Israel Army

The Israeli Ground Forces operate under the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces, with headquarters located at the Kirya compound in Tel Aviv. Command over combat formations is decentralized across three geographical regional commands: Northern Command, Central Command, and Southern Command, alongside Home Front Command. Operational forces are organized into regular and reserve armored, infantry, and regional divisions. Field divisions include the 36th Armored Division, 162nd Armored Division, 98th Paratroopers Division, and 99th Infantry Division, supported by regional border security divisions including the 91st, 80th, 143rd, and 210th Divisions. Active maneuver formations comprise infantry brigades such as the 1st Golani, 84th Givati, 35th Paratroopers, 933rd Nahal, 900th Kfir, and the 89th Oz Commando Brigade. Armored maneuver is conducted by the 7th, 188th, and 401st Armored Brigades, while artillery support is organized under the 215th and 282nd Artillery Brigades.

Armored formations operate Merkava Mark 3, Mark 4, and Mark 4M main battle tanks equipped with the Trophy active protection system. Infantry and mechanized units field Namer heavy armored personnel carriers built on the Merkava chassis, Eitan 8x8 wheeled armored personnel carriers, Achzarit tracked carriers, and M113 tracked vehicles. Dismounted infantry utilize Micro-Tavor and M4 carbines, MATADOR anti-armor weapons, and Spike anti-tank guided missile systems. Reconnaissance and intelligence gathering at the tactical level are carried out using unmanned aerial vehicles such as the Skylark and Thor platforms. Artillery units field M109 self-propelled howitzers alongside M270 multiple launch rocket systems firing guided munitions such as AccuLAR and PULS rockets. Air defense for ground formations relies on coordination with the Israeli Air Force Air Defense Command, which deploys Iron Dome batteries alongside vehicle-mounted counter-unmanned aerial vehicle systems.

Primary operational missions encompass territorial defense, border surveillance, counter-terrorism, and urban combat. Recent combat operations include multi-brigade maneuvers in the Gaza Strip, combat operations in southern Lebanon, and counter-insurgency missions across the West Bank. Modernization programs center on domestic armored vehicle production and artillery automation. Domestic initiatives include the production of the Merkava Mark 5 Barak main battle tank, which integrates artificial intelligence processing, networked sensor suites, and helmet-mounted display technology for crew situational awareness. Additional production includes expanded manufacturing of Eitan wheeled armored personnel carriers and Namer tracked fighting vehicles. In artillery, the ground forces are introducing the Ro'em SIGMA 155 millimeter fully automated wheeled self-propelled howitzer to replace tracked M109 systems.