F72072 ISRAELI TANK CREW YOM KIPPUR 1973

Modern Israeli Defense Forces Israel Defense Forces, abbreviated as IDF) was established in 1948. Currently, they are considered one of the most efficient armed forces in the world, and they gained their reputation during the Suez Crisis (1956), the Six-Day War (1967) or in the last stages of the Yom Kippur War (1973). Their very important element is, of course, the Israeli Land Forces, which have had their own command since 1983. The main element of the land forces are armored units, which play a huge role in the military doctrine of this country, and service in the Polish Armored Corps is still considered a special distinction in the IDF. At present, the basic tactical unit of the Israeli armored forces is an armored brigade, usually composed of 3-4 armored battalions with a strength of about 100-150 tanks. On the battlefield, armored brigades are supported by infantry, engineering and artillery units. At the moment, the basic type of IDF tank is the very successful Merkava in versions from Mark I to Mark IV. It can be estimated that the IDF has approximately 2,700 tanks of this type. This number also includes the Magach series cars that are in reserve. It can be assumed that the Israeli Panzer Corps is currently probably the most efficient armored force in the Middle East.