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IDF - Israeli Defense Force. This is how the IDF was created: the birth of a unified army IDF Defense Army

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

Recruiting: on call. Service life: officers - 48 months, military personnel of other categories - 36 (men) and 24 (women) months. Reserve 408 thousand people, including SV - 380 thousand, Air Force - 24.5 thousand, Navy - 3.5 thousand. Paramilitary forces 8.05 thousand people, including border guard - 8 thousand, BCHR - 50. Mobile. resources 3.11 million people, including 2.55 million fit for military service.

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

Reserve: 8 armored divisions.

Armament: more than 20 OTR launchers, 3,657 MBT (including 1,681 Merkava, 711 M60A1/3, more than 100T-55, over 100 T-62, 111 Maga-7, 561 M-48) , about 10 420 BMPs and an armored personnel carrier, more than 400 BRM, 456 of towed caliber artillery 105, 122, 130 and 155 mm, 960 SG (105, 155, 175, 175 and 203mm), 212 RSOs, 1,890 mortars (81, 120, 160mm, 160mm, 160mm, 160mm. ), 1,200 ATGM launchers, more than 1,300 ZA guns, 1,298 MANPADS.

Air Force: 35 thousand people (20 thousand average units, mainly in air defense), 402 b. With. (250 in res.), 100 b. V.

Tactical units and units: 13 IBAE and IAE Air Defense, Tiacre, 28 Zrbat.

Aircraft and helicopter fleet: 87 F-15 (A, B, C, D and I), 203 F-16 (A, B, C and D), F-16I delivered, 50 F-4E-2000, 20 F- 4E, 13 RF-4E, 26A-4N, 14 Boeing 707, 5KS-130N, 11 S-47, 5S-130N, 3IAI-200, 15 Do-28, 10 King Air 2000, 3 IAI-1124 Sis-ken", 20 Cessna U-206, 2 Icelander, 8 Queen Air-80, 45 SM-170, 28 Super Cub, 55 AN-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, Seacher, Pioneer, Firebee, Samson, Deline , “Hunter”, “Hermes-450”, “Sky Eye”, “Harpy”. SAM: "Arrow", "Hawk", "Patriot", "Chaparral",

Navy: 8.3 thousand people. (including 300 commandos and 2.5 thousand medium units), ZPL "Dolphin", ZKORV "Saar-5", YURKA (8 "Saar-4.5" and 2 "Saar-4"), 31 PKA (14 “Super Dvora”, 15 “Dabur”, 2 “Sheldag”), DK.

Expanded information about the Israeli Army:

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

Successful raids from Israeli territory into Uganda (Operation Entebbe to free the hostage passengers of an Air France plane on July 4, 1976) and Iraq (the bombing of a nuclear reactor on June 7, 1981) once again demonstrated the importance of Israel 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, compared with the size of the country 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 Nuna, King David, Maccabees (see. Hasmoneans), defenders of Masada and fighters of Bar Kokhba (see. Bar Kochba revolt) - 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 Jewish people and his state. Among other factors of high combat effectiveness israeli army- effective military infrastructure, technological capabilities, which 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, the 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 divided into three territorial districts (Northern, Central and Southern), and by branch of service - into ground, air and naval forces.

The tasks of air defense include:

Providing air defense for the country. This task is performed by Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems and advanced HAWK systems 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 Hets-2 anti-missile missiles, and in case of failure - by Patriot missiles.
Defense of individual military and civilian facilities (for example, Air Force bases, nuclear center in Dimona).
Air defense ground forces. This task is performed by mobile air defense systems; their divisions are armed with the Stinger and Chaparral anti-aircraft missile systems, as well as the Makhbet missile and artillery systems.
Security and ground defense of Air Force bases.

The first air defense systems (40-mm L-70 anti-aircraft guns) were supplied to Israel by the German 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 Israeli air defense throughout the subsequent years. As of 2002, Israel had 22 batteries of heavy anti-aircraft missile systems, as well as approximately 70 man-portable light anti-aircraft missile systems.

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

IN navy Israel serves about 9,500 people; during mobilization, the number of naval personnel reaches 19,500 people. The Israeli Navy (data for 2002) has six submarines (three are the obsolete Gal model, laid down in 1973-74, commissioned in 1976-77) and three are the Dolphin model, 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 Hetz, Aliya and Reshef types and thirty-three patrol boats boats.

Several units have been created in Tsakhal and the police, the main task of which is opposition to terror. Among them: Yamam - a special counter-terrorism police unit responsible for anti-terrorist operations in Israel; Saeret Matkal (General Staff Intelligence), responsible for anti-terrorism operations outside the country; Shayetet-13 (13th Flotilla, Navy special forces, responsible for anti-terrorism operations abroad involving naval forces); Lothar Eilat (Lotar - lokhma be-terror/fight against terror/, unit 7707, responsible for anti-terrorist operations in Israel near the 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: Sayeret "Golani" (reconnaissance squad of the Golani infantry brigade) - in Northern, Sayeret Tsankhanim (reconnaissance squad of the parachute airborne brigade), Sayeret Nahal (reconnaissance squad of the Nahal infantry brigade) and Sayeret " Duvdevan" (special unit of the so-called mistarvim, operating in Arabic camouflage in controlled territories) - in the Central and Saeret "Giv'ati" (reconnaissance unit of the "Giv'ati" infantry brigade) - in the Southern Military District. In 1995, to confront “ guerrilla warfare» in Lebanon, Sayeret “Egoz” was recreated (disbanded in 1974 along with Sayeret “Cherub” and Sayeret “Shaked”); Subsequently, the fighters of this detachment made an invaluable contribution to the fight against Palestinian terror in West Bank(Judea and Samaria) and Gaza.

