The 188th Barak (English: "Lightning) Brigade is regular armored brigade in 36th Ga'ash Division in the IDF Northern Command. The brigade has participated in all of Israel's wars. In the War of Independence (1948) it was an infantry brigade and fought in the upper Galilee. During the Sinai Campaign (1956) the brigade secured the Jordanian border. It became an armored brigade in 1962. During the Yom Kippur War (1973) the Barak brigade played a vital role defending Israel's border against the Syrian attack in the Golan Heights. In the Lebanon War (1982) the brigade fought in Beirut and participated in the capture of the airport.