial committee for defense affairs, and is in charge of the production and procurement of weapons. The Ministry has the largest departmental budget in the country.

The operational leadership of the armed forces is in the hands of the General Staff (ha-mate ha-klali), headed by the Chief of the General Staff (rosh ha-mate ha-klali, abbreviated as ramatkal), appointed by the Minister of Defense in agreement with the Cabinet of Ministers for three years (with the possibility renewal for the fourth year).

The General Staff consists of six main directorates:

The Main Operations Directorate;
The Main Intelligence Directorate;
The General Directorate of Personnel, responsible for training personnel, planning and implementing mobilization
Main Directorate of Technology and Supply;
Main Directorate of Arms Research and Development,
Main planning department.

The structure of the General Staff of Tsahal also includes the Department of Combat Training and Special Operations. The religious needs of soldiers and officers are cared for by the Israel Defense Forces Rabbinate. In the Israeli army, Sabbath violation is prohibited and kosher laws are observed. Operationally, the armed forces are subdivided into three territorial districts (Northern, Central and Southern), and in terms of the types of troops - into ground, air and naval forces.

Nationwide army

The consequence of this is the interest of the Israel Defense Forces in raising the professional and educational level of the country's population. The mobilized receive the knowledge and skills necessary in modern military affairs in the army technical schools; special educational programs aimed at expanding and deepening the knowledge of soldiers in the field of Jewish history, geography, archeology of Israel, etc .; the army makes sure that new immigrants and recruits, whose formal education remains incomplete, become better at reading and writing skills; the army is sending specially trained female trainers to development cities to eliminate inequalities in education.

There are a number of special service programs in Tsahal, including:

Yeshivat-hesder - a special version of conscript service, in which service is combined with studies in a yeshiva. This service is intended for secondary school students - yeshivas (yeshivot tikhoniyot), recruits of the Tsahal. The term of such service is 4 years, including 16 months of military service, and the rest of the time is studying in a yeshiva. In August 2005, the number of soldiers and officers serving in Tsahal under this program reached 6,000 people, of which 88% were in combat units.
Nahal are special regular units in which military service is combined with agricultural work in new settlements. Nahal strongholds are located along borders and in kibbutzim; when the settlement created by Nahal is economically strong enough, the army hands it over to the civilian authorities. At the end of their service, the soldiers of Nahal can remain in its composition and continue to live in the settlement they founded. Service life for women is 23 months, for men - 40 months. The fighters of the Nahal units founded dozens of new settlements in the peripheral regions of the country.
Public pre-army service (shnat sherut - literally "year of service") is a deferral from military service lasting up to one year for boys and girls who volunteer as instructors in one of the youth movements or engaged in other recognized socially useful activities.
Pre-war preparatory courses (mekhinot kdam tsvayot) - a deferral from military service lasting up to one year in the framework of studies in secular or religious preparatory courses.

The Israel Defense Forces run hundreds of Gadna clubs (gdudei noar - youth battalions), in which young people of pre-conscription age (mostly those who have not completed formal education) undergo general education and military training. Many members of the organization take special courses for preliminary training of pilots, sailors, paratroopers, etc.

The size and armament of the Israel Defense Forces

Defense information in Israel is not subject to publication; thus, the data below is based primarily on the estimates of authoritative foreign sources, as well as Israeli researchers.

The number of the Israeli armed forces when fully mobilized (not counting the territorial defense units, civil defense units, border and coast guard) is estimated at 631 thousand people; there are about 186 thousand people in active service (see table 1).

Table 1. The number of soldiers and officers of the conscript service of the Israel Defense Forces (thousand people)

Comparison of the number of soldiers and officers of conscript service shows that the Egyptian army (450 thousand people) outnumbers the Israeli army by 2.4 times, and the Syrian army (289 thousand people) - 1.5 times. The superiority is partially corrected due to the fact that the number of reservists in the Israeli army (445 thousand) exceeds the number of reservists in the Egyptian (254 thousand) and Syrian (132 thousand) armies combined. The troops of Jordan (101,000 conscripts and officers) and Lebanon (61,000) are inferior in size to the Israel Defense Forces.

The distribution of the number of Tshahal soldiers and officers (including both the forces of the regular army and reservists) by type of service is presented in Table 2.

Table 2. Distribution of the number of soldiers and officers of the Israel Defense Forces by type of service, 2002

Other important aspects of the Israeli strategic doctrine, designed to solve the problem of a small country surrounded by a numerically superior enemy, are the offensive nature of hostilities, the transfer of hostilities to enemy territory and, if possible, moving them away from the country's borders, the rapid transfer of troops from the front to the front, concentration the maximum forces in the place of the main threat, the concentrated and coordinated use of the air force against ground forces and the rear of the enemy (which, among other things, allows to reduce human losses), the application (in favorable political conditions) of preventive strikes, as well as the maximum use of technological achievements of the world and domestic military industry.

According to estimates for 2002 (more recent data have not yet been published), with full mobilization, the Israeli ground forces number about 521 thousand people (141 thousand soldiers in active service and 380 thousand reservists) - 16 divisions (including 12 armored ones), and also 76 brigades.

Tsahal is armed with 3930 (according to other sources - 3700) tanks - more than in the army of any of the countries bordering on Israel (Syria - up to 3700, Egypt - about three thousand, Jordan - 970, Lebanon - 280), a significant some of which (about 1400) are Israeli-made Merkava tanks of models I, II, III and IV (after purchasing 300 M60A3 tanks in 1979, delivered in 1980-1985, Israel does not buy tanks abroad - update tank fleet is carried out at the expense of the production of "Merkava").

Israel has 8040 (according to other sources - 7710) armored personnel carriers and armored vehicles, most of the American production - more than in the army of any of the countries bordering on Israel (Syria - about 5060, Egypt - 3680, Jordan - 1815, Lebanon - 1235 ). The artillery force has about 1,350 guns, mostly self-propelled: heavy 203 mm howitzers (36 pieces) and long-range 175 mm American-made guns (140 pieces), about 720 guns of 155 mm caliber made in France according to the Israeli project, as well as a significant number captured Soviet guns of caliber 130 and 122 mm. A large number of mortars are in service, in particular, self-propelled guns of 160 mm caliber.

In 2002, about 36 thousand people were serving in the air force. During mobilization, the personnel of the Israeli Air Force reaches approximately 91 thousand people. According to various sources, the Israeli Air Force has up to 800 combat aircraft, including 628 - in service and 172 (57 - Skyhawk models and 115 - Kfir models) - in operational storage (that is, they are maintained in an operational state; intended for sale abroad or use in an emergency) - more than in the army of any of the countries bordering on Israel (Egypt - 505, Syria - 451, Jordan - 97, Lebanon has no combat aircraft). The number of Israel Air Force combat vehicles, including rocket-equipped helicopters, is detailed in Table 3.

Table 3. The number of combat aircraft of the Israeli Air Force of various models, 2002

original name	Israeli name	number
F-15 models A – D "Eagle"	"Baz" ("Falcon")	72
F-15 Model I "Strike Eagle"	"Ranamiam" ("Thunder")	25
F-16 models A – B "Fighting Falcon"	"Netz" ("Hawk")	110
F-16 models C – D "Fighting Falcon"	"Barack" ("Lightning")	138
F-16 model I "Fighting Falcon"	"Saulociar" ("The Tempest")	120 aircraft have been ordered and should arrive by 2008.
F-4E "Phantom II" and F-4E-2000 ("Phantom 2000")	"Kournas" ("Hammer")	140
A-4H / N, TA-4H and TA-4J Skyhawk	"Ait" ("Kite")	175, of which 118 are in service and 57 are in operational storage
"Kfir" C-2 / TC-2 / C-7 / TC-7 / CR	"Kfir" ("Lion")	140, of which 25 are in service and 115 are in operational storage

In addition to combat aircraft, the Israeli Air Force has 57 (according to other sources - 79) transport aircraft Boeing 707, C-130H Hercules, Arava and Dorenier Do-28B-1; 6 transport tanker aircraft; 138 training aircraft; 22 communications aircraft; as well as electronic reconnaissance aircraft and patrol aircraft. The country's air force also has 135 combat helicopters AH-64A Apache, AH-1G / E / F / S Cobra and 500MD Defender, as well as transport helicopters of various modifications. In Israel, all specialized air defense systems, except for naval ones, are concentrated within the Air Defense Forces (Hale nun-meme; “nun-meme” is an abbreviation for neged matosim - literally “against aircraft”), which are part of the Air Force.