Nuclear potential . Existence of a constant threat national security on the part of its Arab neighbors forces Israel to maintain powerful armed forces in the country, equipped with modern means of armed struggle, including weapons of mass destruction. Although Israel has never conducted an open nuclear test, it is estimated that Israel is now the world's sixth-largest nuclear power, behind the United States, Russia, England, France and China. Israel's nuclear program dates back to the 1950s; at its origins stood D. Ben-Gurion and S. Perez. Scientific support for the nuclear program was carried out by a team of scientists from. In 1952, under the control of the Ministry of Defense, the Commission for nuclear energy led by E. D. Bergman. In 1956, Israel entered into a secret agreement with France to build a plutonium nuclear reactor. The reactor began to be built 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 quantities sufficient to produce more than ten bombs average power per year.) K Six Day War The first two nuclear devices had already been assembled, starting in 1970. Israel began to produce from three to five nuclear charges per 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 Richard Nixon), according to which it was “assumed, but not recognized,” that Israel is a state possessing nuclear weapons. Only on July 13, 1998, at a press conference in Jordan, Sh. Peres, who was then the Prime Minister of Israel, publicly admitted for the first time that Israel possesses nuclear weapons, but neither he nor any other Israeli leader either then or later have not released any details related to this area. According to various estimates, Israel could potentially have by now from one hundred to five hundred nuclear warheads, the total TNT equivalent of which could be up to fifty megatons. Since 1963, Israel has been creating ballistic missile systems capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Back in 1989, the Jericho-2B ballistic missile with a range of up to 1,500 km, capable of hitting targets, including throughout Libya and Iran, was successfully tested. The Israeli Armed Forces also have aircraft capable of delivering nuclear weapons (including American-made F-16, F-4E Phantom and A-4N Skyhawk aircraft). Israel is the only power in the Middle East with a high degree of probability of having nuclear weapons systems based on land, sea and air.

Israeli defense spending in 2002 amounted to 9.84 billion dollars (1984 - 4.3 billion dollars). Although Israel's defense spending has been steadily increasing, on a per capita basis it has remained relatively stable, albeit quite high - about $1,500 a year.

The military assistance Israel receives from the United States makes a major contribution to maintaining Israel's defense capabilities. Israel first received free military assistance from the United States in 1974 (worth one and a half billion dollars). For the period from 1974 to 2002. Israel received gratuitous military assistance from the United States totaling $41.06 billion. At the same time, Israel is obliged to spend most of its military assistance funds in the United States to purchase military equipment, spare parts, ammunition and equipment, which hinders 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-type fighters). At the same time, Israel bought weapons from France and other countries, and also acquired surplus American military equipment. In 1952, Israel signed a military procurement agreement with the US government, but during this period the share of Israeli military purchases from the US was insignificant. The first Israeli Air Force jets, the Meteor, were purchased from Great Britain, which over time became the main supplier of naval equipment, primarily destroyers and submarines. In the 1950s France is gradually becoming the main supplier of weapons to the Israel Defense Forces (primarily jet aircraft) - right 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 to the Israel Defense Forces is increasing, but the United States becomes the main supplier only after the Six-Day War.

The strength of the IDF is determined not only by modern weapons purchased abroad, but largely depends on the industrial infrastructure with which the Israeli armed forces form a single military-industrial complex: the armed forces pose technical tasks for the Israeli military industry, and the military industry enriches the arsenal Tsakh ala with their technical advances opening up new operational opportunities. High level 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 could not rely on the delivery of weapons and equipment ordered abroad. Today, Israeli industrial output covers virtually every major branch of military production and includes electronic and electrical equipment (particularly radar and telecommunications equipment, an area in which Israel ranks among the world's top producers), precision optical equipment, small arms, artillery and mortars, missiles, some of which are the most advanced in their class, tanks, aircraft (light - for operational communications and maritime patrol, transport, unmanned, fighters and fighter-bombers), combat ships, ammunition, personal equipment, military medical equipment and etc.

By the beginning of 2002 total number enterprises of the military-industrial complex (MIC) of Israel amounted to about one hundred and fifty, and total number employed at defense enterprises exceeded fifty thousand people (of which about twenty-two thousand people are employed in three state companies: the Aviation Industry concern, the Military Industry association and the Rafael Arms Development Agency).

The total production volume of Israel's military-industrial complex in 2001 exceeded $3.5 billion, and Israeli defense enterprises signed contracts to export their products in the amount of $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 needs for weapons, equipment and supplies, but also exports hundreds of millions of dollars worth of its products 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 last years Israel is successfully developing military-technical cooperation with China, India, Turkey, and Eastern European countries.

