Infantry: Israel does a change-up

October 2, 2010: Israel

is reorganizing its infantry battalions to take advantage of new technology and the experience of their American allies in Iraq and Afghanistan. Each battalion will get an extra platoon, for the snipers with heavier rifles, and to handle the ATVs (all terrain vehicles) to quickly move supplies and weapons around the battlefield. There are also new tools for getting through doors. The U.S. pioneered some of this stuff in Iraq, where reservists who were firemen, brought some of the special tools they had developed over the years to smash through doors and walls to fight fires. Israel has developed some new equipment in this area, including special explosives for breaching doors and walls.

Infantry battalions now have more snipers, something the U.S. found very useful in Iraq and Afghanistan. There are now some explosives experts added to the infantry battalions, Normally, these experts are only available from combat engineer battalions. But the Israelis noted that these explosives engineers were constantly in demand by the infantry, so now some of these experts are permanently a part of each infantry battalion.

One of the new weapons added to each battalion is the heavier HTR 2000 8.6mm sniper rifles. Using the Lapua Magnum cartridge, that was pioneered by several European armies, it provides longer range (up to 1,500 meters) without the weight and size of a 12.7mm rifle.

The Israelis have added several other new equipment items, as well as minor tweaks to battalion organization and tactics.

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Original piece is http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htinf/articles/20101002.aspx

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Infantry: Israel does a change-up