Air defense is a combat type of troops; recruits are required to have a high medical profile. Training of combat personnel takes place at the Air Defense School (BISNAM-833, formerly located in Herzliya, later was transferred to Mashavey Sad), technical training at the Air Force Technical School in Haifa. Air defense systems are maintained by the Air Force Systems and Weapons Service Center (Matnam, Merkaz tahzukat neshek u-maarahot), as well as civilian firms.

Missile testing and most of the practice fires of air defense systems are carried out at the missile test unit (YANAT, Yehidat nisuei ha-tilim) in Palmachim. Other shootings take place at the Shedma range (in southern Israel, in the Mitzpe Ramon area). Air defense tasks include:

Ensuring the country's air defense. This task is performed by Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems and advanced HAWK complexes in cooperation with the command and control system and fighter aircraft.
Providing anti-missile defense of the country. The warning about the launch of ballistic missiles towards Israel comes from a network of American early warning satellites. The interception is carried out by specialized anti-missile "Hets-2", and in case of failure - by "Patriot" missiles.
Defense of selected military and civilian objects (for example, Air Force bases, nuclear center in Dimona). Air defense of ground forces. This task is performed by mobile air defense systems; their divisions are armed with anti-aircraft missile systems "Stinger", "Chaparel", as well as missile-artillery systems "Makhbet". Protection and ground defense of the Air Force bases.

For a long time, the Israeli navy remained the least developed branch of the military. However, after unprecedented successes in 1973 (19 destroyed enemy ships without losses from the Israeli side), a period of rapid development began, and now the Israeli Navy is considered not only one of the most operational in the world, but also the dominant naval force in the Eastern Mediterranean basin.

The Israeli navy has about 9,500 men; during the mobilization of the numerical strength of the Navy reaches 19,500 people. The Israeli navy (data for 2002) has six submarines (three - the outdated Gal model, laid down in 1973–74, commissioned in 1976–77) and three - Dolphin models, laid down in 1994–96, commissioned in 1999–2000), fifteen (according to other sources - twenty) corvettes of the Eilat type and missile boats of the Hets, Aliya and Reshef types and thirty-three patrol boats boats.

In Tsahal and the police, several units have been created, the main task of which is to resist terror. Among them: Yamam - a special police unit for combating terrorism, responsible for anti-terrorist operations in Israel; Sayeret Matkal (General Staff Intelligence) responsible for anti-terrorist operations outside the country; Shaetet-13 (13th flotilla, special forces of the Navy, responsible for anti-terrorist operations abroad with the participation of naval forces); Lothar Eilat (Lothar - lohma be-terror / fight against terror /, unit 7707, responsible for anti-terrorist operations in Israel in the area of \u200b\u200bthe city of Eilat; due to the geographical remoteness of Eilat and its proximity to the Egyptian and Jordanian borders, it was decided to create a separate subdivision).

In addition, anti-terrorist special forces were created in each of the military districts: Sayret "Golani" (reconnaissance company of the infantry brigade "Golani") - in the North, Sayret Tsanhanim (reconnaissance company of the paratrooper brigade), Sayret Nahal (reconnaissance company of the Saer Nahal infantry brigade) and Duvdevan "(a special unit of the so-called Mistarvim, operating in Arab camouflage on controlled territories) - in the Central and Sayret" Givati \u200b\u200b"(reconnaissance of the infantry brigade" Givati \u200b\u200b") - in the Southern Military District. In 1995, to counter the "partisan war" in Lebanon, Sayret "Egoz" was recreated (disbanded in 1974 together with Sayret "Cherub" and Sayeret "Shaked"); subsequently, the soldiers of this unit made an invaluable contribution to the fight against Palestinian terror in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) and in Gaza.

Nuclear potential

The existence of a constant threat to national security from its Arab neighbors is forcing Israel to maintain a powerful armed force in the country, equipped with modern means of warfare, including weapons of mass destruction. Although Israel has never conducted open nuclear tests, it is estimated that Israel is now the world's sixth nuclear power after the United States, Russia, Britain, France and China. Israel's nuclear program dates back to the 1950s; at its origins were D. Ben-Gurion and S. Perez.

Scientific support of the nuclear program was carried out by a team of scientists from. In 1952, under the control of the Ministry of Defense, the Nuclear Energy Commission was created, headed by E. D. Bergman. In 1956, Israel entered into a secret agreement with France to build a plutonium nuclear reactor. The construction of the reactor began in a remote corner of the Negev desert, near Dimona.

The installation for reprocessing irradiated fuel was created in 1960, and the 26 MW reactor was commissioned in 1963 (Now the reactor power reaches 150 MW, which, according to experts, makes it possible to obtain weapons-grade plutonium in an amount sufficient to produce more than ten bombs average power per year.) The first two nuclear devices had already been assembled by the Six Day War, beginning in 1970. Israel began to produce three to five nuclear warheads a year.

At the same time, Israel refused to sign the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, having reached an understanding with the US administration (and personally with President R. Nixon), according to which it was "assumed but not recognized" that Israel is a state with nuclear weapons. It was only on July 13, 1998 at a press conference in Jordan that Sh. Peres, then Prime Minister of Israel, for the first time publicly admitted that Israel possesses nuclear weapons, but neither he nor any other Israeli leader then or later did not release any details related to this area.

According to various estimates, Israel can potentially have by now from one hundred to five hundred nuclear warheads, the total TNT equivalent of which can be up to fifty megatons. Since 1963, ballistic missile systems have been created in Israel, capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Back in 1989, the Jericho-2B ballistic missile with a range of up to 1,500 km, capable of striking targets, including throughout Libya and Iran, passed successfully. The Israeli Armed Forces also have nuclear weapons delivery systems (including American-made F-16, F-4E Phantom and A-4N Sky Hawk aircraft). Israel is the only power in the Middle East with a high degree of probability that it has nuclear weapons systems based on land, sea and air.

Defense spending of Israel

In 2002, they amounted to $ 9.84 billion (1984 - $ 4.3 billion). While Israel's defense spending has been steadily increasing, per capita spending has remained relatively stable, albeit quite high, at roughly $ 1,500 per year.

The military aid received by Israel from the United States makes a great contribution to the maintenance of Israel's defenses. Israel first received gratuitous military aid from the United States in 1974 (in the amount of $ 1.5 billion). For the period from 1974 to 2002. Israel received gratuitous military aid from the United States totaling $ 41.06 billion. At the same time, Israel is obliged to spend most of the funds for military assistance in the United States, on the purchase of military equipment, spare parts, ammunition and equipment, which constrains the development of defense industry enterprises in Israel itself.

Procurement, production and export of weapons

The first large purchases of weapons were made in 1948 in Czechoslovakia (rifles, machine guns, and later - Messerschmidt fighters). At the same time, Israel bought weapons from France and other countries, and also acquired surplus American military equipment.

In 1952, Israel signed an agreement with the US government on the purchase of military equipment, but during this period the share of Israel's military purchases in the United States was negligible. The first jets of the Israeli Air Force - "Meteor" - were purchased from Great Britain, which over time became the main supplier of naval equipment, primarily destroyers and submarines.