The products of the Israeli military industry are in demand on the world market due to their high quality. 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 global market for unmanned aircraft, with the US being the main buyer; Many other countries are also acquiring this equipment. Among the important objects of Israeli exports of military equipment, communications equipment should also be noted (for example, systems for searching and detecting ejected pilots of airplanes and helicopters, as well as reconnaissance officers and special forces soldiers, allowing their location to be determined with an accuracy of 10 m); sights and night vision devices for both small arms and armored vehicles and helicopters; electronic systems combat operations control for units at various levels; radar installations for different types weapons; means of searching and detecting mines and 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 is characterized by very high reliability. Income from the export of Israel's military industry serves its further development

The IDF is gradually losing the experience of classical war, although they are permanently in a state of rebellion against the Arabs and Hezbollah. Since its formation in 1947, Israel has been in a hostile environment with Arab states, with whom it has fought seven times, not counting the permanent war against the Palestinians on its own territory.

Because of this, being very small in territory and population, Israel has armed forces (AF - IDF) that are among the five strongest in the world. They are recruited for conscription, to which even women are subject, while all those liable for military service constantly undergo retraining in the units to which they are assigned. The level of combat and moral-psychological training of Israeli military personnel is considered to be the highest in the world.

This fact, by the way, completely destroys all the arguments of the fighters for a “professional army.” Their traditional argument that “Israel is in special conditions” is, of course, not an argument at all, it is simply irrelevant. There is a fact - the most conscripted army in the world is also the most professional without quotes. This does not depend on any “special conditions”.

Israel is the exclusive partner of the United States, receiving the latest military equipment from them. A certain amount of equipment is purchased in other Western countries, in addition, the country has a very powerful domestic military-industrial complex, producing weapons and equipment of all classes, including nuclear weapons and their delivery vehicles. At the same time, due to the country’s constant readiness for a major war, a significant amount of old equipment, including captured Soviet equipment, is stored in Israel along the entire perimeter of the borders.

It is impossible not to mention one more factor that further strengthens Israel’s military potential - a marked disregard for norms international law and a willingness to strike at anyone, at any time. This ensures such useful things in military affairs as surprise and initiative.

What does the Israeli army consist of?

The Israeli ground forces are divided into three military districts, and it is the command of the districts that directs the actions of the forces subordinate to them, and the command of the ground forces as a whole has only administrative functions.

Northern VO includes the 36th armored division "Gaash" (it includes the 1st infantry "Golani", 7th "Saar me-Golan", 188th "Barak" armored brigade), the 91st territorial division "Ha- Galil", 143rd "Amud Ha-Esh", 319th "Ha-Mapatz", 366th "Netiv Ha-Esh" reserve armored divisions.

Central VO includes the 162nd Armored Division "HaPlada" (it includes the 401st Armored "Iqvot HaBarzel", 933rd "Nahal", 900th "Kfir" infantry brigades), 877th Territorial Division of Judah and Samaria, 98th reserve special division "Ha-Esh" (35th, 551st "Hetzei Ha-Esh", 623rd "Hod Ha-Hanit" parachute brigades), 340th reserve division "Idan" .

Israeli soldiers in front of a Merkava tank

Southern VO consists of the 80th territorial division "Edom" (it includes the territorial brigades "Arawa", "Saghi", "Eilat"), the 643rd territorial division of the Gaza Strip (territorial brigades "Gefen", "Qatif"), 252 1st Reserve Armored Division "Sinai", 84th Infantry Brigade "Givati".

In addition, there are a significant number of special and auxiliary units.

It is in the arsenal of the ground forces that most of the Israeli nuclear arsenal is located (its existence is not officially confirmed, but its presence is beyond doubt). There are 50-90 Jericho-2 ballistic missiles (flight range - 1500-1800 km, warhead weight - 750-1000 kg) and 150 Jericho-1 (500 km, warhead - 1000 kg). The number of nuclear warheads is, according to various estimates, from 100 to 400.

The Israeli army's tank fleet includes 2,030 tanks four modifications (440 of the oldest Mk1, 450 Mk2, 780 Mk3, 360 of the most modern Mk4), some of them are in reserve. In addition, 350 old British Centurion tanks and 1800 Magah tanks, which are modernized American M60 and M48 (1040 Magah-7, 560 Magah-6, 200 Magah-5) are in storage.

Israel became the first country to create infantry fighting vehicles and armored personnel carriers on tank chassis with the appropriate level of protection. It is armed with 65 Namer infantry fighting vehicles (on the Merkava chassis), 215 Akhzarit armored personnel carriers (on the captured Soviet T-55 chassis), 400 Nagmashot armored personnel carriers (on the Centurion chassis). In addition, there are 6,131 American “traditional” M113 armored personnel carriers (some of them in storage) and 100 of our own Zeev.

There are 600 American M109 self-propelled guns (155 mm) in service. In addition, 148 own self-propelled guns L-33, 50 American M-50 (155 mm), 70 M107 (175 mm), 36 M110 (203 mm) are in storage. Likewise, it is armed with 300 of its own M-71 towed guns (155 mm). At the same time, five captured Soviet D-30 (122 mm) and 100 M-46 (130 mm), 40 converted M-46, 50 own M-68 and 81 M-839/845 (155 mm) are in storage.

