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 - 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 Nahal Brigade - Has been active since 1982 and is part of Central 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
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 (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 - 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
900th "Kfir" Brigade - Has been active since 2005 and is part of Central Command
- 90th Nahshon Battalion
- 92nd
- 93rd
- 94th Duchifat Battalion
- 96th
- 97th Netzah Yehuda Battalion
- Oketz Unit K9 special forces unit
933rd "Givati" Brigade - Has been active since 1948 and 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

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 "Yiftah" (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
551st "Hetzei Ha-Esh/Arrows of Fire" (Reserve) Paratroopers Brigade
646th "Sky Fox" (Reserve) Paratroopers Brigade

Reserve Armor[]

4th "Kiryati" (Reserve) Armor Brigade
8th (Reserve) Armor Brigade
10th "Harel" (Reserve) Armor Brigade
14th "Machatz/Bison" (Reserve) Armor Brigade
37th "Ram" (Reserve) Armor Brigade
205th "Iron Fist" (Reserve) Armor Brigade
263rd "Merkavot ha-Esh/Chariots of Fire" (Reserve) Armor Brigade
679th "Yiftah" (Reserve) Armor Brigade
847th "Chariots of Steel" (Reserve) Armor Brigade

Former brigades[]

Jewish Brigade 1944-1946
Kiryati Brigade formed in 1948
Negev Brigade formed in 1948
Yiftach Brigade formed in 1948 {Consisted of three Palmach battalions and the 54th Reconnaissance Battalion (Samson's Foxes).}
500 Brigade (Kfir Formation) - Was active between 1972 and 2003
600th Brigade active during the 1973 Yom Kippur War