The attached diagram gives Israels' armed forces composition and organization at the start of the Yom Kippur War. Israel is equipped with a confusing assortment of Western equipment, captured Soviet equipment, and locally produced. Israel supports the world's largest arms industry per capita, and at present produces artillery up to 160mm, an advanced Mach 2+ fighter and two other aircraft, air-to-air, surface-to-surface, surface-to-air, and air-to-surface missiles; Israel is also the free world's major producer of ammunition and spare parts for Soviet equipment.

Israeli doctrine stresses concentration of all available forces for attack at the small est front and a rapid, ruthless exploitation in short blitzkrieg. The Israelis stress individual initiative down to the lowest level. Rapid tactical dicision making and insistence on a new and inventive solution to every tactical problem. They stress the importance of never falling into the trap of repeating the same maneuver over again so that it can be expected and dealt with by the enemy.

The Israeli doctrine requires a high level of skill and talent at all levels of leadership through the chain of command. Strategically, the Israelis place much emphasis on high quality, advanced intelligence and meticulous planning; such as destroyed the Arab air force; on the ground in 1967. Much of the Israel's early problems in the October War were caused by their violation of their own very sound doctrine.

ISRAELI ARMORED BRIGADE

Each tank platoon consists of three medium tanks.

Three tank platoons and a headquarters section, of two battle tanks make up each tank company.

Three tank companies and a headquarters section, of two tanks make up a tank battalion.

Three tank battalions and a company of recon tanks plus an artillery battalion of halftrack-mounted 120mm mortars and a headquarters and various auxiliary units such as signals and maintance make up a brigade.

The Israelis are little bound by convention of fixed tables of organization. While the organization of the Tank element Is reasonably fixed the rest is somewhat variable. Israel uses the Brigade as her basic combat formation, and frequently augments it as we do our Divisions. The Mechanized and Infantry Brigade organization appear to be essentially the same but with mechanized or infantry units substituted for the tank units.

Note: An Israeli Brigade - 3,500 men approx.

ISRAEL GROUND OB
BRIGADES	Full Strength	50% Strength	Cadre Strength	Total Strength
Armor	2	1	7	10
Mechanized	-	4	5	9
Infantry	3	-	6	9
Parachute	2	-	3	5
Artillery	-	-	3	3
TOTAL	7	5	24	36

More Yom Kippur War

Prologue
Starting Lineup: Egypt and Syria
Starting Lineup: Israel
Rounds One and Two
Weapons: SA-6 Gainful SAM, Israeli Soltam L-33, MiG 21, Egyptian Hangerette
The Naval Balance
Combat Aircraft
The Cost: The Butcher Bill
Results, Conclusions, and Myths