First female Armored Corps combat company to begin IDF training in November
The IDF has completed preparations for its first all-female tank company designated for maneuvering combat, with recruits set to enter the new track in November.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Ground Forces have finalized arrangements to welcome the Armored Corps' inaugural cohort of female tank soldiers, primed for maneuvering combat, according to Walla's disclosure on Tuesday. This new pathway, the outcome of comprehensive staff investigations, pilot initiatives, and evaluations of an exclusively tailored training regimen for women, was sanctioned by the High Court of Justice in April.
The ruling mandates the establishment of an all-female maneuvering tank company as a cohesive combat unit without further postponement.
The tank crews in the inaugural company will be comprised solely of female personnel, marking their inaugural deployment as an operational maneuvering force, akin to their male counterparts. The IDF Ground Forces have yet to determine the specific armored brigade that will house the company.
Female tank soldiers have previously been deployed in border defense duties under the 80th Edom Division along the Egyptian frontier, and they played a pivotal role during the October 7 massacre, safeguarding both Gaza border settlements and military outposts under the Gaza Division's Southern Brigade. Their actions thwarted terrorist incursions and thwarted infiltration attempts into Israeli communities, yet the IDF General Staff declined to permit them to engage in maneuvering operations within the Gaza Strip during the conflict.
The IDF Ground Forces' training blueprint for female combat soldiers mirrors that of their male counterparts, albeit conducted at a distinct base. The selected facility will also serve as the recruits' primary training ground throughout the duration of their training. Notably, the base has already undergone modifications to accommodate the arrival of the female combat soldiers.
Recruits are scheduled to enlist in the dedicated track commencing November 2026. In recognition of the base's geographical distance from the Armored Corps' 460th Training Brigade at Shizafon, the IDF has also determined to provide supplementary medical and logistical assistance for the training program.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
