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The Israeli Defense Forces: an Organizational Perspective Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive Theses and Dissertations Thesis Collection 1990-03 The Israeli Defense Forces: an organizational perspective Green, Matthew John Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School http://hdl.handle.net/10945/30693 DIJT FIlE COPY 0NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL 4 Monterey, California CD DTIC S EECTE f SEP IITHESIS THE ISRAELI DEFENSE FORCES: AN ORGANIZATIONAL PERSPECTIVE by Matthew John Green March 1990 Thesis Co-Advisors: Carl R. Jones Ralph H. Magnus Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. 90 09 05 021 Unclassified SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGE REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Oo. 070rove i. REPORT SECURITY CLASSIFICATION lb. RESTRICTIVE MARKINGS Unclassified 2a. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION AUTHORITY 3. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY OF REPORT Approved for public release; 2b. DECLASSIFICATION/DOWNGRADING SCHEDULE distribution is unlimited 4. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER(S) S. MONITORING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER(S) 6a. NAME OF PERFORMING ORGANIZATION 6b.J OFFICE(i applicable) SYMBOL 7a. NAME OF MONITORING ORGANIZATION Naval Postgraduate School 39 Naval Postgraduate School 6c. ADDRESS (City, State, and ZIP Code) 7b. ADDRESS (City, State, and ZIP Code) Monterey, CA 93943-5000 Monterey, CA 93943-5000 8a. NAME OF FUNDING/SPONSORING 8b. OFFICE SYMBOL 9. PROCUREMENT INSTRUMENT IDENTIFICATION NUMBER ORGANIZATION (Ifapplicable) 8c. ADDRESS (City, State, andZIP Code) 10. SOURCE OF FUNDING NUMBERS PROGRAM PROJECT TASK WORK UNIT ELEMENT NO. NO. NO. ACCESSION NO. 11. TITLE (Include Security Classification) The Israeli Defense Forces: An Organizational Perspective 12. PERSONAL AUTHOR(S) Matthew J. Green 13a. TYPE OF REPORT 13b. TIME COVERED 14. DATE OF REPORT (Year, Month, Day) 15. PAGE COUNT Master's Thesis IFROM TOI March 1990 155 16. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTATION The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government. 17. COSATI CODES 18. SUBJECT TERMS (Continue ,nrvM Jffesa arn iden?byNoetk ubr FIELD GROUP SUB-GROUP israel, IsraeIrl, G9r . E / Of t1Qnsa-l Model, Principles, System, Combat ABSTRACT (Continue on reverse if necessary and identify by block number) e author traces the organizational growth and change within the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) over its 40-year history. A model is offered which depicts a military organization as an open system embedded within a changing environment. Selected Inputs to this organizational system are shown to affect organizational structure and, in turn, the combat capabilities of the force. The author uses the five major Arab-Israeli wars as critical junctures in examining the IDF's organizational history. The IDF is shown to have a willingness and ability to adapt to changing environmental factors. This capacity is determined to be a major reason for the IDF's long military dominance in the region. The author concludes with an analysis of the IDF's unique organizational adaptability. 20. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY OF ABSTRACT 21. ABSTRACT SECURITY CLASSIFICATION X UNCLASSIFIED/UNLIMITED 0 SAME AS RPT. 0 DTIC USERS Unclassified 22a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUAL 22b. TELEPHONE (include Area Code) 22c. OFFICE SYMBOL Professor Carl R. Jones 1(408) 646-2772 174CC DD Form 1473, JUN 86 Previous editions are obsolete SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGE Unclassified i Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. The Israeli Defense Forces: An Organizational Perspective by Matthew J. Green Captain, United States Army B.S., United States Military Academy, 1981 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY from the NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL March 1990 Author: Mat Approved by: Carl Jones, Thesis Co-Advisor r Command, Contr Communications Academic Group ii ABSTRAC" The author traces the organizational growth and change within the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) over its 40-year history. A model is offered which depicts a military organization as an open system embedded within a changing environment. Selected inputs to this organizational system are shown to affect organizational structure and, in turn, the combat capabilities of the force. The author uses the five major Arab-Israeli wars as critical junctures in examining the IDF's organizational history. The IDF is shown to have a willingness and ability to adapt to changing environmental factors. This capacity is determined to be a major reason for the IDFs long military dominance in the region. The author concludes with an analysis of the IDF's unique organizational adaptability. Accesion For NTIS CRA&I TiC TAB o U ofclCod By Dist. ibulson I Av!,lablity Codes Avail a3fd r Dist Srecial 6.0 TABLE OF CONTENTS I NTRODUCTION ........................................................................... 1 A. PURPOSE ................................................................................ 1 B. BACKGROUND .................................................................... 2 C. W HY ISRAEL AND THE IDF? ................................................ 2 D. THESIS ORGANIZATION ......................................................... 4 1. Chapter I ........................................................................ 4 2. Chapter II ...................................................................... 4 3. Chapters III through VII ................................................ 5 4. Chapter VIII ................................................................. 5 5. Chapter IX ..................................................................... 5 II. FRAM EW ORK .............................................................................. 6 A. INTRODUCTION .................................................................. 6 B. INPUTS TO THE SYSTEM .................................................... 6 1. Threat ........................................................................... 8 2. Technology .................................................................... 8 3. Socio-Econom ic Factors ................................................ 8 4. Doctrinal Changes ........................................................ 9 C. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE .......................................... 9 1. Strategic Apex .............................................................. 9 2. Middle Line ................................................................... 9 iv 3. Operating Core ........................................................... 10 4. Technostructure .......................................................... 10 5. Support Staff .............................................................. 10 6. Ideology ....................................... 10 D. OUTPUTS OF THE SYSTEM ................................................. 11 1. Objective ..................................................................... 12 2. Offensive . ...................................... 12 3. Mass ........................................................................... 12 4. Economy of Force ........................................................ 13 5. Maneuver .................................................................... 13 6. Unity of Command ..................................................... 13 7. Security ....................................................................... 13 8. Surprise ..................................................................... 14 9. Simplicity .................................................................... 14 E. THE ENVIRONMENT .......................................................... 14 F. SUMMARY .......................................................................... 15 III. WAR OF INDEPENDENCE ......................................................... 16 A. SITUATION ............................................................................ 16 B. ENEMY FORCES ................................................................ 17 C. FRIENDLY FORCES ............................................................... 18 D. OPERATIONS ........................................................................ 19 E. RESULTS ........................................................................... 23 v F. ANALYSIS .............................................................................. 24 1. Inputs to the System .................................................. 24 2. Organizational Structure ............................................ 26 3. Outputs of the System ................................................ 30 G. THE ENVIRONM ENT ............................................................. 33 IV. THE 1956 SINAI CAM PAIGN .................................................... 35 A. SITUATION .......................................................................... 35 B. ENEMY FORCES ................................................................ 35 C. FRIENDLY FORCES ............................................................ 36 D. OPERATIONS ..................................................................... 37 E. RESULTS ........................................................................... 39 F. ANALYSIS ............................................................................ 40 1. Inputs to the System .................................................. 40 2. Organizational Structure ............................................ 42 3. Organizational Outputs ............................................. 44 G. THE ENVIRONM ENT .........................................................
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