כיכר השבת

IDF to Reassign Reserve Armor Brigade to Older Tanks

In an unusual move aimed at easing pressure on the IDF’s reserve armored forces, the military has decided to convert Reserve Armor Brigade 4 (“Kiryati”) to operate older Merkava Mark 3 tanks, replacing the newer Mark 4 models the brigade has used in recent years, according to military sources. The shift comes as Mark 4 tanks are primarily used in daily training at the Shizafon base. Whenever the brigade is called up for active duty, deploying these tanks disrupts ongoing soldier training across the IDF’s armored corps. By transitioning to the older Mark 3s, which are more readily available, the brigade can participate in significantly more reserve call-ups without affecting the army’s broader training schedule. Reserve soldiers of the brigade will undergo retraining to operate the older tanks, a process expected to increase the brigade’s operational flexibility and relieve pressure on other armored reserve units. The IDF has not yet issued an official comment regarding the decision.