Wikipedia
List of equipment of the Israel Defense Forces
The military equipment of Israel includes a wide array of arms, armored vehicles, artillery, missiles, planes, helicopters, and warships. Many of these are purchased overseas and many are indigenous designs. Until the Six-Day War of 1967, the Israel Defense Forces' principal supplier was France; since then, it has been the United States government and defense companies in the United States. In the early 21st century, Israeli companies (such as Soltam Systems) began selling arms to the United States.[1] Much military equipment undergoes improvements in Israeli workshops.
In addition to weapons purchased overseas and indigenous products, Israel also operates and maintains large stockpiles of Soviet-made equipment, captured from Arab armies over the course of the Arab–Israeli conflict.[2]
History
During the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, the military equipment in the IDF was very diverse and inconsistent. This was due to the severe limitation in obtaining war materiel (the British Mandate and the Arab embargo). During the 1950s, the IDF began the process of standardization, relying primarily on French military equipment.
During the Six-Day War, the military cooperation with France ceased (the French Weapons Embargo of 1967) and Israel began to rely on American weaponry and on local research and development. During the 1980s and 1990s, the IDF increased its supplies of American arms, armor and aircraft, aiming for technological superiority over Arab countries, toward "a smaller, smarter army".
The reliance on locally manufactured military equipment has also greatly increased. Today, the overwhelming majority of Israel's military equipment is either manufactured in the United States (and often modified in Israeli workshops), or is developed and manufactured locally, with an increasing emphasis on advanced technology, including aerospace and electronics.
Local military development
Some of the military equipment developed locally have been:
Ground forces equipment
Small arms
| Name | Image | Type | Caliber | Origin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pistols | |||||
| Jericho 941[4] | Semi-automatic pistol | 9×19mm | Israel | Used by IDF and IDF Special Forces | |
| Glock 17[5] | Semi-automatic pistol | 9×19mm | Austria | Used by IDF Special Forces | |
| Glock 19[6] | Semi-automatic pistol | 9×19mm | Austria | Used by IDF Special Forces | |
| Browning Hi-Power[6] | Semi-automatic pistol | 9×19mm | Belgium | ||
| SIG Sauer P226[6] | Semi-automatic pistol | 9×19mm Parabellum | Switzerland | Used by IDF Special Forces. | |
| Beretta M1951[4] | Semi-automatic pistol | 9×19mm | Italy | ||
| Heckler & Koch P11[4] | Underwater pistol | 7.62×36mm | Germany | ||
| Submachine guns | |||||
| IMI Uzi[7] | Submachine gun | 9×19mm | Israel | Uzi, Mini-Uzi, Micro-Uzi, and Uzi-Pro used. | |
| Ingram MAC-10[4] | Submachine gun | 9×19mm | United States | ||
| IWI X95[4] | Submachine gun and bullpup assault rifle | 9×19mm variant | Israel | 9x19mm suppressed variant used by IDF Special Forces | |
| Semi-automatic rifle | |||||
| Suppressed Ruger 10/22[6][8] | | Semi-automatic rifle | .22 LR | United States | Adopted for non-lethal crowd control. |
| Assault rifles | |||||
| Tavor X95 (Micro-Tavor Dor Gimel) [citation needed] | Bullpup assault rifle/Carbine/Service rifle | 5.56x45mm | Israel | Improved version of the X95 with longer barrel. | |
| IWI X95 (Micro-Tavor)[4] | Bullpup Assault rifle/Carbine | 5.56x45mm | Israel | Compact version of the TAR-21. Standard Issue rifle since 2009 replacing the TAR-21. | |
| IWI Tavor TAR-21[4] | Assault rifle | 5.56×45mm | Israel | Cut from service as of 2009 and replaced by the X95. | |
