IDF022
King & Country
The Soviets and Warsaw Pact supplied both Egypt and Syria with many thousands of these fine weapons for their infantry, proving once more that you need a lot more than great weapons to make a great fighting force!
During the tumultuous upheavals of the June War of 1967 the majority of the enemy troops fighting the Israelis were Egyptian and Syrian. Here are the first opposition for the Israeli paratroopers.
As you can see, virtually all their weaponry was supplied by the Warsaw Pact countries and the Soviets. Russian-style helmets were also much in evidence. Uniforms and other personal equipment however were mostly made in the Middle East with a motley mixture of boots, shoes and sandals worn. Although possessing much modern weaponry the Egyptian and Syrian soldiers suffered from woefully inept leadership at all levels of the military; inadequate training and, importantly, a lack of initiative. Put all of that together and you have all the makings of a great military disaster.
Although individual Arab soldiers fought bravely they could not overcome the inbuilt deficiencies of their own military systems. Especially against an opposition that was skillful, well-trained and highly-motivated!