They are armed with 250 mortars (81 mm), 64 Kardom self-propelled mortars and 250 M-65 (120 mm). At the same time, 1,100 mortars (81 mm), 650 (120 mm), 18 M-66 (160 mm) are in storage. There are 48 American MLRS (227 mm), 30 similar MLRS, as well as 58 Soviet BM-21 (122 mm) and 36 BM-24 (240 mm), 50 own LAR-160 (160 mm) and 20 LAR-290 in service (290 mm) - in storage.

There are several hundred domestic Spike ATGMs of various modifications.

Military air defense includes 500 American Stinger MANPADS and 400 own Macbeth air defense systems (created by installing four Stinger MANPADS on the American M163 ZSU).

Israeli Air Force F-16 (foreground) and F-15

The Israeli Air Force is based on American F-15 and F-16 fighters.. There are 53 F-15s (19 A, 6 B, 17 C, 11 D; another 4–10 A in storage), 25 F-15I (analogous to the American F-15E attack aircraft), 278 F-16 (44 A, ten B, 77 C, 48 D, 99 I; another 38 A, eight B, one D in storage). In addition, old fighters are in storage - up to 109 American F-4E and eight RF-4E reconnaissance aircraft, 60 of our own Kfir (20 C1, 19 C2, two TC2, one R-C2, 18 C7).

Combat aircraft also include American attack aircraft - eight of the newest anti-guerrilla AT-802F (officially considered firefighting aircraft) and 26 old A-4N (another 38 similar aircraft, as well as 17 A-4E, 5 F, 24 H are in storage), which are officially considered educational.

In service are seven RC-12D reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft, two Gulfstream-550 electronic warfare aircraft (seven EC-707 and one RC-707 in storage), 11 tankers (four KS-130N, seven KS-707), 70 transport aircraft. It should be noted that the lack of tankers is the main (if not the only) real reason that Israel has not yet struck Iran. The United States, having two hundred KC-135 tankers in storage, however, does not give Israel even one - precisely because now they absolutely do not want to fight with Iran.

Training aircraft- 17 German Grob-120, 20 American T-6A (two more in storage), 20 combat training TA-4 (two H, 18 J; two more H in storage) based on the above-mentioned A-4 attack aircraft, one newest Italian M-346.

Combat helicopters- 50 AN-64 "Apache" (29 A, 21 D; one more A in storage), 54 AN-1 "Cobra" (including ten E, ten F, 27 S; seven more E, 58 F, one S in storage). Multi-purpose and transport helicopters - 19 OH-58B (one more in storage), ten CH-53A (three more A and five D in storage), 39 S-70A, ten UH-60A.

Israel is currently the only country in the world with a tactical missile defense system. It includes three Arrow missile defense batteries (24 launchers) and one Iron House missile defense battery, both systems are of our own production. “Classic” air defense includes 17 batteries of the American Advanced Hawk air defense system (102 PU) and six batteries of the Patriot air defense system (48 PU), 105 American M163 ZSU (20 mm) and 60 Soviet ZSU-23-4 Shilka, 755 anti-aircraft guns - 150 Soviet ZU-23 (23 mm), 455 American M167 and own TSM-20 (20 mm), 150 Swedish L/70 (40 mm).

Naval forces consist of four newest German submarines (submarines) of the Dolphin type (project 212, another one is under construction). It is believed that these submarines can carry nuclear SLCMs, although it is not entirely clear what type. Germany builds these submarines for Israel at half the price, or for free, as compensation for the Holocaust.

In service are three Eilat-class missile corvettes (Saar-5), eight Hetz-class missile boats (Saar-4.5) and two Reshef-class (Saar-4), 47 patrol boats- 23 types of “Super Dvora”, 15 types of “Dabur”, five types of “Shaldag”, four types of “Stingray”. The corvettes are American-built, the rest are our own.

Naval aviation has three IAI-1124 base patrol aircraft of its own production and seven French AS565 anti-submarine helicopters.

"Erosion" of military consciousness

Recently, there has been a certain erosion of all the factors mentioned at the beginning of the article that make the Israeli army one of the strongest in the world. This was evident during the frankly unsuccessful war for Israel against Hezbollah in Lebanon in 2006. A noticeable increase in the standard of living and the complete Westernization of Israeli society led to the fact that pacifism and hedonism began to penetrate there (although, of course, the scale of these phenomena is not comparable with European ones), reducing the level of defense consciousness and, accordingly, moral and psychological preparation.

Israeli soldiers in Maroun al-Ras, Lebanon, 2006

The Israeli Armed Forces are gradually losing the experience of classical war (the last one was in 1982), although they are permanently in a state of rebellion against the Palestinians and Hezbollah. In addition, the Israelis are increasingly borrowing American methods of waging a “non-contact” war, which is unrealistic in their conditions. This further undermines the ability to fight a real war.

The desire to completely secure the country from external threats leads to the adoption of rather strange measures such as the creation of an air defense/missile defense system “Iron House” (“Iron Dome”). Within the framework of this system, with the help of missiles worth several hundred thousand dollars, NURS worth several hundred (or even tens) of dollars are destroyed.