| M4A1 Carbine[4] | Carbine/Assault rifle/Service rifle | 5.56×45mm | United States | Standard Issue Assault Rifle along with M16, CAR-15, and X95 and used by Special Forces | |
| M16A1[9] | Assault rifle | 5.56×45mm | United States | Standard Issue Assault Rifle along with the M4, CAR-15, M16A2 and X95. Most of the long-barreled rifles were modified to have short barrel and a telescoping stock, the rest are reserved for basic training and ceremonial issues | |
| M16A2[citation needed] | Assault rifle | 5.56×45mm | United States | Standard Issue Assault Rifle along with the M4, CAR-15, M16A1 and X95. Most of the M16A2 is firing automatic, some to custom for DMR and rest are ceremonial issues. | |
| CAR-15[6] | Assault rifle | 5.56×45mm | United States | Standard Issue Assault Rifle along with M4, M16A1, and X95 | |
| IMI Galil[4][7] | Assault rifle | 5.56×45mm | Israel | Used in limited numbers. Variants used are Galil AR and Galil SAR. Most Galil's have been replaced by the improved (Galil) IWI ACE. | |
| IMI Micro Galil [citation needed] | Assault rifle | 5.56×45mm | Israel | Used in limited numbers. Highly compact version of the Galil. Most Galil's have been replaced by the improved (Galil) IWI ACE. | |
| AKM[4][7][10] | Assault rifle | 7.62×39mm | Soviet Union | Captured from Arab armies over the course of the Arab–Israeli conflict and was used by Special Forces due to their high reliability. | |
| AK-47[4][7][10] | Assault rifle | 7.62×39mm | Soviet Union | Captured from Arab armies over the course of the Arab–Israeli conflict and was used by Special Forces due to their high reliability. | |
| Battle rifles | |||||
| M14[4] | Battle rifle | 7.62×51mm | United States | Used in limited numbers by the IDF. | |
| Light machine gun | |||||
| IMI Negev[4] | Light machine gun | 5.56×45mm | Israel | Capable of firing semi-automatic or full-auto. The 5.56 variant features a unique dual feed system, it can accept 30 round STANAG magazines and an assault-box belt. | |
| Medium machine gun | |||||
| M1919 Browning [citation needed] | Medium machine gun | .30-06 Springfield | United States | ||
| General-purpose machine guns | |||||
| FN MAG[11] | General-purpose machine gun | 7.62×51mm | Belgium | Former Standard Issue to IDF Since 1960s to 1990s as a Main Machine Gun. | |
| Negev NG7 [citation needed] | General-purpose machine gun | 7.62×51mm | Israel | Capable of semi-automatic or full-automatic fire. | |
| PKM[6] | General-purpose machine gun | 7.62×54mmR | Soviet Union | Captured from Arab armies over the course of the Arab–Israeli conflict and used by Special Forces. | |
| M60 [citation needed] | General-purpose machine gun | 7.62×51mm NATO | United States | Limited use. | |
| Heavy machine guns | |||||
| Browning M2 (Makach 0.5)[4] | Heavy machine gun | 12.7×99mm | United States | Upgraded to M2HB-QCB | |
| Shotguns | |||||
| Armsel Striker [citation needed] | Revolving riot shotgun | 12 Gauge | South Africa | Used for riot control | |
| Designated marksman rifles | |||||
| M4A1 Kala Sa'ar [citation needed] | Designated marksman rifle | 5.56×45mm | United States | Accurized M4A1, used by "kala sa'ar" marksmen. | |
| SR-25 Mk 11 [6] | Designated marksman rifle/Sniper rifle | 7.62×51mm | United States | Used by IDF Special Forces. Also employed as a sniper rifle. | |
| Tavor X-95L "Micro-Tavor Kala'im"[citation needed] | Designated marksman rifle | 5.56×45mm | Israel | Accurized Micro-Tavor X95 with longer barrel, used by "kala sa'ar" marksmen. | |
| Sniper rifles | |||||
| M24 SWS[6] | Sniper rifle | 7.62×51mm | United States | Standard-issued sniper rifle, achieves accuracy of 0.5 MOA with IMI ammo. | |
| IDF Modernized M24 SWS[6] | Sniper rifle | 7.62×51mm | United States | Standard-issued sniper rifle, achieves accuracy of 0.5 MOA with IMI ammo. | |
