, ''Ha'adam she'Ba Tank Ye'na'tzeah'') , song= , mascot= , equipment= , equipment_label= , battles= *

War of Independence This is a list of wars of independence (also called liberation wars). These wars may or may not have been successful in achieving a goal of independence. List See also * Lists of active separatist movements Presented below is a list of ...

Sinai War The Suez Crisis, or the Second Arab–Israeli war, also called the Tripartite Aggression ( ar, العدوان الثلاثي, Al-ʿUdwān aṯ-Ṯulāṯiyy) in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel,Also known as the Suez War or 1956 Wa ...

Six-Day War The Six-Day War (, ; ar, النكسة, , or ) or June War, also known as the 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states (primarily United Arab Republic, Egypt, S ...

War of Attrition The War of Attrition ( ar, حرب الاستنزاف, Ḥarb al-Istinzāf; he, מלחמת ההתשה, Milhemet haHatashah) involved fighting between Israel and Egypt, Jordan, the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and their allies from ...

Yom Kippur War The Yom Kippur War, also known as the Ramadan War, the October War, the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab–Israeli War, was an armed conflict fought from October 6 to 25, 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab state ...

First Lebanon War The 1982 Lebanon War, dubbed Operation Peace for Galilee ( he, מבצע שלום הגליל, or מבצע של"ג ''Mivtsa Shlom HaGalil'' or ''Mivtsa Sheleg'') by the Israeli government, later known in Israel as the Lebanon War or the First L ...

First Intifada The First Intifada, or First Palestinian Intifada (also known simply as the intifada or intifadah),The word '' intifada'' () is an Arabic word meaning " uprising". Its strict Arabic transliteration is '. was a sustained series of Palestini ...

Second Intifada The Second Intifada ( ar, الانتفاضة الثانية, ; he, האינתיפאדה השנייה, ), also known as the Al-Aqsa Intifada ( ar, انتفاضة الأقصى, label=none, '), was a major Palestinian uprising against Israel. ...

Second Lebanon War The 2006 Lebanon War, also called the 2006 Israel–Hezbollah War and known in Lebanon as the July War ( ar, حرب تموز, ''Ḥarb Tammūz'') and in Israel as the Second Lebanon War ( he, מלחמת לבנון השנייה, ''Milhemet Leva ...

* Gaza War *

Operation Protective Edge The 2014 Gaza War, also known as Operation Protective Edge ( he, מִבְצָע צוּק אֵיתָן, translit=Miv'tza Tzuk Eitan, ), was a military operation launched by Israel on 8 July 2014 in the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian territory that ha ...

, anniversaries= , decorations= , battle_honours= , commander1= Guy Hason , commander1_label= , commander2= , commander2_label= , commander3= , commander3_label= , commander4= , commander4_label= , notable_commanders= , identification_symbol= Sikat heil shiryon-2

, identification_symbol_label=Cap badge , identification_symbol_2= Flag of the Israeli Infantry Corps

, identification_symbol_2_label=Flag , identification_symbol_3= , identification_symbol_3_label= , identification_symbol_4= , identification_symbol_4_label= , aircraft_helicopter= IDF-Merkava-Mk-4M-2016-Zachi-Evenor

The

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

i Armored Corps ( he, חֵיל הַשִּׁרְיוֹן, ''Heil HaShiryon'') is a corps of the

Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branch ...

that, since 1998, has been subordinate to

GOC Army Headquarters The GOC Army Headquarters ( he, מפקדת זרוע היבשה, ''Mifkedet Zro'a HaYabasha'', abbreviated Mazi), is a multi-corps command headquarters created in 1998, which amalgamates the ground forces of the Israel Defense Forces. The current ...

. The Armored Corps is the principal maneuvering corps, and primarily bases its strength on

Main Battle Tank A main battle tank (MBT), also known as a battle tank or universal tank, is a tank that fills the role of armor-protected direct fire and maneuver in many modern armies. Cold War-era development of more powerful engines, better suspension sy ...

s. The Armored Corps is the decisive corps in GOC Army Headquarters, and bases its power on a combination of mobility, armor, and firepower. During wars, its primary role on the one hand, to lead the first line of the attacking forces and to clear the area of the enemy. Secondarily, it blocks the armor forces of the enemy and seeks to destroy its tanks and armor. During peacetime, it reinforces the Infantry Corps while it performs security tasks, with the tanks serving as mobile

bunker A bunker is a defensive military fortification designed to protect people and valued materials from falling bombs, artillery, or other attacks. Bunkers are almost always underground, in contrast to blockhouses which are mostly above ground. T ...

