List of brigades of the Israel Defense Forces

This is a list of brigades in the Israel Defense Forces.

Current brigades

Active service

1st "Golani" Brigade^[1] - Has been active since 1948 and is part of Northern Command, though currently (July 2014) operating under Southern Command in the Gaza.
- 12th "Barak"/"Lightning" Infantry Battalion
- 13th "Gideon" Infantry Battalion
- 51st "HaBoki'm HaRishonim"/"First Breachers" Infantry Battalion
- 631st Reconnaissance Battalion:
  - Anti-tank Company / PALNAT
  - Engineer Company / PALCHAN
  - 95th "Flying Tiger" Reconnaissance Company
  - 351st Signal Company / PALCHIK
7th Armoured Brigade^[2] - Has been active since 1948
- 72nd Battalion was in the 1948 Latrun Battles
- 75th "Romach"/"Lance" Armor Battalion (Merkava Mk.3)
- 77th "Oz"/"Courage" Armor Battalion (Merkava Mk.4)
- 82nd "Gaash"/"Rage" Armor Battalion (Merkava Mk.2)
- 603rd "Lahav"/"Blade" Armored Engineer Battalion
  - Sayeret 7 Armored Reconnaissance Company
  - Anti-Tank Guided Missile Company
35th Paratroopers Brigade - Has been active since 1955 and is part of Central Command (Paratrooper units are named after snakes.)
- 101st "Peten"/"Cobra" Airborne Battalion
- 202nd "Tsefa"/"Viper" Airborne Battalion
- 890th "Ef'e"/"Echis" Airborne Battalion
- 5135th "Flying Serpent" Reconnaissance Battalion
  - "Naja" Anti-Tank Company
  - "Coluber" Engineer Company
  - 5173rd "Taipan" Reconnaissance Company
  - "Eryx" Signal Company
84th "Givati" Brigade - Active since the mid-1980s, named after a brigade of that name active in 1948. Is part of Southern Command (most Givati units are named after types of plants.)
- 424th "Shaked"/"Almond" Infantry Battalion
- 432nd "Tzabar"/"Cactus" Infantry Battalion
- 435th "Rotem"/"Retama" Infantry Battalion
- 846th "Shualey Shimshon"/"Samson's Foxes" Reconnaissance Battalion:
  - "Dikla"/"Palm" Anti-Tank Company
  - "Dolev" Engineer Company
  - "Shualey Shimshon"/"Samson's Foxes" Reconnaissance Company
  - "Maor" Signal Company
89th Oz Brigade - Has been active since 2015 and is composed of three special forces units, also known as the "Commando Brigade".
- Unit 212 - Maglan
- Unit 217 - Duvdevan
- Unit 621 - Egoz
188th Barak Armored Brigade^[2] (45th, 188th Armored Brigade) - Has been active since 1948 and is part of Northern Command
- 53rd "Sufa"/"Storm" Armor Battalion (Merkava Mk.3)
- 71st "Reshef"/"Spark" Armor Battalion (Merkava Mk.4)
- 74th "Saar"/"Tempest" Armor Battalion (Merkava Mk.4)
- 605th "ha-Mahatz"/"The Crush" Armored Engineer Battalion
  - Sayeret 188 Armored Reconnaissance Company
  - Anti-Tank Guided Missile Company
401st Armored Brigade^[2] - Has been active since 1968
- 9th "Eshet" Armor Battalion (Merkava Mk.4)
- 46th "Shelah" Armor Battalion (Merkava Mk.4)
- 52nd "Ha-Bok'im"/"The Breachers" Armor Battalion (Merkava Mk.4)
- 601st "Asaf" Armored Engineer Battalion
  - Sayeret 401 Armored Reconnaissance Company
  - Anti-Tank Guided Missile Company
460th Brigade (Bnei Or/Sons of Light) - The training formation for Israeli armoured forces and is part of Southern Command
- 195th "Adam" Training Battalion with Merkava 2
- 198th "Ezuz" Training Battalion with Merkava 3
- 532nd "Shelah" Training Battalion with Merkava 4
- 196th "Shahak" Tank Commanders Training Battalion
- "Magen"/"Shield" Tank Instructors Training Battalion
828th "Bislamach" Brigade
900th "Kfir" Brigade - Has been active since 2005 and is part of Central Command
- 90th Nahshon Battalion
- 92nd Shimshon Battalion
- 93rd Haruv Battalion
- 94th Duchifat Battalion
- 96th Lavi Battalion
- 97th Netzah Yehuda Battalion
- Oketz Unit K9 special forces unit
933rd Nahal Brigade - Has been active since 1982 and is part of Southern Command (Nahal units are named after types of rock.)
- 50 "Baselet" Infantry Battalion
- 931 "Shacham" Infantry Battalion
- 932 "Granite" Infantry Battalion
- 934th "Topaz" Reconnaissance Battalion:
  - "Gazit" Anti-Tank Company
  - "Sapphire" Engineer Company
  - 374th "Flint" Reconnaissance Company
  - Scouts & Sniper Company
  - "Agate" Signal Company
214th Artillery Brigade "David's Sling"
215th Artillery Brigade "Amud ha-Esh"/"Pillar of Fire"
282nd Artillery Brigade "Golan"