| Mauser 86SR[6] | Sniper rifle | 7.62×51mm | Germany | Used for counter-terrorism operations. | |
| Barak (HTR 2000) [citation needed] | Long-range sniper rifle | .338 Lapua Magnum | United States | An IDF modified H-S Precision Pro Series 2000 HTR rifle | |
| Barrett M82A1 | Anti-materiel rifle | 12.7×99mm | United States | Used mainly by the Combat Engineering Corps and IDF Special Forces | |
| McMillan TAC-50 [citation needed] | Long range sniper rifle/Anti-materiel rifle | 12.7×99mm | United States | Used by IDF Special Forces. | |
| Barrett MRAD [citation needed] | Multi-role sniper rifle (field sniping / counter-terrorism / long-range) | 7.62×51mm .338 Lapua Magnum | United States | Used by Special Forces and also by Israeli Police elite CT unit YAMAM. Achieves accuracy of 0.35-0.5 MOA (1.1 cm groups in 100 m). | |
| Barrett REC10[citation needed] | Semi-automatic sniper rifle (counter-terrorism) | 7.62×51mm | United States | Use by the IDF special forces and also by Israeli Police. Achieves accuracy of around 0.75 MOA. | |
| IWI Dan [citation needed] | Long-range sniper rifle | .338 Lapua Magnum | Israel | ||
| Hand grenades | |||||
| M26A2 [citation needed] | Fragmentation grenade | n/a | Israel | Based on the American M26 grenade | |
| IDF M48 [citation needed] | Stun grenade | n/a | Israel | Based on the American M84 stun grenade | |
Rocket and grenade launchers
| Name | Image | Type | Caliber | Origin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B-300 Shipon [citation needed] | Shoulder-launched rocket | 96 mm | Israel | ||
| M72 LAW [citation needed] | Shoulder-launched rocket | 66 mm | United States | ||
| MATADOR [citation needed] | Shoulder-launched rocket | 90 mm | Israel Singapore | ||
| M203[4] | Under-barrel grenade launcher | 40 mm | United States | Usually mounted under an M16, M4, CAR-15, or X95. Mounted on X95's with longer barrels and large trigger guard instead of the standard pistol grip guard. | |
| Mk 19[4] | Automatic grenade launcher | 40 mm | United States | ||
| Mk 47 Striker [citation needed] | Automatic grenade launcher | 40 mm | United States |
Missiles
| Name | Image | Type | Origin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spike [citation needed] | Anti-tank missile | Israel | Used various models of the family, including Gil (Spike-MR) and Gil 2 (Spike-LR II), Spike-ER (I and II) and Tamouz (Spike NLOS). | |
| BGM-71 TOW [citation needed] | Anti-tank missile | United States | ||
| LAHAT [citation needed] | Anti-tank missile | Israel | ||
| MAPATS [citation needed] | Anti-tank missile | Israel | ||
| Nimrod [citation needed] | Long-range anti-tank missile | Israel |
Vehicles
Artillery
| Name | Image | Type | Number in service[16] | Origin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M109 Doher | 155mm self-propelled howitzer | 600 | United States Israel | Upgraded as the M109 Doher. Based on the M109A5. Replacement program initiated,[17] candidates include ATMOS 2000 and the Artillery Gun Module.[18] Used in limited numbers | |
| Soltam M-71 | 155mm towed howitzer | 300 | Israel | ||
| Soltam M-68 | 155mm self-propelled howitzer | 50 | Israel | In reserve | |
| M270 "Menatetz" | Multiple rocket launcher | 48 | United States Israel | Armed with several types of Israeli rockets: RAMAM, Ra'am Eithan (Strong Thunder) and Romach ("Lance", a guided rocket). | |
| Cardom SP | 120 mm self-propelled mortar | 64 | Israel | ||
| Soltam M-65 | 120 mm mortar | 250 | Israel | ||
| M113 Tamuz | Missile launching vehicle | N/A | Israel | Spike missiles launched from an M113 chassis[19] | |
| LAR-160 | 160 mm artillery rocket | Israel | |||
| Romach | M270 MLRS Menatetz GPS-guided artillery rocket | Israel | |||