In the 1950s. France gradually became the main supplier of weapons for the Israel Defense Forces (primarily jet aircraft) - up to the embargo on arms supplies to Israel imposed on June 2, 1967 by President de Gaulle. In the 1960s. the role of the United States as a supplier of weapons for the Israel Defense Forces is growing, but the main supplier of the United States became only after the Six Day War.

The high level of the Israeli military industry is the result not so much of economic factors as of political decisions, since from the very first days of the existence of the Jewish state it became obvious that in emergency circumstances one cannot rely on the delivery of weapons and equipment ordered abroad.

Today, Israeli industrial products cover almost all major branches of military production and include electronic and electrical equipment (in particular, radar and telecommunications equipment - an area in which Israel is among the world's best manufacturers), precision optical equipment, light small arms, artillery and mortars, rockets, some of which are the most perfect in their class, tanks, aircraft (light - for operational communications and maritime patrolling, transport, unmanned, fighters and fighter-bombers), warships, ammunition, personal equipment, military medical equipment and etc.

communications equipment (for example, systems for searching and detecting ejected pilots of airplanes and helicopters, as well as scouts and special forces soldiers, allowing them to locate them with an accuracy of 10 m);
sights and night vision devices for both small arms and armored vehicles and helicopters; electronic combat control systems for units of various levels;
radar installations for various types of weapons; means of searching and detecting mines, unexploded ordnance (which is very important for many countries in Asia and Africa);
robots for safely detonating detected explosive devices; small arms and many other types of military equipment and supplies.

The advantage of Israeli weapons and military equipment supplied to the foreign market is that almost all of it has been tested in real combat operations, modified in accordance with the requirements of the field conditions of its operation, and therefore has a very high reliability. The revenues from the export of Israel's military industry serve its further development.

The Israel Defense Forces, also known as the Army of the State of Israel and the main body of its security, is known to the whole world under the abbreviation IDF

Israel's military doctrine

The IDF was founded two weeks after the founding of the state, during the War of Independence. The Provisional Government, headed by David Ben-Gurion, decided to create an army, and on May 26, 1948, David Ben-Gurion signed the "Decree on the Israel Defense Forces." Let me remind you that since 1948 the Israeli army has taken part in more than 10 major military conflicts in the Middle East.

By the beginning of June 1948, an agreement was signed between the leadership of the "Haganah" (Israel Galili and Levi Eshkol) and the leaders of other underground militarized organizations "Irgun" (Menachem Begin) and "LEKHI" (Nathan Yalin-Mor, Israel Eldad). that their combat units will be integrated into the IDF. The exception was the divisions of these organizations in Jerusalem, which was not then subject to Israeli sovereignty. Since most of the IDF was made up of members of the "Haganah", it basically retained its organizational structure.

The way to use the Israeli army - the doctrine of action - developed in 1949 by a committee chaired by Colonel Khaim Laskov. The doctrine was based on geopolitical realities:

Israel is inferior to its neighbors in population and in the foreseeable future will always be forced to wage war against a numerically superior enemy.
The dispute with the neighbors does not consist in disagreement over borders, but in rejection of the very fact of Israel's existence. Israel's opponents will wage a war against Israel for destruction.
Considering the geographic realities, as well as the superiority of the enemy in manpower and equipment, in the event of war, Israel cannot expect to win by destroying the enemy. The real goal should be to inflict such damage on its armed forces that would incapacitate them for as long as possible.
The small territory, very indented borders and the proximity of the populated centers to the front lines deprive Israel of any strategic depth. In the narrowest zone, the distance from the border to the sea is only 14 km. There are no natural barriers to defense.
Israel cannot fight a long war. The war makes it necessary to mobilize such a huge percentage of the population that the economy will simply cease to function in a few weeks.

Conscription service in the Israeli army

The Military Service Act establishes two types of compulsory military service in the Israel Defense Forces - conscript service and reserve service.

By law, all citizens of Israel, including those with dual citizenship and living in another country, as well as all permanent residents of the state, upon reaching the age of 18, are subject to conscription into the IDF. The term of military service is 36 months, for women - 24 months. The law applies to Jews and (non-Jews citizens of the state), Druze and Circassians. Bedouins, Christians and Muslims can volunteer in the army.

Release from conscription are received by women who are married by the time of conscription or for health reasons, men only for health reasons, and repatriates - only those who have arrived in the country over the age of 26 or have children.

Men attending Jewish religious schools (yeshivahs) receive a lifelong deferral for their studies. Religious girls have the right to be exempt from military service or to undergo alternative service - in hospitals, educational institutions, volunteer organizations. Thus, despite the fact that officially all Jewish citizens of Israel are obliged to do military service, the vast majority of ultra-religious Jews do not serve in the army, which serves as a source of tension in society.

The difference from many other armies is that in The Israel Defense Forces serve most of the country's women (women in Israel are liable for military service). However, about a third of women receive a reprieve or complete exemption from the army (pregnancy, religious reasons). At the end of their military service, most women are exempt from their annual military fees.

In the 1948 War of Independence, due to the country's plight, women took an active part in defending Israel. With the end of the war, women practically ceased to be sent to combat operations. Currently, most women are conscripted into non-combat units. As of 2005, women are allowed to serve in more than 83% of the Israel Defense Forces.

In 2009, women serve in the artillery troops, the Maghav border service. There are also infantry units where men and women serve together, such as the Caracal Battalion.

Reserve Service in the Israeli army is required. After the end of regular service, all privates and officers are called up annually to reserve training for up to 45 days. Active reservist service - “Shirut Miluim Pail” continues until the reservist reaches the age of 45 years. It is these reservists that Israel is now mobilizing in an amount of about 100 thousand people.

The structure of the active Israeli army

The Israeli army consists of three types of armed forces: ground, air force and naval. The army is headed by the General Staff. The Ground Forces, the Air Force, and the Naval Forces have separate commands under the General Staff.

The ground forces are divided into three military districts: Northern, Central and Southern. After the Gulf War, a Logistics Administration was also established.

The General Staff consists of 6 directorates: Operations, Planning, Personnel, Intelligence, Computer Service, and Technology and Logistics.

Some figures for the active Israeli army as of 2011:

The military budget of the country - 15.8 billion dollars

The total number of regular armed forces: 176.5 thousand people

Militarized formations: 8.05 thousand people (including border guard - 8 thousand, coast guard - 50 thousand people)

Service life: officers - 48 (men) and 36 (women) months, servicemen of other categories - 36 (men) and 24 (women) months

Reserve: 565 thousand people (ground forces - 380 thousand, air force - 24.5 thousand, naval forces - 3.5 thousand people)

Mobilization resources: 3.11 million people, including 2.55 million fit for military service

Ground forces: 133 thousand people, 3 territorial commands, border guard command, 4 corps headquarters, 2 armored, 4 infantry divisions, 15 tank, 12 infantry and 8 airmobile brigades. The organizational structure of the formations depends on the operational situation.

Reserve: 8 armored divisions.

Armament of the Israeli army

As of 2010, the Israeli army consisted of:

Ground Forces: more than 20 launchers of operational-tactical missiles; 3,657 main battle tanks (including 1,681 Merkava, 711 M60A1 / 3, more than 100 T-55, over 100 T-62, 111 Magakh-7, 561 M-48), about 10 420 infantry fighting vehicles and BTR, 408 BRM, 456 towed artillery guns of calibers 105, 122, 130 and 155 mm, 960 self-propelled howitzers (105, 155, 175 and 203 mm), 212 MLRS, 4 132 mortars (2000 52 mm, 1358 81 mm, 652 120 mm, 122 160mm), more than 1225 ATGM launchers, more than 1300 anti-aircraft artillery guns, 1250 MANPADS.

Air Force: 35 thousand people. (of which 20 thousand conscripts are mainly in air defense), 460 combat aircraft, 100 combat helicopters.