Reserve Infantry

2nd "Carmeli" (Reserve) Infantry Brigade
3rd "Alexandroni" (Reserve) Infantry Brigade
5th "Sharon" (Reserve) Infantry Brigade
6th "Etzioni" (Reserve) Infantry Brigade
9th "Oded" (Reserve) Infantry Brigade
11th "Yiftach" (Reserve) Infantry Brigade
12th "Negev" (Reserve) Infantry Brigade
16th "Jerusalem" (Reserve) Infantry Brigade
55th "Hod Ha-Hanit/Tip of the Spear" (Reserve) Paratroopers Brigade
226th (Reserve) Paratroopers Brigade
228th (Reserve) Infantry Brigade
261st (Reserve) Infantry Brigade
551st "Hetzei Ha-Esh/Arrows of Fire" (Reserve) Paratroopers Brigade
646th "Sky Fox" (Reserve) Paratroopers Brigade
5692th "Northern" (Reserve) Infantry Brigade (Home Front Command)
6050th "Daniel" (Reserve) Infantry Brigade (Home Front Command)

Reserve Armor

4th "Kiryati" (Reserve) Armor Brigade
8th (Reserve) Armor Brigade
10th "Harel" (Reserve) Armor Brigade
14th "Machatz/Bison" (Reserve) Armor Brigade
179th "Ram" (Reserve) Armor Brigade
205th "Iron Fist" (Reserve) Armor Brigade
679th "Yiftach" (Reserve) Armor Brigade

Reserve Artillery

209th "Kidon" (Reserve) Artillery Brigade
213th "Revival" (Reserve)Artillery Brigade
454th "Tabor" (Reserve) Artillery Brigade
7338th (Reserve) Artillery Brigade

Former brigades

Jewish Brigade 1944-1946
500 Brigade (Kfir Formation) - Was active between 1972 and 2003
600th Brigade active during the 1973 Yom Kippur War

IDF Brigade Insignia

1st Golani Brigade
2nd Carmeli Brigade later renamed 188th Brigade
3rd Alexandroni Brigade
4th Kiryati Brigade
5th Givati Brigade in 1948
6th "Jerusalem" Etzioni Brigade
7th Armored Brigade (Israel)
8th Armored Brigade (Israel)
9th Oded Brigade
10th "Harel" (Reserve) Armor Brigade
11th Yiftach Brigade
12th Negev Brigade
14th "Machatz/Bison" (Reserve) Armor Brigade
35th Paratrooper Brigade [Old Tag]
35th Paratrooper Brigade
37th "Ram" (Reserve) Armor Brigade
55th Paratrooper Brigade {Formerly 247th Brigade]
84th Givati Brigade
89th Oz Brigade
130th Brigade
188th Armored Brigade [formerly 2nd Carmeli Brigade]
205th "Iron Fist" (Reserve) Armor Brigade
214th Artillery Brigade
263rd "Merkavot ha-Esh/Chariots of Fire" (Reserve) Armor Brigade
270th Arava Brigade
292th Armor Brigade
401st Brigade
Arava Territorial Brigade 416 (270 today) old tag
421st Brigade
421st Efraim Brigade
426st Etzion Brigade
434th Judea and Samaria Brigade
460st Brigade
474th Golan Brigade
500th Armored Brigade
600th Brigade
646th Paratooper Brigade
828th Bislamach Brigade
847th "Chariots of Steel" (Reserve) Armor Brigade
Paran Brigade

Division insignia

36th " Ga'ash Formation ("Rage") Armor Division
80th "Edom" Division
91st "Gailee Formation" Division
98th "Fire Formation" Paratroop Division
143d "Fire Fox" "Gaza" Division
162d "Steel" Armor Division
210th "Bashan" Division [Formerly 339th Division]
252d "Sinai" Armor" Division
340th "IDan" Armor Division [Formerly 880th Division]
877th Judea and Samaria Division

References

^ IDF (Israel Defence Force). "Golani Brigade". IDF (Israel Defence Force). Retrieved 29 August 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c www.idf.il https://www.idf.il/en/mini-sites/ground-forces/armored-corps/armored-corps/. Retrieved 2024-03-17. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)