Nevertheless, nothing seriously threatens Israel in the foreseeable future. Jordan has not been his enemy for a long time (neither in the military nor in the political aspect), the return to military power in Egypt guarantees Israel security from the south, and there is generally no need to comment on today’s Syria.

Ally of Russia

Of course For Russia, Israel is not a potential enemy. But it is, firstly, a nuclear power, and secondly, it has a very significant influence on the geopolitical situation in the Near and Middle East. From the point of view of Russian interests, this influence is quite contradictory.

On the one side, Israel is an obvious ally of Russia in the fight against Islamic terrorism. Tel Aviv has always unconditionally supported all Moscow's actions in Chechnya and in the North Caucasus in general. Interestingly, he also fully supported the actions of the Yugoslav leadership in the fight against Kosovo separatists and spoke out sharply against NATO aggression against Yugoslavia in 1999, completely aligning himself with Moscow. The Israeli experience in the fight against terrorism is of great interest to the Russian military and intelligence services.

On the other hand, Israel's anti-Iranian paranoia is beginning to create problems precisely in terms of the fight against terrorism. Both the scale and danger of Sunni terrorism, financed by Arab monarchies led by Saudi Arabia, are an order of magnitude higher than the scale and danger of Shiite terrorism represented by the local Lebanese Hezbollah, financed by Iran.

It is still difficult to take the nuclear threat from Iran seriously. Not to mention the fact that Tel Aviv completely lied about Iranian plans and capabilities (based on numerous long-term statements by Israeli officials, Tehran should have developed nuclear weapons 10 years ago), it does not follow from anything that Iranian leaders are suicidal .

It is difficult to understand the reasons for the anti-Iranian paranoia of Jews. Apparently, the collective psychoses of small nations require extensive separate research. And it is extremely doubtful that Moscow will be able to convince the Israelis of anything. Moreover, we have no less paranoia than the Jews.

This article concludes the series of publications “This is how the IDF was created”, telling about the most interesting facts related to the creation of the Israel Defense Forces and the supply of weapons to the young Jewish state. You can write a whole monograph or a fascinating book about this period in the history of the Middle East. art book, we will talk about him in the following articles, which will be devoted to the history of the War of Independence and biographies of famous personalities.

The Israel Defense Forces were created on May 26, 1948, 12 days after the founding of the State of Israel. – at the very beginning of the second stage of the War of Independence, during which local clashes between Arab radicals and Jewish self-defense units escalated into a full-scale military conflict. The Israeli provisional government decided to create a full-fledged army, and on May 26, 1948, its head, David Ben-Gurion, signed the “Decree on the Israel Defense Forces.”

Before the creation of the State of Israel, several Jewish military organizations existed in Palestine:

1) “Hagana” (“Defense”), subordinate to the leadership of the “Yishuv” (Jewish settlements in Palestine). Part of the Haganah was in a legal position and collaborated with the British colonial authorities.

2) National military organization"Etzel" (full name "Irgun Zvai Leumi" –

"National Military Organization") – radical underground organization, which fought against the British authorities.

3) “Lechi” (full name “Lohamei Herut Yisrael” – "Israel Freedom Fighters") – an organization that was founded by people from the Irgun who did not agree with the policy of ending the fight against the British colonial administration.

Members of these three organizations became the core of the IDF personnel. Moreover, most of the recruits were members of the Haganah, and its commanders were appointed to leadership and command positions in the IDF. By the time Israel declared independence, the number of this organization had reached 45,000 people, 3,000 of whom were fighters of the shock companies (Palmach).

After the declaration of Israeli independence, Etzel commander Menachem Begin made a statement that the organization was ceasing its underground activities. In his speech addressed to the Jewish nation, he said: “ In the State of Israel we will be soldiers and builders. We will obey His laws, as they are– we will respect our laws and his government, as it is– our government».

On June 1, 1948, Menachem Begin and member of the provisional government Israel Galili signed an agreement that the Etzel fighters became IDF soldiers. Soon, two battalions were created from them; in total, about 7,000 “Etselevites” became part of the IDF.

In Jerusalem, which, according to the UN Plan for the Partition of Palestine, was not included in the State of Israel, Etzel continued to operate independently for some time, while actively collaborating with the Haganah and later with the IDF.

The leadership of the Lehi organization, which included Yitzhak Shamir (Ezernitsky), Nathan Elin-Mor (Friedman) and Israel Eldad (Shaib), in negotiations with representatives of the Israeli government Levi Eshkol and Israel Galili, also decided that their organization would be part of IDF. On May 29, 1948, all members of Lehi, for the first time after leaving underground, were gathered together. In total, more than 1,000 Lehi members joined the Israel Defense Forces. Most of them became part of the 8th Armored Brigade, commanded by Yitzhak Sade. The 89th Shock Battalion, commanded by Moshe Dayan, also included one company of former Lehi fighters. Just like members of the Etzel organization, Lehi fighters acted independently for some time in Jerusalem – this group was led by Yehoshua Zetler.