| Extended Range Artillery Rocket (EXTRA) | Long-range artillery rocket | Israel | 150 km range[20] | ||
| LORA | Theater quasiballistic missile | Israel |
Air defense
| Name | Image | Type | Number in service[16] | Origin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIM-104 Patriot | Surface-to-air missile | N/A | United States | was upgraded to the GM+ "Yahalom" standard | |
| Iron Dome | Air defense missile battery/Anti-rockets missile | 9+ | Israel | Intercepted hundreds of artillery records since declared operational in 2011. | |
| David's Sling | Medium- to long-range anti-ballistic missile/surface-to-air missile | N/A | Israel | Medium- to long-range anti-ballistic missile with surface-to-air missile capability | |
| Arrow | Anti-ballistic missile | N/A | Israel | Out of the atmosphere anti-ballistic missile missile series |
Air forces equipment
- Note there are multiple sources and these provide different figures:
Unmanned aerial vehicles
Weaponry
- MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile
- / Arrow anti-ballistic missile
- PB500A1 laser-guided hard-target penetration bomb
- M-85 cluster bomb
- CBU-58 cluster bomb
- Mark 84 bomb
- MPR500 penetration bomb
- Spice glide bomb
- GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb
- Python air-to-air missile
- Popeye air-to-surface missile AKA AGM-142 Have Nap in US use
- Popeye Turbo SLCM suspected long range submarine-launched cruise missile, suspected nuclear weapon carrier
- Joint Direct Attack Munition guided bomb
- AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missile
- AGM-88 HARM air-to-surface anti-radiation missile
- AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface anti-tank missile
- AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile
- AIM-9 Sidewinder heat seeking air-to-air missile
- MIM-72 Chaparral surface-to-air missile
- Delilah cruise missile
- Iron Dome anti-rocket and mortar defense missile
- David's Sling surface-to-air missile
- Jericho II intermediate range ballistic missile, suspected nuclear
- Jericho III intercontinental ballistic missile, suspected nuclear
Below are the IDF's active service watercraft. The year of service, speed, full load displacement, and crew members, are in parentheses.
Missile boats
- Sa'ar 4 class missile boat (1970s; 32 kn (59 km/h); 450 tons; 45 crew members)
- Sa'ar 4.5 class missile boat (1980s; 31 kn (57 km/h); 488 tons; 53 crew members)
Corvettes
- / Sa'ar 5-class corvette (1990s; 33 kn (61 km/h); 1,227 tons; 64 crew members)
- / Sa'ar 6-class corvette (2020s; 26 kn (48 km/h); 1,900 tons; 70 crew members)
Patrol boats
- Dabur (1970s; 19 kn (35 km/h); 39 tons; 9 crew members)
- Shaldag (1989; ?; 50 kn (93 km/h); 15 crew members)
- Super Dvora Mk II (1996; 46 kn (85 km/h); 54 tons; 10 crew members)
- Nachshol (1997; 40 kn (74 km/h); 12 tons; 5 crew members)
- Super Dvora Mk III (2004; 47 kn (87 km/h); 54 tons; 10 crew members)
Support ships
- INS Bat Yam
- INS Bat Galim
Submarines
- / Dolphin I (1992; 11 kn (20 km/h), 20 kn (37 km/h) underwater; 1,640 tons, 1,900 tons underwater; 30 crew members)
- / Dolphin II (2014; 13 kn (24 km/h), 25 kn (46 km/h) underwater; 2,050 tons, 2,400 tons underwater; 40 crew members)
Commando boats
Remote weapon systems
Space systems
See also
References
- ^ "US Army Wants 120mm Guided Mortars for the Front Lines (APMI)". from the original on 2010-07-01. Retrieved 2010-08-26.
- ^ Matthew M. Aid (10 September 2013). "Exclusive: Does Israel Have Chemical Weapons Too?". Foreign Policy. from the original on 7 March 2017. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
Its sensitivities were galvanized by the capture of large quantities of Soviet CW-related equipment during both the 1967 Arab-Israeli and the 1973 Yom Kippur wars.
