19-12-2005, 11:49
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חבר מתאריך: 19.09.05
הודעות: 1,280
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From my experience and from what I hear, I agree with you that the IDF infantry soldiers’ knowledge and attitude towards their APCs, even the Aczarit, are much less professional than that of the tank soldiers’ to their vehicles. However there is another side to consider.
Until recently, in the US Army there were two types of infantry: light and heavy. The light divisions, 101st air assault-helicopters, 82nd paratroops, 10th which have no armored transport at all. The infantry battalions in the heavy divisions (1ID, 1AD, 1CAV, 3ID, 4ID) are equipped with Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles. The light units are considered the better infantry soldiers in the Army.
I have read criticism that the infantry fighting capabilities of the Bradley-equipped units were seriously diminished. They developed a pseudo-tanker’s mentality and training was focused primarily on the vehicle with the dismounts becoming in effect security guards for the vehicles. More recently, they have begun to field Stryker units with wheeled light armored vehicles which are sort of in the middle.
In the USMC which is well known for its fighting skills, none of the infantry battalions have their own armored transport either. Instead, there are separate transport battalions equipped with the amphibious AA7 APC, which are assigned to provide rides for the infantry when necessary.
In the IDF however, despite all the infantry units being equipped as mechanized units with APCs, including the paratroops, their primary capabilities and mentality as infantry fighters have not been lost. If the APC were given more focus, this might have changed.
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