Aircraft and helicopter fleet: 72 F-15 air superiority fighters (A, B, C, D), 25 heavy attack multirole fighters - F - 15 I bombers, 260 light multipurpose fighters - F-16 bombers (A, B, C and D), 102 F-16I light multirole fighter-bombers equipped with Israeli avionics. These are planes of the so-called first line, which are in a state of full combat readiness.

In addition, there are about 140 Phantoms of various modifications in "custody", that is, in reserve (F-4E "Phantom II", RF-4E "Phantom II", F-4E-2000 ("Phantom-2000" )), about 120 Skyhawk attack aircraft of various models (A-4H / N, TA-4H, TA-4J), and about 140 Israeli-made Kfir multirole fighter bombers (C-2 / TC-2 / C-7 / TC-7 / CR)

Auxiliary and special aviation of the IDF has the following fleet of combat vehicles: 5 RD-10, Boeing 707, 2 Boeing 707 Falcon, 3 (according to other sources -6) Gulf Stream G550 (Electronic reconnaissance aircraft), 2 EC-130, 3 IAI-1124 Sea scan, 5 КС-130Н, 11 С-47, 6 IAI-202 Arava, 8 Do-28, 2 Islander, 4 Beach 200 Super King Air, 20 Cessna U-206 , 12 Beach 80 Queen Air, 43 SM 170, 17 Grob G-120 (training), 26 TA-4H and J, 55 AN-1E and F Cobra, 33 Hughes 500MD, 40 AN-64A, AH -64D (18 cars ordered), 7 AS-565SA, 41 CH-53D, 24 S-70A, 14 UH-60, 34 Bell 212, 43 Bell 206.

UAVs: "Scout", "Seicher", "Pioneer", "Fireby", "Samson", "Deline", "Hunter", "Hermes-450", "Skye", "Harpies".

SAM: "Arrow", "Hawk", "Patriot", "Chaparel" (removed from service in 2003).

Navy: 8.5 thousand people (including 300 commandos and 2.5 thousand average words), 3 Dolphin submarines, 3 Saar-5 corvettes, 10 missile boats (8 Saar 4.5 and 2 Saar-4), 41 patrol boats (15 "Dabur", 13 "Super Dvora" MM / 2, 6 "Super Dvora" MK3, 4 "Shaldag", 3 "Stingray"), an experimental vessel.

Naval aviation: 25 helicopters (8 Eurocopters AS-565SA, 17 Bell 212).

American military aid to Israel

On July 23, 1952, the United States and Israel concluded bilateral agreement on military assistance - "Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement" (TIAS 2675), in accordance with which the supply of American weapons and military equipment to Israel began.

On September 26, 1962, the US government, in a change of its previous policy, agreed to sell the Hawk air defense missile system division to Israel (thus, Israel became the first country that was not part of the NATO bloc and received these weapons). The State Department, however, said that this delivery was intended to compensate for the supply of offensive weapons by the Soviet bloc countries to Israel's Arab neighbors and to maintain a balance of power in the Middle East.

In 1968, the US government authorized the sale of 48 A-4 Skyhawks and 50 F-4 Phantoms to Israel.

In November 1971, the United States and Israel entered into an agreement under which Israel received the right to license certain types of American weapons, ammunition, military equipment and military equipment.

In 1973, after the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War, the United States supplied Israel with a significant amount of weapons, ammunition and military equipment via an "air bridge" (Operation Nickel Grass).

In 1976, the US Congress passed the Symington Amendment, and in 1977 - the Glenn Amendment, which banned the supply of weapons from the United States to countries that are carrying out nuclear weapons programs. However, the Syminton-Glenn amendments have never been applied to Israel, which allegedly possesses such weapons and sees them as a means of delivering a "second blow" to an aggressor in the event of an attack.

On November 30, 1981, the United States and Israel signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Cooperation.

In 1990, Israel signed an agreement with the United States on participation in the program of "storage of military reserves for the US allies", according to which six warehouses for the storage of weapons, armored vehicles and ammunition were equipped in the country. Initially, the cost of weapons in warehouses was $ 100 million, in 1991, after the Gulf War, this volume was increased to $ 300 million, then to $ 400 million, and in December 2009 to $ 800 million. Although the weapons do not belong to Israel, under the agreement, the IDF can access warehouses and use stored weapons "with US permission" or "in an emergency."

In preparation for the Gulf War (1991) and the creation of a coalition against Saddam Hussein with the participation of Arab countries (and, accordingly, without Israel), the United States guaranteed the destruction of the Iraqi "Scuds" during the first days of the operation and protection from the shelling by Iraq. For this purpose, 7 batteries of the Patriot air defense missile system were deployed on the territory of Israel, which, ultimately, failed to intercept the missiles launched at Israel.

In 1995, as part of the "special delivery program", the United States was "ready to donate" to Israel 14 Cobra combat helicopters and 30 thousand M-16 assault rifles, in addition to the "previously delivered" two Patriot air defense missile systems, 75 F-15 fighters and F-16s, 450 TOW ATGM launchers, 336 trucks and tractors, 10 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, a batch of Harpoon anti-ship missiles and 650 AH-64 anti-tank missiles for helicopters.

In 2000, the United States provided $ 200 million to build and equip two training bases to train reservists.

In 2008, electronic equipment was received from the United States (an AN-TRY-2 centimeter range radar and a JTAGS mobile terminal for receiving data).

Military aid from the "fraternal" USA continues to this day, no one knows its real volume.

Weapon of the future: Israel special

IDF - this is the short Hebrew name for the Israel Defense Forces. The IDF is rightfully considered one of the strongest armies in the world, victorious in all wars and armed conflicts in which it had to participate in its almost 60-year history. The IDF is an example of the people's army - the entire population of Israel: men and women, representatives of all ethnic and religious communities, owners of billions of dollars and descendants of poor families - all as one equal to fulfill their heavy military duty in the army.

The prestige of military service in Israel is very high - it is considered something indecent to "roll away" from the army service, in the elite military units the competition for recruits is dozens of people per seat. And after demobilization, the whole life of the Israelis is connected with the army - up to the age of forty they annually call up for the monthly training of reservists, people live in readiness for an unexpected mobilization. No wonder this joke is popular: "An Israeli is a soldier who is on vacation 11 months a year."

Who is at the head of the IDF
Israel is a parliamentary democracy, and therefore the army is separated from politics. The head of the Ministry of Defense is a civilian official who is appointed by a decision of the Prime Minister. This important government post is currently held by Amir Peretz, formerly the head of the Israeli trade unions. The Minister of Defense defends the interests of the army in parliament and in the government, primarily when distributing the budget, but the real leadership of the troops is carried out by the chief of the General Staff - a career military man.

According to the tradition prevailing in Israel, the chief of the General Staff is appointed by the government on the recommendation of the Minister of Defense for a period of 3 years. In the future, this period may be extended by no more than one year. When appointed to the post of Chief of the General Staff, he is awarded the rank of Colonel General and he is the only person in active service who has this high rank. Under his command is the entire huge, well-coordinated military machine called the IDF.

For the past two years, the Chief of the General Staff has been Aviation Colonel General Dan Halutz. Dan Halutz became the seventeenth Chief of Staff in the entire history of the Jewish state. This appointment can be considered significant - for the first time a military pilot is at the head of the IDF, while all his predecessors were from the infantry or paratrooper troops.

In the event of a general mobilization, the IDF in a matter of hours turns from a peacetime army, in which about 200 thousand servicemen serve, into one of the most efficient armies in the world, in which up to 800 thousand well-trained soldiers and commanders are ready to perform combat missions.

