IDF Cuts Tank Training in Half Amid Fighter Shortage
IDF reduces armored corps training by 50% amid manpower crisis, while reserve brigade transitions to older tanks with shortened preparation, raising concerns over combat readiness.
Twitter
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is reducing training standards for reserve armored corps soldiers, cutting conversion courses by 50% in order to cope with a severe shortage of fighters.
In the coming weeks, the 4th Reserve Armored Brigade is slated to take up positions along one of Israel’s sensitive borders using Merkava Mark 3 tanks, replacing the Mark 4s the brigade has operated in recent years.
Training Slashed to Five Days
Officers within the brigade warn that conversion training on the older tanks has been shortened to just five days, far less than the weeks usually allocated for such transitions. They caution that while the compressed program provides all soldiers with basic operational knowledge, it may not prepare them for complex or unexpected combat scenarios.
A senior IDF officer confirmed the reduction but defended the move, saying all troops would still reach sufficient proficiency:
“We won’t deploy anyone before we’re certain they’re 100% ready. Adequate proficiency is enough to fight. They don’t need to be experts.”
The officer admitted, however, that the shorter training is a compromise forced by manpower shortages and the heavy burden on reservists.
Concerns Within the Ranks
Brigade officers voiced concern over the decision:
“Is this what the IDF wants on its borders? It’s troubling. This reflects the army’s lack of manpower, which has real security implications.”
A Cost of the Shortage
The move underscores the price the IDF is paying for dwindling manpower, lowering professional standards to maintain border defenses. Military officials acknowledge they are improvising solutions under difficult conditions, where no option is ideal.
The IDF’s only long-term solution remains the same, expanding its ranks with additional combat soldiers. Concerns Within the Ranks Brigade officers voiced concern over the decision:
“Is this what the IDF wants on its borders? It’s troubling. This reflects the army’s lack of manpower, which has real security implications.”
A Cost of the Shortage
The move underscores the price the IDF is paying for dwindling manpower, lowering professional standards to maintain border defenses. Military officials acknowledge they are improvising solutions under difficult conditions, where no option is ideal.
The IDF’s only long-term solution remains the same, expanding its ranks with additional combat soldiers.