Israel's reserve military on brink of 'collapse': Army Radio
Israel's reserve military system is on the verge of collapse, with combat units facing severe shortages of personnel and operational tanks despite the military's public portrayal of full-strength reserve formations, according to the regime's Army Radio.
The broadcaster reported that reserve brigades and battalions are operating well below their authorized strength, with field commanders describing widespread shortages of personnel and equipment.
A reserve armored brigade was recently deployed to a key operational sector in Lebanon, but commanders and soldiers told the broadcaster the formations were "far from full brigades," with significantly fewer troops, tanks and military vehicles than required.
According to the report, many tanks were damaged during fighting in southern Lebanon and remain out of service pending lengthy repairs, forcing reserve armored companies to operate with reduced equipment.
"Reserve units today are empty. A battalion is not a full battalion, and a company is not really a company," an unnamed reserve commander was quoted as saying.
"The public and decision-makers hear about full brigades in Lebanon, but in reality they are much smaller formations," he added. "The numbers of soldiers, tanks and vehicles are significantly lower."
The commander warned that some reserve formations had reached a state of "effective collapse."
The broadcaster also cited the case of a reserve company that recently completed an operational mission in Lebanon with only one officer remaining.
According to the report, the company commander had been relieved of duty, there was no deputy commander or senior non-commissioned officer, and the unit was operating without a functioning chain of command.
The report comes as the Israeli military grapples with a severe funding shortfall following a sharp rise in war spending, leaving it with a budget deficit that is estimated at billions of dollars.
The financial strain has fueled disagreements between the military affairs and finance ministries over the size of military spending. While the regime's military is seeking a record increase in funding to sustain aggression on multiple fronts, the finance ministry has pushed for reduced reliance on reserve forces and lower operational expenditures.
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