First 15 female recruits to test suitability for Armored Corps
The Armored Corps has in recent years become one of the least popular units for IDF recruits, as it is said to have the worst service conditions and fewer weekends off than other corps.
So with fewer recruits wanting to join the corps, as well as a reduction in manpower due to the cut of mandatory service period for men, the IDF has begun recruiting women for a pilot program to examine the possibility of integrating them in the Armored Corps’ tank brigades.
According to a senior Armored Corps officer, the first recruits for the army’s pilot project to see how suitable women would be to serve in tanks began last week, but “the road ahead is still long” and the results won’t be known until next year.
During the pilot program the 15 female recruits will receive four months of training on the Merkava Mark III, when they must prove they are able to operate every function of the tank, including lifting shells, driving, and firing.
Throughout all phases of the program the recruits will be accompanied by experienced tank commanders, doctors, nutritionists and fitness experts, the senior officer said, stressing that the main issue is the physical abilities of the female recruits.
At present there are no plans for mixed-gender tank crews and female tank crews will not operate in enemy territory, but would be deployed only to the borders.
“Our enemies have changed, and therefore so have we,” a senior Armored Corps officer told military reporters on Thursday.
With regional developments changing significantly in the past few years, the corps is fighting more unconventional wars and facing new enemy tactics.
“While the Second Lebanon War had a big impact on the corps, it was Operation Protective Edge which had a significant impact on the corps and how we see ourselves in the future,” he said, stressing the need to adapt as technology continues to improve in order to stay relevant.
With more wars fought in urban areas, accuracy is a challenging yet critical aspect, the senior officer said. The corps’ tanks will all be fitted with advanced sensors.
“If we have an enemy in an open field, 20 meters’ difference is not a big deal, but when you are fighting in a urban area, 20 meters can mean hitting a home instead of the target you are aiming for. I want us to have the accuracy of hitting a target within five meters”
The defensive abilities of the Armored Corps are also different when fighting in an urban area as opposed to open fields.
The Merkava has an active protection system known as Windbreaker, or the Trophy Active Protection System, which automatically and independently identifies any inbound threats before it reaches the tank. Once it identifies the threat, it intercepts and destroys incoming projectiles with a shot-gunlike blast.
The Windbreaker active defense system, developed by Rafael, proved its efficacy in dozens of operations, especially during Operation Protective Edge. According to the senior officer, all tanks will soon be outfitted with an upgraded Windbreaker system.
A new future tank, nicknamed Lightning, is also being developed. Based on the Merkava Mark IV, the new tank is to be a “smart tank.”
“The technology in the new tanks will take the corps a step into the future,” the senior officer said. “It is technology that we could only dream about a few years back.”