As for the total size of the army and statistics by branch of the military, it is very difficult to provide accurate data. In fact, the Israel Defense Forces were created throughout the Israeli War of Independence (1947 – 1949), while suffering losses. At the same time, new repatriates and new equipment arrived, so the number of the IDF increased and decreased at different times. At the beginning of its creation, the total strength of the IDF and the Jerusalem combat units Lehi and Etzel was between 50,000 and 55,000 people. The army was armed with anti-tank and anti-aircraft artillery, manual firearms, flamethrowers and 30 light aircraft, which were used primarily for cargo delivery or reconnaissance. In October 1948, the IDF's strength was already 120,000, and the army was armed with approximately 100 combat aircraft. By the end of the war, according to various sources, from 84 to 90 thousand people remained in the ranks, while one full-fledged armored battalion appeared in the army.

The State of Israel, consisting of ground forces, air force and naval forces. It is the main and only organ of the Israeli security forces that has no civil jurisdiction in the state. The IDF is led by a chief (Ramatkal), who reports to Lieutenant General Benny Gantz, who has been Ramatkal since 2011.

What has characterized the Israeli army throughout its varied history is the desire for innovation, the constant maximization of the resources at its disposal (both technological and human).

The Israeli Army always places great emphasis on the importance of improvisation in order to protect the country's small and vulnerable areas. It was developed to meet the unique needs for defense and security within the borders of its own state, initially adjusting to advanced technologies.

It has a commitment to meritocracy and has proven its ability to work with hundreds of thousands of immigrants and refugee people. It must be said that almost a quarter of the current officer corps are former immigrants.

The Israeli Army (its officers and soldiers) represents a union of people from different social and religious backgrounds: from kibbutzim, from developed cities, Druze from the North, Bedouins from the South, Jewish volunteers from other countries of the world.

History and development can be described using the example of contrasts. On the one hand, this modern army, officially founded in 1948 by order of Defense Minister David Ben-Gurion as a conscript from the underground paramilitary organizations Haganah, Etzel and LEHI.

Today the Israeli army is considered one of the most professional and effective in the world. Air Force, special forces, reconnaissance, engineering departments were the first in the world to use many innovative tactics that are being studied in the armies of other countries. Technologies in ballistic missiles, electro-optics and other areas are almost always world-class breakthroughs.

Research units make a huge contribution to the field of advanced technologies, the use of which is much wider than just implementation in weapons. Soldiers from these units are highly valued after finishing their service. civil professions. They successfully adapt their army experience in areas such as programming and medical research.

On the other hand, the Israeli army preserves the traditions and symbolism characteristic of the ancient Israelites. It is considered one of the most informal and least hierarchical. It is customary for officers to eat and sleep in the same room with their subordinate soldiers. The Israeli army performs an important educational function, providing special courses for illiterate recruits, organizing benefits for soldiers from disadvantaged and poor families. Additionally, saluting and parades are used minimally.

She is different from most others in the world in many ways. First of all, the structure itself, emphasized close ties between the air force and the navy. It is also unique in that service in the Israeli army is compulsory for men and women. It is the only country in the world that maintains compulsory military service for women, continuing the tradition of female fighters who fought during Israel's War of Independence. Men serve for three years, women for just under two years.

The geographical location of Eretz Israel, which is key in the entire Middle East, has made the State of Israel since its inception one of the centers of world geopolitics. Israel's location, combined with its military potential, makes it the dominant military-political factor in the Eastern Mediterranean region. 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; Nearly half of the Western world's oil resources are within reach of Israel, concentrated in a triangle between Libya in the west, Iran in the east and Saudi Arabia in the south.

Israel's unusually high military potential, compared to the size of the country 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 - Ie X Hoshua bin Nun, King David, the Maccabees (see Hasmoneans), the defenders of Masada and the fighters of Bar Kochba (see Bar Kokhba's revolt) - and the awareness of the inadmissibility of repeating the tragic experience of centuries-old Galut, when the Jewish people were defenseless in the face of their enemies, contribute instilling in the Israeli soldier high motivation and awareness of historical responsibility to the Jewish people and their state. Other factors in the high combat capability of the Israeli army include an effective military infrastructure, technological capabilities that no country comparable to Israel has in the world, and a wealth of combat experience. At the same time, the small territory and limited human resources, the 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

Israel Defense Forces ( צְבָא הֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , Tsva X Hagana Le-Israel, abbreviated צַהַ״ל, Tsa X al). According to the Law on Military Service of 1986, active service, and after its completion, annual military training (milluim) are mandatory. Boys serve for 3 years, and girls for 2 years. A deferment from conscription may be granted to particularly successful higher education students. educational institutions(within the framework of the so-called academic reserve, atuda akademait). Repatriates may also be granted a deferment or shortened term of service depending on age and marital status at the time of arrival in the country (girls who repatriated over the age of 17 are not subject to conscription; young people who arrived in the country over the age of 24 are not conscripted). conscript service). After passing compulsory service each soldier is assigned to a reserve unit. Men under the age of 51 serve no more than 39 days per 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 upon reaching 45 years of age. Upon completion of military service, persons of interest to the CA X ala, they can remain in the army on a contract basis. The main command and administrative personnel of the Central Army are staffed from super-conscripts X ala. 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.

Women's conscription is a specific feature of the Israel Defense Forces, allowing for the release of larger number men for combat service and thereby to a certain extent compensate for the numerical superiority of the armies of 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 military and many (mostly in long-term service) hold officer ranks and occupy responsible positions.