Active units

The following list contains all currently active armor brigades: * 7th "Saar me-Golan/Storm from Golan" Armor Brigade * 188th "Barak/Lightning" Armor Brigade * 401st "I'kvot Ha-Barzel/Iron Trails" Armor Brigade * 460th "Bnei Or/Sons of Light" (Training) Armor Brigade

Unit histories

* 36th "Ga'ash" Armor Division The division is stationed on the

Golan Heights The Golan Heights ( ar, هَضْبَةُ الْجَوْلَانِ, Haḍbatu l-Jawlān or ; he, רמת הגולן, ), or simply the Golan, is a region in the Levant spanning about . The region defined as the Golan Heights differs between di ...

under Northern Command. It includes the 7th and 188th Armor Brigades: ** 7th "Saar me-Golan" Armor Brigade It was the first IDF armored brigade and has participated in all of Israel's wars. The brigade's fighting during the Suez War resulted in a breakthrough in how the army approached the character of armored warfare. , the brigade is transitioning from Merkava 2 tanks to Merkava 4 tanks. ** 188th "Barak" Armor Brigade Beginning with the

, the brigade participated in all of Israel's wars. During the

, the brigade was the first line of defense in the first days of the war in the Southern

Golan Golan ( he, גּוֹלָן ''Gōlān''; ar, جولان ' or ') is the name of a biblical town later known from the works of Josephus (first century CE) and Eusebius (''Onomasticon'', early 4th century CE). Archaeologists localize the biblical ci ...

, and saw almost all of its officers killed in action. It was the last armored brigade to use the

Centurion tank The Centurion was the primary British Army main battle tank of the post- World War II period. Introduced in 1945, it is widely considered to be one of the most successful post-war tank designs, remaining in production into the 1960s, and seein ...

, converting to Merkava 3 tanks in 1992, later completing their coversion to Merkava Mark 4M-400 in July 2019. * 162nd "Utzvat HaPlada" Armor Division This division is subordinated to

Southern Command Southern may refer to: Businesses * China Southern Airlines, airline based in Guangzhou, China * Southern Airways, defunct US airline * Southern Air, air cargo transportation company based in Norwalk, Connecticut, US * Southern Airways Express, M ...

. It includes the 401st Armor Brigade: ** 401st "I'kvot Ha-Barzel" Armor Brigade This brigade was created in 1968 in order to control the

Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popul ...

line. During the Yom Kippur War, it faced the first line of attack in the canal and suffered heavy losses. During the

1982 Lebanon War The 1982 Lebanon War, dubbed Operation Peace for Galilee ( he, מבצע שלום הגליל, or מבצע של"ג ''Mivtsa Shlom HaGalil'' or ''Mivtsa Sheleg'') by the Israeli government, later known in Israel as the Lebanon War or the First L ...

, it fought in the Southern force—one of its battalions participated in the Sultan Yaakov battle. During 2004–05, the brigade's Magach tanks were replaced by Merkava 4 tanks. * 460th "Bnei Or" Armor Brigade This brigade is the training brigade of the Armored Corps. It maintains two bases: the ''Shizafon'' training base—the school for the corps' commanders, where the officers and tank commanders are instructed, as well as basic training for all brigades, and advanced training for the 401st and 7th brigades — and Camp ''Magen-Sayarim'', which is shared with the Combat Intelligence Collection Corps and Border Defense Corp as grounds for the advanced training for soldiers of the 188th Brigade. As an added footnote - Sayarim used to be the Armored Corp base for basic training for Armored Corpsmen, and advanced training was received in specific designated companies in active battalions under the operational brigades. Around 2004, advanced training was moved to Shizafon, whereafter basic training was also gradually moved to Shizafon. After the creation (and later disbanding of in 2021) of the Mesaya'at fire support and reconnaissance training battalion (and operational companies in active battalions), the advanced training of the 188th brigade was moved to Sayarim, where it stays (per 2022). Plans are discussed for the re-integration of the 188th advanced training to Shizafon, and furthermore, of all advanced training returning to active battalions.

Reserve units

Tanks of the Israeli 8th Armoured Brigade (1948)

The following list contains all reserve armor brigades: * 4th "Kiryati" (Reserve) Armor Brigade * 8th (Reserve) Armor Brigade * 10th "Harel" (Reserve) Armor Brigade * 14th "Machatz/Bison" (Reserve) Armor Brigade * 37th "Ram" (Reserve) Armor Brigade * 205th "Iron Fist" (Reserve) Armor Brigade * 263rd "Merkavot ha-Esh/Chariots of Fire" (Reserve) Armor Brigade * 679th "Yiftah" (Reserve) Armor Brigade * 847th "Chariots of Steel" (Reserve) Armor Brigade

Unit histories

* 252nd "Sinai" (Reserve) Armor Division This division is stationed in the South of Israel and under

. It includes the 10th and 14th Armor Brigades: ** 10th "Harel" (Reserve) Armor Brigade The brigade was established as a division of the Palmach on 16 April 1948, immediately after Operation Nachshon.

