The oldest of the IDF APCs is the M-113, it was developed and manufactured in the United States in the 60s, and its purpose was to bring troops to and from battle- returning them efficiently, and protecting them. Its official IDF name is the “Bardelas” but soldiers call it the M-113 or “Zelda” (named after an armor addition) or simply “The APC”. They first arrived in Israel in 1972, although most APCs of this type were acquired through American aid in the Yom Kippur War. The M-113 was intended to replace the antiquated armored vehicles which the IDF was using at the time, which were partly exposed, and were an easy target for hostile fire.



The M-113 has many advantages. Among them: excellent maneuvering capabilities in difficult terrain, compatibility for air transport, and amphibious capabilities. The IDF M-113 has undergone various upgrades, in order to improve its resistance to hazardous materials, and to protect it from anti-tank fire, IEDs, and machine-gun fire. Among the many special models of the APC is the armored ambulance, a version with additional protection against anti-tank missiles. Changes have been made which enable it to participate in urban warfare, and to keep the peace. The APC serves in almost all of the combat units of the IDF, in virtually all of the action areas, alongside other advanced APCs.



As time progresses, the M-113 is slowly leaving the front lines, being replaced by more advanced models, and is joining the reservist units. The M-113 took part in the Yom Kippur War, in Operation Peace for Galilee, in campaigns in Lebanon, and in the regions of Judea, Samaria, and Gaza. Apart from the M-113, the IDF has various other APCs which are based on tank bodies; heavy APCs.