Compulsory military service applies to Jewish and Druze citizens of Israel; citizens of Muslim and Christian faiths (Arabs and Bedouins) can enroll in military service as volunteers. The voluntary service of Bedouins is especially encouraged, whose tracking skills are used to protect the borders of the state and military installations. The number of Druze in active and extended service is very large compared to the size of the Druze community as a whole. Yeshiva students who fully devote themselves to religious studies and girls from religious families (optional) are exempt from military service (or, like new repatriates, serve for a shorter period than usual).

Military ranks in the Israel Defense Forces

Soldier: turai - private; turai rishon (tarash) - corporal; rav-turai (rabbat) - senior corporal; Rav-Turai Rishon - junior sergeant; sammal - sergeant; Sammal Rishon - senior sergeant; rav-sammal - foreman; Rav Sammal Rishon(rasar) - ensign. Officers: memale-makom katsin(mamak) - sub-lieutenant; segen-mishneh (sagam) - junior lieutenant; seguin - lieutenant; seren - captain; rav-seren (resen) - major; sgan-alluf (sa'al) - lieutenant colonel; alluf-mishneh (alam) - colonel; tat-alluf (ta'al) - brigadier general; alluf - major general; Rav-Alluf - lieutenant general (army general). Only the Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces holds the rank of Rav Alluf.

Army management

The Israel Defense Forces are subordinate to the Israeli government through the Minister of Defense. The Ministry of Defense is responsible for long-term defense policy and strategic planning, determined by a special ministerial Committee on Defense Affairs, and is responsible for 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 ( X a-matte X a-klali) headed by the Chief of the General Staff ( rosh X a-matte X a-klali, abbreviated ramatkal), appointed by the Minister of Defense in agreement with the Cabinet of Ministers for three years (with the possibility of extension for a fourth year). The General Staff consists of six main directorates: Main operational management; Main intelligence agency; Main Personnel Directorate, responsible for personnel training, planning and implementation of mobilization; Main Directorate of Technology and Supply; Main Directorate of Research and Development of Weapons, Main Directorate of Planning. To the structure of the General Staff of Central Asia X It also includes the Department of Combat Training and Special Operations. The Rabbinate of the Israel Defense Forces takes care of the religious needs of soldiers and officers. In the Israeli army, breaking the Sabbath is prohibited and the laws of kashrut are observed.

Operationally, the armed forces are divided into three territorial districts (Northern, Central and Southern), and by branch of service - into ground, air and naval forces.

Nationwide Army

The Israeli army has a relatively small number of career military personnel and consists primarily of conscripts and reserve personnel (the number of career 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 are in the full sense of the word a national army. The consequence of this is the interest of the Israel Defense Forces in raising the professional and general educational level of the country's population. Those mobilized receive in army technical schools the knowledge and skills necessary in modern military affairs; special educational programs aimed at expanding and deepening the knowledge of soldiers in the field Jewish history, geography, archeology of Israel, etc.; the Army ensures that new returnees and recruits whose formal education remains incomplete acquire better reading and writing skills; The army is sending specially trained female instructors to development cities to eliminate educational inequalities.

In Tsa X There are also a number of special service programs, including:

Yeshivot X A- X esder- a special version of conscript service, in which service is combined with study at the yeshiva. This service is intended for students of yeshiva high schools ( yeshivot tikhoniyot), Tsa conscripts X ala. The duration of such service is 4 years, including 16 months of combat service, and the rest of the time is study in the yeshiva. In August 2005, the number of soldiers and officers serving in Central Asia X overall, under this program, reached six thousand people, of which 88% were in combat units.

The tasks of air defense include:

Providing air defense for the country. This task is performed by Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems and advanced HAWK systems 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 Hets-2 anti-missile missiles, and in case of failure - by Patriot missiles.
Defense of individual military and civilian facilities (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 the Stinger and Chaparral anti-aircraft missile systems, as well as the Makhbet missile and artillery systems.
Security and ground defense of Air Force bases.

Israeli Navy for a long time remained the least developed branch of the military. However, after unprecedented successes in 1973 (19 destroyed enemy ships without losses on the Israeli side), a period of rapid development began, and currently 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 approximately 9,500 personnel; during mobilization, the number of naval personnel reaches 19,500 people. The Israeli Navy (data for 2002) has six submarines (three of the obsolete Gal model, laid down in 1973–74, commissioned in 1976–77) and three of the Dolphin model, 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 Hetz, Aliya and Reshef types and thirty-three patrol boats boats.

In Tsa X ale and the police have created several units, the main task of which is opposition to terror. Among them: Yamam - a special police unit for the fight against terror, responsible for anti-terrorist operations in Israel; Saeret Matkal (General Staff Intelligence), responsible for anti-terrorism operations outside the country; Shayetet-13 (13th Flotilla, Navy special forces, responsible for anti-terrorism operations abroad involving naval forces); Lothar Eilat (Lothar - lochma 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 subdivision). In addition, anti-terrorist special forces were created in each of the military districts: Sayeret "Golani" (reconnaissance unit of the Golani infantry brigade) - in the North, Sayeret Tsankhanim (reconnaissance unit of the parachute airborne brigade), Sayeret Nahal (reconnaissance unit of the Nahal infantry brigade) and Sayeret " Duvdevan" (a special unit of the so-called mistarvim, operating in Arabic camouflage in controlled territories) - in the Central and Saeret "Giv'ati" (reconnaissance unit of the "Giv'ati" infantry brigade) - in the Southern Military District. In 1995, Sayeret “Egoz” (disbanded in 1974 along with Sayeret “Kheruv” and Sayeret “Shaked”) was re-established to counter the “guerrilla war” in Lebanon; Subsequently, the fighters of this detachment made an invaluable contribution to the fight against Palestinian terror in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) and Gaza.