Subordinate to the Chief of the General Staff are the commanders of the Northern, Central and Southern military districts, the Logistics Command, the headquarters of the Ground Forces, the commanders of the combat arms, the Navy, the Air Force, dozens of directorates and commands of various levels, the commanders of divisions, brigades, flotillas, units and formations ...
The commanders of military districts, chiefs of numerous directorates and commands, as well as the heads of the Shabak counterintelligence and the foreign intelligence of the MOSAD, are part of the General Staff Forum, which unites all the top military leadership of Israel, headed by the Chief of the General Staff ..

Get in line!
In Israel, in accordance with the Universal Military Obligation Law, the entire population over 18 years of age, with a few exceptions, is subject to conscription for active military service. However, preparation for military service begins long before conscription.

The initial military training of schoolchildren is carried out within the framework of the youth paramilitary organization GADNA (an abbreviation of the Hebrew words for "Youth battalions"). The GADNA is headed by a command from among the regular officers of the Israeli army, coordinating its activities with the Ministry of Education. The service of the senior officer of the General Staff for the education of youth directly directs this process.

Every year, high school students undergo two-week military training in the camps. They are led by officers and sergeants. During the training camp, schoolchildren receive army uniforms, they are given lessons in shooting, physical and drill training. Much attention is paid to the exercises in the field. At the end of the training camp, each student undergoes certification, at which conclusions are given on the level of training and recommendations for choosing an army specialty. Within the framework of GADNA there are also aviation and naval sections.

For teenagers 13-15 years old (both boys and girls), who have decided to receive vocational training in specialties of the army profile, there is a whole network of cadet corps. These include numerous colleges of the Air Force, the Armaments Service, and the Navy, which train future army and navy specialists. The oldest military educational institution of this profile is the College of Naval Officers in Akko, opened in 1938. Cadets who complete their training course in college are drafted into the army, where they serve in the acquired specialties. The best graduates can continue their studies at universities, where they receive their first academic degree.

A special place among military educational institutions for adolescents is occupied by the Command Preparatory College, which prepares command personnel for the infantry and airborne forces, founded in 1953. Cadets of this profile receive versatile combat command training. A specific feature of their studies is their constant participation in military exercises as part of military units, where they are trained as ordinary soldiers and commanders of squads and platoons.

Upon reaching the age of 18, all Israelis of both sexes are subject to conscription. Common to all is the passage of the course of a young soldier (tironut), the duration and complexity of which depend on the type of troops to which the conscript is sent. Conventionally, all military specialties are divided into combat specialties related to the performance of combat missions, and logistics support specialties. In combat units, tyronut lasts up to six months, in rear units - one month. At the end of the tironut, the soldiers are assigned an index of combat training ("rovai"). The value of the index is determined by the level of combat training: for example, for a soldier-infantryman, the ditch can reach a value of 05. The index of combat training increases with additional courses.

For soldiers of combat units, the next stage of combat training is an advanced training course that lasts several months. The most trained fighters then take a sergeant course, and only the best graduates of the sergeant course can be assigned to an officer course. Thus, it is compulsory for candidates for officers to complete all stages of soldier's service directly in the army, and the total duration can reach from one to one and a half years. All this time, the soldier combines training with service in his military units.

Who gets the officer's shoulder straps
Special attention has always been paid to the training of officers in Israel. The first head of government, David Ben-Gurion, formulated this task in the following way: “We need a selected and highly professional officer corps who are fluent in the science of winning. It is necessary that the best representatives of our youth, who have a high intellect and are devoted to the ideals of the first builders of our state, devote their lives to serving the Motherland in the ranks of the armed forces. "

Unlike Russia, where officers are trained in schools from yesterday's school graduates, in Israel the path to officer's shoulder straps lies only through the soldier's service. Only the best soldiers and sergeants who have been carefully selected are admitted to the exams for admission to the officer courses. Potential candidates are subject to strict requirements: it is mandatory to have a secondary education certificate, the candidate must have a high coefficient of intellectual and physical development, which consists of 27 parameters, pass exams and medical commissions, and receive recommendations from their immediate commanders.

Officer courses are located at the training bases of the combat arms and military formations. The duration of study ranges from 6 months for infantry platoon commanders to 20 months for naval officers. Only at the Air Force Academy, which trains Air Force pilots, the training period is 3 years and upon graduation, the graduates, along with the officer rank, are awarded the first academic degree.

Training on officer courses, due to their short duration, is highly intensive and requires maximum moral and physical efforts from cadets. Those who cannot cope with such loads will be immediately expelled from the course. The entire training system is inextricably linked with the solution of real combat missions, cadets spend a significant part of their time in the field and on exercises, where the theoretical knowledge they have gained is immediately consolidated. The emphasis is on mastering the practical skills of commanding subunits by future officers.

Girls are trained on an equal basis with guys. Until recently, there was a separate training base for the Women's Corps, where officers from among the girls undergoing military service were trained at various women's officer courses. However, after the disbandment of the separate Women's Corps in 2001, they were merged with the existing officer courses, and now the girls are trained on a common basis. Combined companies and battalions are formed from cadets of both sexes.

To train specialist officers with a higher education, the IDF operates the “Atuda” program. Under this program, a deferral from conscription is given to students of civil higher educational institutions studying in specialties needed by the army, as a rule, of a technical and medical profile. Students sign an agreement under which they undertake to serve in the army at the end of their studies for at least five years. During the years of study, students enrolled in this program are periodically drafted into the army, where they take a month-long course for a young soldier, as well as a basic officer course. There are no analogs of military departments in Israeli universities.

A condition for the successful promotion of an officer in the service is the compulsory completion of courses for him corresponding to positions of various command levels. The IDF has an extensive system of military educational institutions in which such training is carried out.

The Command and Tactical College trains promising young officers who are promoted to command of companies. A prerequisite for studying there is the signing of an agreement on military service for 4-5 years after graduation from this college. Future battalion commanders are trained at the Command and Staff College.

Along with education in military educational institutions, the IDF has the practice of sending officers to receive academic education in civilian universities, both in Israel and abroad. It is believed that the presence of officers in an atmosphere of academic freedom, in the absence of military command, develops initiative and promotes the adoption of non-standard decisions.

Ground troops
The ground forces of the IDF include parachute, motorized infantry and tank divisions, and a marine division. In the course of hostilities, corps of mixed composition can be formed from divisions.
The armored forces, the main striking force of the IDF's ground forces, are considered one of the largest in the world - it is known that the IDF is now armed with about 4,000 tanks. This is significantly more than, for example, in the armies of countries such as Great Britain, France and Germany. The main part of the tank fleet is made up of Israeli-made Merkava tanks.

The IDF's armored forces were born in the battles of the War of Independence, which began immediately after the founding of the State of Israel in May 1948. During the war, the army of the young Jewish state repelled the aggression of the regular armies of eight Arab countries and achieved a crushing victory.

The commander of the first tank unit, the 82nd tank battalion, was former Red Army Major Felix Beatus, who traveled along the roads of the Great Patriotic War from Stalingrad to Berlin. The battalion had "English" and "Russian" companies. So they were called by the languages \u200b\u200bspoken by the tankers - Jewish volunteers from around the world. Most of the soldiers of the "Russian" company were tank officers of the Red Army and the Polish Army, who managed to get to the newly created Jewish state.

The first combat vehicles of Israeli tankers were captured tanks, which were captured during the fighting in northern Israel. Then tanks purchased abroad began to arrive. By the middle of 1948, the 7th and 8th tank brigades were formed, which took part in the battles.

In those years, the doctrine of tank warfare began to take shape, which was adopted by the IDF. It was based on the following principles. The first is “Tank Totality”. This means that tank formations are capable of independently solving the main tasks of land warfare. The second - "Bronekulak" as the main tank maneuver ", which consisted in the introduction of large tank forces into the breakthrough, capable of leading an offensive at high speed, destroying enemy forces on its way.

This doctrine was first tested by force during the 1956 Sinai campaign. In three days, the 7th and 27th tank brigades, interacting with the infantry and paratroopers, broke into the enemy's defenses and, passing the Sinai desert, reached the Suez Canal. During the fighting, up to 600 units of enemy armored vehicles were destroyed or captured, Israeli losses amounted to 30 tanks and armored personnel carriers.

