WWIII: Team Yankee Israeli By Wayne Turner The Israel Defence Force (IDF for short) had learnt a lot from the Arab-Israeli conflicts of 1967 and 1973 and had undertaken a number of reforms and equipment upgrades to be ready for any future conflict. In 1982 they had also invaded Lebanon in an attempt to clear hostile Palestinian forces from their northern border and a number of lessons were learned from the experience. 1982 also saw the first combat of the Israel’s new main battle tank, the Merkava. A direct result of this was the improved Merkava 2.

Fielding Israeli Formations You can field eight different formations in an Israeli force: Merkava 3 Tank Company, Merkava 2 Tank Company, Merkava 1 Tank Company, Magach 6 Tank Company, Sho’t (Blazer) Tank Company, M113 Mech Infantry Company, Reserve Infantry Company, and Paratrooper Company.

Most Israelis are well trained and motivated with Courage 3+, Morale 3+, Skill 3+, Assault 4+, Counterattack 3+. The exceptions to these ratings are the Reserve Infantry, which are Courage 4+, Morale 4+, Skill 4+, Assault 4+, Counterattack 4+, and the Paratroopers, which are Courage 3+, Morale 3+, Skill 3+, Assault 3+, Counterattack 3+.

Israeli Tanks An Israeli Tank Company has 2-3 Tank Platoons, a M113 Mech Infantry Platoon, and either a Jeep Recce Platoon or a M113 Recce Platoon. These can either have Merkava 3, Merkava 2, Merkava 1 (an indigenous Israeli tank design), Magach 6 (the US M60 Patton), or Sho’t (Blazer) (the British Centurion with explosive reactive armour (ERA)). The excellent Merkava 2 and Merkava 1 plastic kit, which lets you build either model has had added a new Merkava 3 turret frame to the kit, expanding it out to build three different models. The Merkava 1 is a formidable tank armed with the same M68 (British L7) 105mm gun as many NATO tanks. This gives it a Range 40”/100cm, ROF 2/2, AT 19 and FP 2+. Due to a good supply of HE it has the Brutal rule (re-roll infantry and unarmoured saves). The gun is also fitted with a Stabiliser (can move Tactical 14”/35cm, but +1 To Hit), a Laser Rangefinder (no To Hit penalty for over 16”/40cm), and Smoke. It has Front Armour 18, Side 6, and Top 2. The Merkava 2 is upgraded with additional armour giving it Front Armour 19, Side 7, and Top 2. Well-protected ammunition stowage gives the Merkava 1 and 2 a Remount 2+.

The Merkava 3 further upgrades Israel’s main battle tank with further additional armour (Front Armour 23, Side 10, and Top 2) and improves its firepower with a 120mm gun that can fire standard NATO ammunition (Range 40”/100cm, ROF 2/2, AT 22 and FP 2+). The Merkava 3 also improves its night fighting abilities with Thermal Imaging (over the Infra-Red of the earlier models) and its fire and manoeuvre abilities with an Advanced Stabiliser (can move Tactical 14”/35cm). Due to their experiences in the previous three wars the Israelis ensured their tanks were well equipped with machine-guns. Each Merkava has a co-axial 7.62mm MG, commander’s and loader’s 7.62mm AA MGs, and a remote-controlled .50 cal MG mounted over the main gun. The Magach 6 is the Israeli variant of the US M60A1. It’s a tough tank with Front Armour 15, Side 8 and Top 2. It also mounts the M68 105mm gun and has the same machine-gun arrangement as the Merkava tanks, giving it plenty of firepower. Some models of Magach 6 have also been fitted with Blazer Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA, give the tanks Front Armour 16, and 16 on the Front and Side versus HEAT weapons).

Some battalions still operate the Sho’t (Whip) Centurion tank. These British tanks have been heavily upgraded since the wars of 1967 and 1973, with new American diesel engines and automatic transmissions giving them many mechanical components in common with the M60 Patton, or Magach 6 as the IDF call them, and the new Merkava tanks. Like the Magach 6, the Sho’t is armed with a British derived 105mm gun. The Sho’t is well-armoured (with Front 14, Side 6, Top 2). The Sho’t tanks have also been fitted with Blazer ERA (16 Front and Side armour against HEAT weapons).

Recce and Infantry The company Recce Platoons can either be lightly equipped with Jeeps, or with M113 APCs. Israel’s various infantry formations were all trained to fight from the American M113 APC. An M113 Mech Infantry Company comes with 2 or 3 M113 Mech Infantry Platoons, a Tank Platoon (of any type), an M125 81mm Mortar Platoon and an M150 Anti-tank Section. Israeli M113 Mech Platoons are well-equipped and capable units. A full-strength platoon comes with 4x Galil assault rifle teams, 3x FN MAG teams, each of these is also armed with M72 LAW for anti-tank self-defence. In addition, they have 3x RPG-7 or B-300 anti-tank teams, a Dragon or Dragon 2 guided anti-tank missile team and a 52mm mortar team. These are transported in 4x M113 APCs. Company weapons include a M125 81mm Mortar Platoon with 2 or 3 M125s, and a M150 anti-tank Platoon with 2 M150 TOW armed APCs. The M113 Transports of the Mech Infantry can also be upgraded, either to M113 Vayzata transport with addition Toga Applique Armour (Armour 13 Front and Side versus HEAT weapons), or the Nagmasho’t heavy armoured (Front 13, Side 6, Top 2, with ERA) transport based on the British Centurion tank. The Nagmasho’t is also heavily armed with a 40mm grenade launcher, .50cal MG and two 7.62mm MGs. It can also mount the passenger’s Dragon missiles.

