IDF terms

IDF Terms
Collated by Ray Mudway and contributions from Alon Harksberg , Jonathan Polyakov, Erik Hendriks & many others.
Feel free to add to the list by sending your contributions to this website

Ben Gurion	western journalists word for Sh'ot (never used by IDF)
Sh'ot	(Scourge) IDF Centurion
Tiran 6	Israeli mod of T-62
Achzarit	Hebrew for "cruelty" (female) - T-55 based APC (A male cruel is Achzar)
Bardehlass	(Cheetah) the official name for the M113 family of vehicles
Baz	is not the armor package but the Fire Control System
Baz	is a Falcon in hebrew but in this case it is an acronym for "Barak Zoher" which means "Shining Lightning" or "Illuminated Lightning" heard the "Baz" can track a flying Helicopter and hit it with a SABOT round
Classical	latest version of the M-113 with "block" armour
Doher	Galloper) later IDF M-109 SP
Duvdevan	cherry (cherry-picker Sherman shown in Verlindens IDF Sherman book)
Gal	"wave" (Magach 6b) named after the ranging system fitted
Gimel	name for Magach-7c , Gimel is the 3rd letter of the Hebrew alphabet
Golda	western journalists word for IDF M-113 (never used by IDF)
Hovet	(a batter) IDF M-163 Vulcan
Isherman	western journalists word for the M-51 (never used by IDF)
Kachlilit or Kilshon	Sherman Shrike missile-launcher
Kaplad	short for 'kasdat plada' (iron helmet) the old steel helmet
Kaplast	short for 'kasdat plastic' (plastic helmet) the standard helmet in the IDF
M-50 & M-51	the French-gunned Shermans but these names were not common , simply called SuperSherman
Machbet	a bat - like the baseball stick) name for the M-163 Vulcan with Stinger missile pack
Magach	M-60 variants (not Magash , which means tray) acronym for Merkavot Giborey Ha'milchama (Chariots of the War Heroes), or the word comes in 3 parts - Ma for the letter mem plus Ga for the letter gimel and ch for the letter chaf. Gimel for germany and Mem and Chaf combine to give 48. remembering that the first M48s came from germany long before the Patton tanks became Chariots of the War Heroes during the 1967 and 1973 wars.
Magach 6b	M-60 "Blazer"
Magach 7d	a Magach 7c with saucer armour package added to turret mistakenly called "Magach 8
Magah, Magach	is in fact a different typing of the same thing
Menatezz	(Shaterer) IDF MLRS
Merkava	Hebrew for Chariot (both war- & civilian)
Nagmachon-	Centurion APC (with added belly armour & Blazer) (Nagmash (APC) + gashon (belly)
Nagmash	usual name for the M-113 (acronym for Noseh Guysot Meshoryan - Armored Personnel Carrier)
NagmaSh'ot	Centurion APC / Engineer Assault vehicle , usually with some Blazer added
Nakpadon	mk.3. version with new "square" superstructure & passive armour
Mapaz	Israeli built copy of the BGM71 TOW missile
Shmira	Ford Mutt M151A2
Magov	Track width mine plough
Siyur	Israeli name for the AM General Hummer
Nochri	name of the KMT-5 mine roller equipment
Patton	M-48 series (including Blazer & 105mm types ?)
Puma	Centurion based engineer assault vehicle (low profile) w/passive armour
Rohev	(Rider) early IDF M-109 SP
Sabra	Magach with 120 mm gun in similar turret to 7c with simpler front facets & a mantlet plus simpler front hull armour (for export only , possibly Turkey) name of the succulent cactus that is Israel's national flower/plant (also refers to a young "Kubbutznik" or Israeli)
Sherman	the less powerfully armed M3 or 75mm versions
Sholef	Hebrew for Gunfighter -- Merkava based S.P. Gun (not called "Slammer")
Sh'ot-Kal"	Re-engined , up-gunned Centurion
Super Sherman	name used for the M1-gunned Sherman
Timsakh	French-German "Gillois" amphibious bridging vehicle
Tiran 4"	Israeli mod of T-54
Tiran 5	Israeli mod of T-55
Vayzata	M-113 "Toga" armour suite on the "Zelda
Zelda	M-113) unofficial used on a few occasions