Yitzhak Rabin Yitzhak Rabin (; he, יִצְחָק רַבִּין, ; 1 March 1922 – 4 November 1995) was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the fifth Prime Minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–77, and from 1992 until h ...

was appointed as its first commander. During the Suez Crisis (Kadesh Operation) in 1956, the brigade fought as an infantry brigade commanded by Shmuel Gudar. In 1959, the brigade was made into a reserve unit of the Armored Corps. In the

, the brigade fought in the battles for

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

under the command of Uri Ben Ari. Today, the brigade is part of Uzvat Amud ha-Esh ("Pillar of Fire"). ** 14th "Machatz" (Reserve) Armor Brigade The brigade was active during the

when it split to provide the basis for the 401st Armoured Brigade. During the

, it was initially an armored reserve supporting the infantry brigades holding the Bar-Lev Line. It suffered terrible casualties during the war but was rebuilt afterwards. * 319th "Ha-Mapatz" (Reserve) Armor Division This division is stationed in the North of Israel and under Northern Command. It includes the 4th and 205th Armor Brigades: ** 4th "Kiryati" (Reserve) Armor Brigade ** 205th "Iron Fist" (Reserve) Armor Brigade * 340th "Idan" (Reserve) Armor Division This division is stationed in Central Israel and under Central Command. It includes the 847th Armor Brigade: ** 847th "Merkavot HaPlada/Chariots of Steel" (Reserve) Armor Brigade Recently, the brigade took part in the

2006 Lebanon War The 2006 Lebanon War, also called the 2006 Israel–Hezbollah War and known in Lebanon as the July War ( ar, حرب تموز, ''Ḥarb Tammūz'') and in Israel as the Second Lebanon War ( he, מלחמת לבנון השנייה, ''Milhemet Leva ...

, most notably in the Battle of Bint Jbeil and battle of

Yaroun Yaroun (also spelled Yarun; ar, يارون)From personal name, according to Palmer, 1881, p104"perhaps the Iron of Josh. xix 38" is a Lebanese village located in the Caza of Bint Jbeil in the Nabatieh Governorate in Lebanon. Geography Yaroun ...

; during the war, the brigade killed approximately 60 Hezbollah fighters.

Selection and training

All recruits must have a minimum

Medical Profile The medical profile ( he, פרופיל רפואי) is the system of numbers the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) uses to indicate the medical suitability of a person in order to serve in various positions in the IDF. The profiles range between 21 (whi ...

of 72. Cadets first undergo eight weeks of basic training, which is classed as Rifleman 04 level in the

Tironut Tironut ( he, טירונות) is the Hebrew term for the recruit training of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). There are different levels of recruit training, and each corps or major unit has their own training program. Upon completing tironut, ...

system. They train in light weapons, field training, first aid, and physical fitness. Following the end of basic training, the cadets train for six weeks in one of three specialties: gunner, loader, and driver. They engage in theoretical and practical exercises during this period. After completing this training, the cadets are granted their beret and move on to complete 10 weeks of exercises during which they practice engaging in combat and functioning as tank crews. At the end of the course, some soldiers are selected to attend the tank commander's course. The tank commander's course lasts about three and a half months, during which cadets train in the two other specialties that they did not train in earlier, and in the principles of command, control, navigation, and assessment of situations. Following the end of the course, exceptional soldiers are offered the opportunity to attend the officer's course, which lasts 7 months, during which they learn to command an armored platoon in close cooperation with other field units. After Armored Corps soldiers complete their active service, they are moved into reserve units. Active reservists in the Armor Corps attend training exercises once a year.Lappin, Yaakov.

Disbanded units

* 211th Brigade Also known as the ''Yishai'' (acronym for "Guardians of Jerusalem Unit"), during the Lebanon War of 1982, it was famously led by Colonel Eli Geva, who, during the

Siege of Beirut The siege of Beirut took place in summer 1982, as part of the 1982 Lebanon War, which resulted from the breakdown of the ceasefire effected by the United Nations. The siege ended with the Palestinian Liberation Organization being forced out of Bei ...

, refused to lead his soldiers into the city for moral reasons. He was dismissed from the army, and the brigade itself was dissolved in the early 1990s. * 500th Brigade Also known as the ''Kfir'' ("Young Lion") Formation, this was a regular armor brigade that operated from 1972 until 2003. During the Yom Kippur War, it participated in the Battle of Suez. During the Lebanon War of 1982, it fought in the framework of the Eastern force and participated in the Eyn Zhalata battle. In 2003, due to changes in the IDF structure, and the lessening of the threat from the eastern front (due to the USA war in Iraq), the brigade was dissolved.

References

{{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 Nationstate armoured warfare branches Corps of Israel Military units and formations established in 1948