401st Brigade (IDF)

The 401st "Iron Tracks" Brigade (Hebrew: עקבות הברזל‎‎, Ikvot HaBarzel) is an Armored Brigade in the 162nd Division of the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF). Since August 2016 it is commanded by Colonel Ohad Nagma.

Established in 1966, 401 Brigade is one of the youngest brigades of the IDF. It took its current form in 1985. The brigade was initially composed of the 46th and 195th Armored Battalions and the 52nd and 34th Infantry Battalions, which were eventually converted to armor. The 34th Battalion was eventually disbanded and re-established in 1988 as an anti-tank battalion, later designated as the 94th "Duchifat" (Hebrew: דוכיפת‎‎, hoopoe) Mechanized Infantry Battalion. In 2002 it was returned to the brigade, and in 2005 was transferred to the Judea and Samaria Territorial Division.

The brigade was formed by expanding and splitting the 14th Armored Brigade together with which they held the 160 kilometer long Suez Canal defensive line in Sinai. The brigade was the first to be equipped with American "Patton" M60 tanks.

Along with the 188th Brigade on the Golan Heights the brigade suffered heavy losses in the early days of the war. the 195th Battalion אדם Adam belonged to the brigade in the war.

The brigade was re-formed and returned to Sinai to continue much the same manner as it did before the war, it was included in the evacuation of Sinai under the Camp David peace agreement with Egypt, moving to the lower Jordan Valley. In 1981 195th Battalion was transferred to the 500th Armored Brigade, although a year later the brigade received the 9th Battalion.

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