Analysis of tank battles showed a high percentage of losses among tank commanders. This was due to the implementation of the commanding honor code adopted by the Israeli army. According to him, the main command in the IDF is "Follow me!" - the commander is obliged to lead subordinates by personal example. During battles, tank commanders controlled the battle directly from open hatches and therefore often died from enemy fire.

The 1967 Six Day War was a true triumph for the Israeli armored forces. For the first time, tank formations operated simultaneously on three fronts. They were opposed by the many times superior forces of five Arab states, but this did not save the Arabs from total defeat.

On the southern front, the blow was struck by the forces of three tank divisions of Generals Tal, Sharon and Ioffe. In an offensive operation called the "March across the Sinai", Israeli tank formations, interacting with aviation, motorized infantry and paratroopers, made a lightning breakthrough of the enemy's defenses and moved across the desert, destroying the encircled Arab groups.

On the northern front, the 36th Panzer Division of General Peled advanced along the rugged mountain paths, which, after three days of fierce battles, reached the outskirts of Damascus. On the eastern front, Israeli troops drove Jordanian units out of Jerusalem. During the fighting, more than 1,200 enemy tanks were destroyed, and thousands of armored vehicles were captured.

The most difficult test for Israel was the Yom Kippur War, which began on October 6, 1973, on the day of one of the most important Jewish holidays, when most of the soldiers were on leave. Israel was suddenly attacked on all fronts by the many times superior forces of the aggressors. In the vastness of the Sinai to the Golan Heights, one of the largest tank battles in world military history unfolded - up to six thousand tanks took part in it on both sides.

A particularly dangerous situation developed in the Golan Heights - there, only 200 tanks of the 7th and 188th tank brigades opposed almost 1,400 Syrian tanks on a 40-kilometer stretch. Israeli tank crews fought to the death, demonstrating massive heroism. Tankers fought to the last shell, from the surviving tankers who had just left the burning tanks, new crews were immediately formed, which again went into battle on repaired combat vehicles. The platoon leader Lieutenant Gringold burned three times in tanks during the battle, which lasted 24 hours, but each time he went into battle again in new vehicles. Shell-shocked and wounded, he did not leave the battlefield and destroyed up to 30 enemy tanks.

The Israeli tankers held out and won, the 210th Panzer Division, commanded by General Dan Lahner, who came to the rescue, completed the defeat of the enemy in the Golan Heights. During the fighting, the Iraqi tank corps, which had been sent to the aid of the Syrians, was also defeated. Israeli troops launched a counteroffensive and on October 14 were already in the suburbs of Damascus.

An equally fierce tank battle took place in the sands of Sinai, where the Arabs first succeeded in pushing back units of General Mendler's 252nd Panzer Division. General Mendler died in battle, but stopped the enemy's further advance. On October 7, the 162nd Panzer Division under the command of General Bren and the 143rd Panzer Division under the command of General Ariel Sharon entered the battle.

In the course of heavy tank battles, the main forces of the Arabs were destroyed. On October 14, the largest battle of tank formations since the Second World War, "tanks against tanks", took place, in which up to 800 tanks from both sides participated. Israeli tank crews lost 40 of their combat vehicles, enemy losses amounted to 360 tanks.

On October 16, 1973, Israeli tank forces launched a counteroffensive. General Sharon's tankmen broke through the front, set up a pontoon crossing over the Suez Canal, and Israeli tanks poured onto the African coast. In the ensuing battles, the 3rd Egyptian army was surrounded, and a direct road opened up for the Israeli forces to attack Cairo.

During the fierce tank battles of the Yom Kippur War, Israeli tank forces once again proved their superiority: more than 2,500 enemy tanks and thousands of other armored vehicles were destroyed in the battles. However, the victory had to pay a high price - hundreds of heroically fighting Israeli tankers were killed in the battles.

One of the results of the past wars was the creation of their own tank, in which the requirements of Israeli tankers for a combat vehicle were most fully implemented and their combat experience was taken into account. Another reason that prompted the creation of the Israeli tank industry was the embargo on the supply of military equipment, imposed by foreign manufacturers every time a war broke out.

The Israeli tank project was headed by General Israel Tal, a combat tank officer, commander-in-chief of the armored forces. Under his leadership, in just a few years, a project was created for the first Israeli tank "Merkava-1", which in 1976 was put into mass production at Israeli tank factories. The first tanks "Merkava" were equipped with a tank battalion, commanded by the son of General Tal. Tank "Merkava" is recognized as one of the best tanks in the world. Now the fourth generation of Merkava tanks is being produced.

Air Force
The Israeli Air Force (in Hebrew - "Heil Avir") includes dozens of squadrons of fighter, military transport, naval aviation, electronic warfare squadrons, "flying tankers" refuelers, combat helicopters for various purposes. The number of modern supersonic fighter-bombers alone reaches almost 800 aircraft. In terms of the number of combat aircraft, the Israeli Air Force is second only to the United States, but in terms of flight training and combat skill, Israeli pilots are considered the best in the West. Suffice it to say that the annual flight time of Israeli pilots reaches 250 hours, while for NATO pilots this figure does not exceed 180 hours. It is important to note that the skill of Israeli pilots is honed not in training battles, but in performing real combat missions during wars.

In air battles, Israeli aces shot down 686 enemy aircraft, losing only 23 of their own. The history of military victories of the Israeli air force dates back to June 3, 1948. On this day, squadron commander Moddi Alon on a Messerschmitt fighter shot down two enemy Dakota bombers in the skies over Tel Aviv, which were going to bomb densely populated areas of the city.

The Israeli Air Force was created in the battles of the War of Independence. The young Jewish state did not yet have any aircraft or trained personnel, and Israeli cities and villages were already subject to enemy air strikes. The first aircraft were purchased from Czechoslovakia. They were delivered to Israel by air, assembled right at the airfields, and the pilots went into battle in new combat vehicles. During the air combat, Israeli pilots seized air superiority and shot down 18 enemy aircraft. Bomb strikes were carried out on combat positions and rear targets of the enemy.

Since then, the mission of the Israeli Air Force has been to gain air supremacy and protect the Israeli population and its armed forces from attacks by enemy armies and terrorist groups.

The Israeli Air Force's combat operations are based on a whole spectrum of strategic plans, tactical and aerobatic techniques, initiative and a non-trivial approach to solving combat missions at all levels: from ordinary pilots to commanders of air formations. This principle was fully revealed in the 1967 Six Day War.

On June 5 at 07.45 the Israeli air force attacked along the entire front. Their plan of action was to strike at air bases and destroy all enemy combat aircraft on the ground. Instead of flying directly to the target, the first wave of Israeli aircraft flew into the open sea, turned around and at low altitude, above the crests of the waves, approached from the west - not at all from the direction from which the Egyptians were expecting an attack. Having destroyed 300 of 320 Egyptian aircraft right at the airfields, the Israelis immediately proceeded to destroy the air forces of other Arab states, united in a single alliance against Israel. After crushing blows, the Air Forces of Iraq, Jordan and Syria were destroyed. In air battles, Israeli pilots shot down sixty more enemy aircraft.

Israeli Air Force Commander General Mordechai Hod said at the time: “Sixteen years of planning are reflected in this exciting eighty hours. We lived by this plan, we went to bed and ate, thinking about it. Finally, we did it. " The secret of this victory lies primarily in the highest combat training of the pilots and ground personnel - many pilots made 4-6 sorties a day.