- ^ "Israeli "Pereh" tank officially revealed. – Tank and AFV News". 17 July 2015. from the original on 2015-07-21. Retrieved 2015-07-21.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Jones, Richard (2009). Jane's Infantry Weapons 2009–2010. Jane's Information Group. pp. 36, 380, 897. ISBN 978-0-7106-2869-5.
- ^ Valpolini, Paolo (June 2009). (PDF). Armada International (Online). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-13. Retrieved 2010-02-13.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Israeli Special Forces Weapons Guide". Retrieved 2010-10-13.
- ^ a b c d Katz, Sam (1986). Israeli Defence Forces since 1973. Osprey Publishing. pp. 22, 56, 49. ISBN 0-85045-687-8.
- ^ "Ruger 10/22 Suppressed Sniper Rifle 2011-07-15 at the Wayback Machine" at ruger1022.com
- ^ John Pike (2003-12-17). "Israel's army phases out country's iconic Uzi submachine gun". Globalsecurity.org. from the original on 2009-03-12. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
- ^ a b Sweeney, Patrick (2005). The Gun Digest Book of the AR-15. Gun Digest Books. p. 131. ISBN 0-87349-947-6.
- ^ Katz, Sam (1988). Israeli Elite Units since 1948. Osprey Publishing. p. 55. ISBN 0-85045-837-4.
- ^ a b "Chapter Seven: Middle East and North Africa". The Military Balance. 121 (1): 314–377. 2021-01-01. doi:10.1080/04597222.2021.1868796. ISSN 0459-7222.
- ^ a b IISS 2020, p. 356.
- ^ (PDF), Studies, The Institute for National Security, November 20, 2014, archived from the original (PDF) on November 24, 2015.
- ^ Page, Lewis (31 March 2009). "Israelis' invulnerable, 60-tonne robot bulldozer force to double". The Register. from the original on 20 April 2010. Retrieved 7 August 2010.
- ^ a b "The Institute for National Security Studies", chapter Israel, 2010, (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-04-30. Retrieved 2015-08-29.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) September 20, 2010. - ^ BARBARA OPALL-ROME. "Gun Makers Gear Up for $1B Israeli Contest" DefenseNews, October 19, 2013. Accessed: 20 October 2013.
- ^ Israel Army wants to replace old 155 mm howitzer M109 with Soltam or AGM artillery system 2015-07-26 at the Wayback Machine – Armyrecognition.com, 30 October 2013
- ^ "IDF unveils special guided missile used in Lebanon, Gaza -". from the original on 2011-08-02. Retrieved 2011-08-01.
- ^ "The Jewish Press » » IDF Acquires New Long-Range Rocket from IMI". from the original on 2016-08-23. Retrieved 2016-08-18.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Hoyle, Craig (2023). "World Air Forces 2024". FlightGlobal. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
- ^ "Three more F-35 fighter jets touch down in Israel". The times of israel. from the original on 2017-05-28. Retrieved 2017-05-13.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v (PDF), Studies, The Institute for National Security, May 8, 2012, archived from the original (PDF) on September 7, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "World Air Forces 2014". Flight International. Flight global. December 5, 2013. from the original on December 25, 2013. Retrieved December 6, 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad The Military Balance 2014, International Institute for Strategic Studies, February 5, 2014, p. 326.
- ^ a b c "MiliCAS". Flight International (database). Flight global. July 27, 2012. from the original on July 29, 2012. Retrieved July 27, 2012. Shows the Israeli air force has an active fleet of 325 F-16s, including 126 General Electric F110-100-powered C/D examples.
- ^ a b "Israeli Apache upgrade adds avionics pod". October 8, 2013. from the original on October 8, 2013. Retrieved October 8, 2013.
- ^ a b "Israel acquires surplus CH-53 helicopters for spares". January 25, 2013. from the original on January 28, 2013. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
Sources
- IISS (2020). The Military Balance 2020. Routledge. ISBN 978-0367466398.