“I trust the female tank personnel to conduct border defense missions with professionalism and great success,” says IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kochavi.

(October 27, 2022 / JNS) The Israel Defense Forces announced on Thursday that it will permanently adopt the model of all-female tank crews for border defense missions.

In a statement, the military said the decision follows a lengthy and comprehensive examination process that began two years ago, and which included a training period and a significant operational activity period.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi adopted Ground Forces Commander Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai’s recommendation to adopt the model following the success of the pilot program.

An initial pilot program began in 2018, but the IDF chose to launch a second program in 2020.

Tank crew members are chosen according to clearly defined criteria and must undergo an exam based on professional parameters, the IDF stated, before being placed in border protection tank deployments.