The 21st century air war strategy was tested by the Israeli Air Force in 1982 in Operation Peace for Galilee, which aimed to repel terrorist attacks on Israel's northern borders. On June 9, 1982, Israeli intelligence discovered a group of enemy troops in the Lebanese Bekaa Valley, which was under the protection of twenty battalions of anti-aircraft missile systems and aviation.
Dozens of Israeli aircraft were immediately launched into the air to conduct aerial combat and strike at ground targets. In the air, there were also aircraft with radar stations that tracked the flights of enemy aircraft, and aircraft for electronic warfare, which suppressed the enemy's communication and control systems. For the purpose of reconnaissance and target designation, for the first time in world combat practice, the Israelis actively used UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles)
Air battles were controlled in real time - all electronic information about the enemy flowed to the control centers of the Israeli headquarters, from where tele-instructions were immediately sent directly to the Israeli pilots. The result of the air battle in the Bekaa Valley speaks for itself - the Israeli Air Force destroyed dozens of enemy aircraft and anti-aircraft missile systems without losing a single one of its aircraft.

The pilots are the elite of the Israeli army. In military aviation, it is customary to confer the honorary title "ace" on pilots who shot down five or more enemy aircraft in aerial combat. There are now more than forty such pilots in the Israeli air force. Israeli Air Force Colonel Giora Epstein shot down 17 supersonic enemy aircraft in aerial combat and is considered the most effective ace in the West.

Air Force pilots are trained at the Air Force Academy. The selection of candidates begins at school in the aviation clubs of the GADNA aviation section. Numerous tests reveal not only the physical and intellectual abilities of the future cadet, but also his leadership qualities, as well as the ability to be a member of the crew and work as part of a group. Those who have passed this stage of testing will have a weekly test of survival in extreme situations. Only those who have overcome all these barriers begin to master flight skills. Until recently, there were no women among combat pilots. However, now this barrier has also been broken - the first female cadet of the Air Force Academy was eighteen-year-old Ellis Miller, who together with the guys passed all the admissions tests.

The three-year course of study consists of several stages. Initially, there is a distribution of cadets in flight specialties - someone will become a pilot, someone - a navigator or flight engineer. In the future, future fighter pilots, transport aviation and helicopter pilots are singled out from among the cadets. Throughout the entire period of training, cadets are in a situation of severe pressure and high loads, the competitive spirit is stimulated in every possible way - after all, only 10% of cadets will eventually become professional combat pilots. The slogan "Only the best are pilots" symbolizes the philosophy of the Israeli Air Force.

Navy
The main theater of military operations of the Israeli Navy is the waters of Sredize-many and the Red Sea, where the main Israeli naval bases are located. Organizationally, the Israeli Navy consists of flotillas and squadrons that unite warships of various classes.

The flotilla of missile-carrying ships includes divisions of high-speed missile corvettes and Saar-class frigates armed with powerful anti-ship missile systems Barak, Harpoon, Gabriel. Ships of this class are equipped with helipads and are capable of carrying combat helicopters.

An increasing role in the fleet is played by the submarine flotilla. It includes three Gal-class submarines built in Great Britain according to a German project, as well as new submarines built in Germany - Dolphin, Leviathan and Tekuma, which are considered the best in the world in their class. In the near future, the fleet should be replenished with another two or three submarines of this class, which can make autonomous voyages to any region of the World Ocean. According to foreign press reports, they are armed with cruise missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

The squadron of patrol ships is armed with high-speed boats of the "Dabur" and "Dvora" types, created at the enterprises of the Israeli industry. This squadron carries out combat missions to protect the coast of Israel from terrorist attacks from the sea. The Navy also has a large number of auxiliary ships - landing ships capable of taking on board tank and infantry units, tankers, and rescue ships.

A special place in the fleet is occupied by the 13th flotilla - the flotilla of naval commandos. It is designed to carry out sabotage and landing operations directly on the enemy coast. The fighters of this flotilla carried out dozens of attacks on enemy naval bases, ending with the sinking of enemy ships right at their base. The 13th Flotilla includes unique surface and submarine ships capable of covertly deploying soldiers to any given point.

Israel is the world leader in the development and combat use of a new class of naval weapons - anti-ship missiles and electronic warfare systems at sea. The development of missiles began at Israeli military factories in 1955, when the first Luz anti-ship missile was created. The decision to create missile boats was made in 1960 at a meeting of the General Staff of the Navy, where the Israeli naval doctrine was discussed. The next generation of anti-ship missiles, the Gabriel, entered the navy before the 1967 war. They were armed with Israeli ships that inflicted a crushing defeat on the enemy during the naval battles of the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

In this war, the Navy successfully solved all the tasks assigned to it - in the course of naval battles and attacks of naval saboteurs, up to forty enemy warships were sunk.
On October 6, 1973, on the second day of the Yom Kippur War, a squadron of missile carriers left the Moscow military base in Haifa and moved in two wake columns towards the Syrian coast. The purpose of the squadron, flying the flag of Rear Admiral M. Barkai, was to destroy enemy ships in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Syrian naval base Latakia. In the ensuing battle, the opposing sides, for the first time in world naval history, used sea-to-sea missiles. The result of this naval battle was the destruction of five enemy missile-carrying ships by Israeli missiles, the Israeli fleet suffered no losses.

The Israeli Navy is recruited on a draft basis. There is one exception - only volunteers go to sea commandos and submariners. Maritime specialists are trained in numerous schools of the Navy, the command staff graduates from officer schools and technical universities. There is a high percentage of foremen-super-conscripts, who are true aces in their field and keepers of maritime traditions. Women serve in the navy on an equal basis with men, among them are graduates of officers' schools and commanders of warships. Perhaps only submarine crews still retain patriarchy. Naval traditions are sacredly observed. For example, when returning with a victory to the home base, it is necessary to fix the mops on the masts - according to the number of enemy ships sunk in a military campaign.

The geographical position of Eretz Yisrael, which is key in the entire Middle East, has made the State of Israel from the moment of its inception one of the centers of world geopolitics. Israel's location, combined with its military capabilities, make it the dominant political-military factor in the Eastern Mediterranean. If necessary, Israel can serve as a strategic base for the defense of NATO's southern flank, blocking the main routes to South and East Asia, in particular the Suez Canal; within reach of Israel lies nearly half of the Western world's oil resources, concentrated in the triangle between Libya in the west, Iran in the east, and Saudi Arabia in the south.

Israel's unusually high military potential - relative to its size and population - is the result of the need to counter the permanent military threat from Arab countries. The feeling that the armed forces of the Jewish state preserve the ancient tradition of Jewish warriors - Yehoshua bin Nun, King David, Maccabees (see Hasmoneans), defenders of Masada and Bar Kochba fighters (see Bar Kochba uprising) - and an awareness of the inadmissibility of repeating the tragic experience of centuries Galuta, when the Jewish people were defenseless in the face of their enemies, contribute to instilling in the Israeli soldier a high motivation and consciousness of historical responsibility to the Jewish people and its state. Other factors of the high combat capability of the Israeli army include an effective military infrastructure, technological capabilities that no other country comparable to Israel in the world possesses, and a wealth of combat experience. At the same time, the small territory and limited human resources, concentration of the population in a limited number of urban centers, long borders and the lack of strategic raw materials make Israel militarily vulnerable.

Israel Defense Forces flag

Organization of the Israel Defense Forces (צְבָא הֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, Tzwa Hagana le-Israel, abbreviated צַהַ״ל, IDF)

According to the 1986 Conscription Law, active service, and upon completion, an annual military service (milluim) is compulsory. Boys serve for 3 years, and girls for 2 years. A deferment from conscription can be granted to particularly successful students of higher educational institutions (within the so-called academic reserve, atuda akademait). Repatriates may also be granted a deferral or reduced service term depending on age and marital status at the time of arrival in the country (girls who repatriated over the age of 17 are not eligible for conscription; young people who arrived in the country over the age of 24 are not military service). After completing compulsory service, each soldier is assigned to a reserve unit. Men under the age of 51 serve no more than 39 days a year; this period may be extended in extraordinary circumstances. Recently, a policy has been pursued aimed at facilitating the service of reservists: reservists who served in combat units can retire at the age of 45. At the end of their military service, persons of interest to the IDF may remain in the army on a contract basis. The main command and administrative personnel of the IDF are recruited from super-conscripts. Graduates of officer and flight courses, as well as special military-technical schools are required to serve a certain (usually three-year) term under a contract.