Israel also has a substantial reserve and can call up a large number of reservists in time of war. These are represented by the Reserve Infantry Company. These troops have much of the same equipment as the regulars, but slightly lower ratings. The Israeli elite are found in the Paratrooper Company. These well-trained light infantry are equally at home fighting on foot, assaulting by parachute, arriving by helicopter, or mounted up in M113 APCs. Their formation contains 2-3 Paratrooper Platoons, as well as supporting mortars, and anti-tank, as well as tank reinforcement when needed. The Parachute Platoon itself if organised much like the Mech Infantry Platoon, but optional transport can be M113s, UH-1 Twin Huey helicopters, or even large CH-53 Sea Stallion helicopters. The Paratroopers anti-tank platoons can be mounted in Jeeps, Rabbi light armoured vehicles, or M150 armoured vehicles. The Israeli’s use US improved TOW wire-guided missiles (AT21) or their own similar development the laser-guided MAPATS (man-portable anti-tank system) (AT23). The Israelis also have a good selection of support with M106 120mm SP mortars, M109 SP Artillery, Jeeps mounting TOW anti-tank missiles, and the super-secret Pereh SP anti-tank missile launcher. They are well-covered by anti-aircraft with M163 VADS, ZSU-23-4 Shilka, Redeye SAM, and M48 Chaparral SAM missiles. Their aircraft includes Skyhawk Fighter Flights and AH-1 Viper (Cobra) attack helicopters. The Israelis have received a supply of M270 MLRS (Multiple Launch Rocket System) from their American Allies. The M270 MLRS mounts a reloadable pod of twelve 227mm rockets on a carrier based on a lengthened chassis variant of the Bradley IFV. The Israelis field the MLRS in batteries with three or six launchers. They can be used to saturate a target with their big Salvo template or drop minelets disrupt your enemy’s movement.

The Israelis also captured large numbers of the less sophisticated Soviet BM-21 Hail rocket launcher during the 1967 and 1973 wars. The IDF were quick to pressed them back into action against the Syrians in 1982. Another support platoon is the Rabbi Recce Platoon. The RBY Mk 1 ‘Rabbi’ light armoured reconnaissance vehicle is used for a wide range of roles including reconnaissance, long-range patrols and commando-type operations. These Sayeret (special forces) scouts pushed aggressive patrols ahead of the advances, locating enemy positions, and redirecting the advance around them

In 1985 the Pereh was an ultra-secret weapon, it has only been revealed to the wider world recently. The Pereh is a M48 (Magach 5) tank mounting a turret with twelve Tamuz NLOS (Non-line of sight) guided anti-tank missiles. The Pereh had a dummy gun so it would look like a tank from a distance. Its NLOS missile could be guided by the gunner through a camera mounted in the missile, allowing it to be fired from an out of sight position. Another major change to the IDF after the 1973 war was the introduction of the attack helicopter. The Israelis got their first American Cobra attack helicopters in 1975 and were used extensively in Lebanon. The Israelis named them ‘Tzefa’, Viper in English. Like the US versions, the Vipers are armed with Improved TOW missiles, M197 Gatling guns and M159 rocket launchers. The Israelis have also been supplied with the new American AH-64 Apache attack helicopter to supplement their existing AH-1 ‘Viper’ attack helicopters. The Israelis have named the new helicopter the ‘Cobra’, or Peten in Hebrew. In addition to its 30mm M230 Chain Gun, the AH-64 can carry a range of external stores and weapons on its stub-wing pylons, typically a mixture of AGM-114 Hellfire anti-tank missiles, and Hydra 70mm general-purpose unguided rockets.

Scenarios Finally, we have three themed scenarios. The first scenarios, sees the Syrians attacking the Israelis in the Golan Height at the start of the Syrian offensive against Israel. This pits a strong Syrian Tank forces against a small, but elite, Israeli defensive force. The second sees the Israeli defensive line having held and an armoured counter thrust has been organised to hit the slowing attack of the Syrians. The third scenario sees the Israelis send forces across the Lebanese border to pre-empt any further hostility by localised guerilla attacks from southern Lebanon. However, as an armoured brigade advances, they encounter enemy armour.

Packed with Colour As is usual for a World War III: Team Yankee book, it is full of colour photographs of Israeli and enemy models, painting guides, and a catalogue section to help your work out what packs to get for your World War III: Israeli force.

~ Wayne