Editing IMI Galil (section)

==History==
The Belgian [[FN FAL]] [[battle rifle]] had initially been adopted by the [[Israel Defense Forces|Israeli Defense Forces]] in the late 1950s (chambered for the [[7.62×51mm]] cartridge). The FAL had its limitations, a common complaint being that the abundant local sand and dust exposure would cause weapon malfunction (later attributed to lack of stringent maintenance). Overall, however, the FN FAL was considered long and bulky. Its length and malfunctions became such consistent issues that during the 1973 [[Yom Kippur War]] some soldiers began arming themselves with the much smaller [[Uzi]].<ref name="SADJ">[http://sadefensejournal.com/wp/?p=1927 Galil Ace 5.56] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131018114404/http://sadefensejournal.com/wp/?p=1927 |date=2013-10-18 }} – SAdefensejournal.com, 29 May 2013</ref><ref name="history1">[http://www.militaryfactory.com/smallarms/detail.asp?smallarms_id=23 IMI Galil ARM/SAR] – Militaryfactory.com</ref>

[[File:Flickr - Israel Defense Forces - Militant in Possession of Explosives and Multiple Guns.jpg|thumb|left|Comparison of the Hungarian [[AMD-65]] (top), the American [[M16A2 rifle|M16A2]] (middle) and the Israeli Galil ARM (bottom)]]

During the [[Six-Day War]] the Israelis captured thousands of primarily Egyptian [[AK-47]]s. This rifle was proven reliable and controllable. The required maintenance was low enough that conscripted troops had less stringent regulations on the weapon's care.

When the IDF began the process of procuring a new, automatic rifle, the AK-47 was considered, but the difficulty of procurement limited its viability. Hence the IDF specifically sought a weapon that would offer the same benefits as AK-47, such as low maintenance requirements, but would also have the accuracy of the [[M16 rifle|M16]] and [[FN FAL]]. The would-be standard weapon was originally nicknamed the "Balashnikov".<ref>{{cite book | title=The World's Assault Rifles | publisher=Ironside International Publishers, Inc. | author=Gary Paul Johnston, Thomas B. Nelson | year=2016 | isbn=9781619846012}}</ref> Several weapons were tendered to the Israeli Army, in response to its specifications for a standard-issue assault rifle. These included the M16A1 and [[Stoner 63]] from the US, and the [[HK33]] ([[West Germany]]).{{citation needed|date=April 2022}} An indigenous design was offered by [[Uziel Gal]], creator of the [[Uzi submachine gun]]. This was found complex and unreliable.<ref name="history1" />

The successful design was offered by [[Yisrael Galil]], based on the [[7.62×39mm]] [[Valmet Rk 62]], an AK-47 derivative from Finland. (The first Galils were manufactured with Valmet Rk 62 receivers.)<ref name="americanrifleman.org"/> At the time, the US was replacing European countries (especially France) as Israel's main partner and weapons supplier. Hence, Galil's rifle was chambered for the US [[5.56×45mm]] round (originally the US M193 55-grain version). Tests conducted from the end of the 1960s to the early 1970s led to Galili's rifle emerging as the winner. However, issuance of the Galil was delayed by the sudden onset of the Yom Kippur War in 1973.<ref name="SADJ" /><ref name="history1" /><ref name="history2">[http://www.dnmsport.com/GALIL/historygalil.htm Galil Rifle History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512000952/http://www.dnmsport.com/GALIL/historygalil.htm |date=2013-05-12 }} – Dnmsport.com</ref>

The Israeli army first used the [[5.56×45mm NATO]] caliber Galil in three basic configurations:

* The '''A'''utomatic '''R'''ifle '''M'''achine-gun '''''(ARM)''''' with bi-pod, wire-cutter and carrying handle; would become the standard service rifle issued to front line infantry troops. Also the version that famously features a bottle opener in the front hand-guard.<ref name="Sweeney" />
* The '''A'''utomatic '''R'''ifle '''''(AR)''''' with no bi-pod, wire-cutter or carrying handle. Issued to support troops and military police units.
* The '''S'''hort '''A'''utomatic '''R'''ifle '''''(SAR)''''' with shortened barrel. Issued to vehicle crews, army staff and specialty troops.

Although the Galil was the official service rifle of Israel from the mid-1970s to the early 1990s, it was never the principal rifle used (in terms of numbers). Around 1975, 60,000 M16A1s from the U.S. Military Aid Program (MAP) began to arrive in Israel that were quickly integrated into IDF service. The cost of producing the Galil for all IDF forces was very expensive, and Israel continued to purchase M16s and later [[M4 carbine|M4s]] with military credit from the US, which had replaced many Galils then in service. In general, Israeli troops preferred the M16, because it was lighter and more accurate, if not quite as rugged and reliable. When the M4 came along, this weapon (with its short length and light weight) became even more attractive, along with the M4's versatility in using different optics without losing zeroing when the weapon was disassembled, plus other rail-mounted accessories. The M16 and M4 also proved to be better suited to the grenade launching role, using the [[M203 grenade launcher|US M203]] integrated [[List of 40 mm grenades|40mm launcher]]. Israeli paratroops in particular preferred the M4 carbine to the Galil, while the M16 was retained for training recruits, reservists, Artillery Corps, and the Armored Corps ([[Armored Corps (Israel)|Heil HaShiryon]]).<ref>Rappoport, Elie, ''Micro Tavor vs. the M4/M16: Core Of The IDF", Draft IDF, 28 December 2017, retrieved 11 March 2018''</ref>

By 2000, both the Galil ARM and AR variants were phased out from standard issue and replaced by M4 and M16 variants. The Galil SAR (''G'lilon'') was kept in use by some rear-line services, including the [[Knesset Guard]]<ref name="SADJ" /> and the Artillery and Armored Corps, until around 2004.

For a short time, the Galil was licensed by NWM (Nederlandsche Wapen-en Munitiefabriek) De Kruithoorn N.V. for sales to a [[NATO]] country.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2007-09-28 |title=Kalasjnikov, het wapen dat wereldgeschiedenis schreef |url=http://collectie.legermuseum.nl/sites/strategion/contents/i004532/arma38%20kalasjnikov.pdf |url-status=live |access-date=2021-05-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928075105/http://collectie.legermuseum.nl/sites/strategion/contents/i004532/arma38%20kalasjnikov.pdf |archive-date=28 September 2007 |language=de}}</ref>

Currently they are only manufactured in Colombia by [[INDUMIL|Indumil]], alongside the [[IWI ACE|Galil Ace]] and the [[Galil Córdova]], the latter of which was designed by Indumil.<ref>https://www.indumil.gov.co/categoria-producto/productos-militares/armas-es-es-es/ {{Dead link|date=May 2021}}</ref>

400 Galil rifles were [[Guns for Antigua|purchased through the Antiguan government]] for the [[Medellín Cartel|Medelin cartel]].<ref>{{Cite web |last2= |last3= |first3= |last4= |last5= |last6= |last7= |last8= |first8= |last9= |date=1990-07-16 |title=Arms Scandal Could Force Out Antigua Rulers : Caribbean: Israeli shipment of machine guns and rifles wound up in the hands of a Colombia drug baron. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-07-16-mn-115-story.html |access-date=2022-10-16 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221105001728/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-07-16-mn-115-story.html|archive-date=November 5, 2022}}</ref>