Compulsory military service applies to Jewish and Druze citizens of Israel; Muslim and Christian citizens (Arabs and Bedouins) can volunteer for military service. Volunteer Bedouin service is especially encouraged, using tracker skills to guard state borders and military installations. The number of Druze in active and long-term service is very large compared to the size of the Druze community as a whole. Students of yeshivas who fully devote themselves to religious studies and girls from religious families (optional) are exempted from military service (or, like new immigrants, serve a shorter period than usual).

Military ranks in the Israel Defense Forces

Soldiers: turai - private; turai rishon (tarash) - corporal; rav-turai (rabbat) - senior corporal; rav-turai rishon - junior sergeant; sammal - sergeant; sammal rishon - senior sergeant; rav-sammal - the foreman; rav-sammal rishon (rasar) - ensign. Officers: memale-makom katsin (mamak) - subleutenant; segen-mishne (sagam) - junior lieutenant; Segen is a lieutenant; seren is the captain; rav-seren (resen) - major; sgan-alluf (sao'al) - lieutenant colonel; alluf-mishne (alam) - colonel; tat-alluf (taural) - brigadier general; alluf - major general; Rav-Alluf - Lieutenant General (Army General). Only the Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces is in the rank of Rav-Alluf.

IDF: Insignia

Army management

The operational leadership of the armed forces is in the hands of the General Staff (ha-matte ha-klali), headed by the chief of the General Staff (rosh ha-matte ha-klali, abbreviated as ramatkal), appointed by the minister of defense in agreement with the cabinet of ministers for three years (with the possibility renewal for the fourth year). The General Staff consists of six main directorates: the Main Operations Directorate; The Main Intelligence Directorate; The General Directorate of Personnel, responsible for training personnel, planning and implementing mobilization Main Directorate of Technology and Supply; Main Directorate for Research and Development of Arms, Main Directorate of Planning. The structure of the General Staff of the Tsakhal also includes the Department of Combat Training and Special Operations. The religious needs of soldiers and officers are cared for by the Israel Defense Forces Rabbinate. In the Israeli army, Sabbath violation is prohibited and kosher laws are observed.

Operationally, the armed forces are subdivided into three territorial districts (Northern, Central and Southern), and in terms of the types of troops - into ground, air and naval forces.

Nationwide army

The Israeli army has a relatively small number of regular military personnel and consists mainly of conscripts and a reserve (the number of regular military personnel is relatively large in the Air Force and Navy). For this reason, the Israeli armed forces, unlike most other armies, do not form a closed professional corporation, but in the full sense of the word are a nationwide army. The consequence of this is the interest of the Israel Defense Forces in raising the professional and educational level of the country's population. The mobilized receive the knowledge and skills necessary in modern military affairs in the army technical schools; special educational programs aimed at expanding and deepening the knowledge of soldiers in the field of Jewish history, geography, archeology of Israel, etc .; the army makes sure that new immigrants and recruits, whose formal education remains incomplete, become better at reading and writing skills; the army is sending specially trained female trainers to development cities to eliminate inequalities in education.

There are a number of special service programs in Tsakhal, including:

Yeshivot ha-hasder - a special version of conscript service, in which the service is combined with studies in a yeshiva. This service is intended for students of secondary schools-yeshivas (yeshivot tikhoniyot), recruits of the IDF. The term of such service is 4 years, including 16 months of military service, and the rest of the time is studying in a yeshiva. In August 2005, the number of soldiers and officers serving in the Tsakhal under this program reached six thousand people, of which 88% are in combat units.

Nahal - special regular units, in which military service is combined with agricultural work in new settlements. Nahal strongholds are located along borders and in kibbutzim; when the settlement created by Nahal was economically strong enough, the army hands it over to the civilian authorities (see State of Israel. Jewish settlements in controlled territories). At the end of their service, the soldiers of Nahal can remain in its composition and continue to live in the settlement they founded. Service life for women is 23 months, for men - 40 months. The fighters of the Nahal units founded dozens of new settlements in the peripheral regions of the country.

Public pre-army service (shnat sherut - literally "year of service") - deferral from military service lasting up to one year for boys and girls who volunteer as instructors in one of the youth movements (see State of Israel. Youth movements) or engaged in other recognized socially useful activities.

Pre-war preparatory courses (mekhinot kdam tswayot) - deferral from military service for up to one year as part of a secular or religious preparatory course.

The Israel Defense Forces run hundreds of Gadna clubs (where noo'ar - youth battalions), in which young people of pre-conscription age (mostly not completing formal education) undergo general education and military training. Many members of the organization undergo special courses for the preliminary training of pilots, sailors, paratroopers, etc.

The size and armament of the Israel Defense Forces

In Israel, information of a defense nature is not subject to publication; the data below is based primarily on the estimates of authoritative foreign sources, as well as Israeli researchers.

The Israeli army is capable of mobilizing most of the reserve units in 24 hours, which to a certain extent compensates for Israel's strategic weaknesses - a small territory, a limited number of the regular army and long borders, making it possible to deliver reinforcements to the regular army holding the front in a matter of hours. Other important aspects of the Israeli strategic doctrine, designed to solve the problem of a small country surrounded by a numerically superior enemy, are the offensive nature of hostilities, the transfer of hostilities to enemy territory and, if possible, moving them away from the country's borders, the rapid transfer of troops from the front to the front, concentration the maximum forces in the place of the main threat, the concentrated and coordinated use of the air force against ground forces and the rear of the enemy (which, among other things, allows to reduce human losses), the application (in favorable political conditions) of preventive strikes, as well as the maximum use of technological achievements of the world and domestic military industry.

The IDF is armed with 3,930 (according to other sources - 3,700) tanks - more than in the army of any of the countries bordering on Israel (Syria - up to 3,700, Egypt - about three thousand, Jordan - 970, Lebanon - 280), a significant some of which (about 1400) are Israeli-made Merkava tanks of models I, II, III and IV (after purchasing 300 M60A3 tanks in 1979, delivered in 1980-1985, Israel does not buy tanks abroad - update tank fleet is carried out at the expense of the production of "Merkava"). Israel has 8040 (according to other sources - 7710) armored personnel carriers and armored vehicles, most of the American production - more than in the army of any of the countries bordering on Israel (Syria - about 5060, Egypt - 3680, Jordan - 1815, Lebanon - 1235 ). The artillery force has about 1,350 guns, mostly self-propelled: heavy 203 mm howitzers (36 pieces) and long-range 175 mm American-made guns (140 pieces), about 720 guns of 155 mm caliber made in France according to the Israeli project, as well as a significant number captured Soviet guns of caliber 130 and 122 mm. A large number of mortars are in service, in particular, self-propelled guns of 160 mm caliber.

What is the name of the Israeli army. The army of Israel is a tsakhal, small and remote. The armament of the IDF. features of completing and technical equipment

Introduction

Organization of the Israel Defense Forces

Recruitment

Military ranks in the Israel Defense Forces

Army management

Nationwide army

The size and armament of the Israel Defense Forces

Nuclear potential

Defense spending of Israel

Procurement, production and export of weapons

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What is the name of the Israeli army. The army of Israel is a tsakhal, small and remote. The armament of the IDF. features of completing and technical equipment

Introduction

Organization of the Israel Defense Forces

Recruitment

Military ranks in the Israel Defense Forces

Army management

Nationwide army

The size and armament of the Israel Defense Forces

Nuclear potential

Defense spending of Israel

Procurement, production and export of weapons

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