Nuclear potential

The existence of a constant threat to national security from its Arab neighbors forces Israel to maintain powerful armed forces in the country, equipped with modern means of warfare, including weapons of mass destruction. Although Israel has never conducted an open nuclear test, it is estimated that Israel is now the world's sixth-largest nuclear power, behind the United States, Russia, England, France and China. Israel's nuclear program dates back to the 1950s; D. Ben-Gurion and S. Peres stood at its origins. Scientific support for 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. 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 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 quantities sufficient to produce more than ten bombs average power per year.) By the Six-Day War, the first two nuclear devices had already been assembled; starting in 1970, Israel began to produce from three to five nuclear charges per 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 Richard Nixon), according to which it was “assumed, but not recognized,” that Israel is a state possessing nuclear weapons. Only on July 13, 1998, at a press conference in Jordan, Sh. Peres, who was then the Prime Minister of Israel, publicly admitted for the first time that Israel possesses nuclear weapons, but neither he nor any other Israeli leader either then or later have not released any details related to this area. According to various estimates, Israel could potentially have by now from one hundred to five hundred nuclear warheads, the total TNT equivalent of which could be up to fifty megatons. Since 1963, Israel has been creating ballistic missile systems capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Back in 1989, the Jericho-2B ballistic missile with a range of up to 1,500 km, capable of hitting targets, including throughout Libya and Iran, was successfully tested. The Israeli Armed Forces also have aircraft capable of delivering nuclear weapons (including American-made F-16, F-4E Phantom and A-4N Skyhawk aircraft). Israel is the only power in the Middle East with a high degree of probability of having nuclear weapons systems based on land, sea and air.

Israeli defense spending

Israel's defense spending in 2002 amounted to $9.84 billion (1984 - $4.3 billion). Although Israel's defense spending has been steadily increasing, on a per capita basis it has remained relatively stable, albeit quite high - approximately $1,500 a year.

The military assistance Israel receives from the United States makes a major contribution to maintaining Israel's defense capabilities. Israel first received free military assistance from the United States in 1974 (worth one and a half billion dollars). For the period from 1974 to 2002. Israel received gratuitous military assistance from the United States totaling $41.06 billion. At the same time, Israel is obliged to spend most of its military assistance funds in the United States on the purchase of military equipment, spare parts, ammunition and equipment, which hinders 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-type fighters). At the same time, Israel bought weapons from France and other countries, and also acquired surplus American military equipment. In 1952, Israel signed a military procurement agreement with the US government, but during this period the share of Israeli military purchases from the US was insignificant. The first Israeli Air Force jets, the Meteor, were purchased from Great Britain, which over time became the main supplier of naval equipment, primarily destroyers and submarines. In the 1950s France is gradually becoming the main supplier of weapons to the Israel Defense Forces (primarily jet aircraft) - right 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 to the Israel Defense Forces is increasing, but the United States becomes the main supplier only after the Six-Day War.

The strength of the IDF is determined not only by modern weapons purchased abroad, but largely depends on the industrial infrastructure with which the Israeli armed forces form a single military-industrial complex: the armed forces pose technical tasks for the Israeli military industry, and the military industry enriches the arsenal Tsa X with its technological advances that open up new operational capabilities. 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 could not rely on the delivery of weapons and equipment ordered abroad. Today, the products of Israeli industry cover virtually 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 producers), precision optical equipment, small arms, artillery and mortars, missiles, some of which are the most advanced in their class, tanks, aircraft (light - for operational communications and maritime patrol, transport, unmanned, fighters and fighter-bombers), combat ships, ammunition, personal equipment, military medical equipment and etc.

By the beginning of 2002, the total number of enterprises of 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 companies: the Aviation Industry concern ", the association "Military Industry" and the Department for the Development of Armaments "Rafael").

The total production volume of Israel's military-industrial complex in 2001 exceeded $3.5 billion, and Israeli defense enterprises signed contracts to export their products in the amount of $2.6 billion (Israel accounts for 8% of world arms exports). The Israeli military industry not only provides a significant part of the needs of X ala in weapons, equipment and equipment, but also exports its products worth hundreds of millions of dollars to 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 on the world market due to their high quality. 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 global market for unmanned aircraft, with the US being the main buyer; Many other countries are also acquiring this equipment. Among the important objects of Israeli exports of military equipment, communications equipment should also be noted (for example, systems for searching and detecting ejected pilots of airplanes and helicopters, as well as reconnaissance officers and special forces soldiers, allowing their location to be determined 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 different types of weapons; means of searching and detecting mines and 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 is characterized by very high reliability. Income from the export of Israel's military industry serves its further development.

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