The Israeli army today displayed boots created with foam rubber which enables a soldier to step on mines without setting them off. The boots were shown by their inventor, Brigadier General David Laskoff, who at 74 is the oldest soldier in the Israeli army. Laskoff is known as a prolific inventor of military devices.
Also revealed during Engineering Corps Day ceremonies was a larger version of the boot, called “sapper mattresses,” which can be placed one next to the other to form a bridge for infantrymen.
Gen. Aryeh Golan, commander of the Engineering Corps, told reporters that his branch of the army has been emphasizing the development of means and the training of men to break through deep enemy defense networks. Among other devices shown were mobile fortresses, which look like overturned carts or large barrels, to protect soldiers from direct hits by artillery shells.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.