For the first time in Israeli military history, an entirely female tank company will patrol the country's southern border with Egypt as part of an ongoing pilot program to assess the feasibility of female armored crews.
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The female tank crews are currently completing their training at the IDF's Shizafon Base in the Negev Desert, which houses the military's Armored Corps School. Shortly after the course's completion, they will be sent to the mixed-gender Caracal Battalion, which defends the northern portion of Israel's border with Egypt.
Slated to begin their posting next month, a female commander will be placed in charge of the tank crew.
The armored company will operate Merkava IV tanks, outfitted with all the latest capabilities and technological systems that the military has to offer, an IDF officer said.
"They are getting a proper tank," said the commander of the Caracal Battalion, Lt.-Col. Erez Shabtai.
The IDF initiated a pilot program over 2017-2018 to determine whether women should be allowed to serve in tank units, the results of which were inconclusive, although four female tank commanders emerged from it.
The reanimated program is not without its controversy. While there is no question about the women's professionalism and skill, some critics have pointed to the lower standards of physical requirements, arguing that it could endanger frontline troops.
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The army also dismissed allegations that it was involved in some kind of social engineering, and that the women serving in combat positions were a necessary addition to the IDF's fighting strength.
This article was first published by i24NEWS.
