For three weeks now, there has not been a heart in Israel that does not warm up from the pictures, videos and many reports about the many donations our soldiers receive wherever they are – from snacks that pose an existential threat to their combat fitness to "barbeque" vehicles that pass between bases and distribute meat of every possible kind to anyone who wants. Meanwhile, in the warehouses, IDF combat rations waited for the moment they entered Gaza – where it is a little harder to bring in fresh food every day.
As we know, in recent decades our battle rations have changed quite a bit. From cans of "loof" and halva – a kind of minced meat reminiscent of pastrami – to cans of tuna, dried and canned fruits such as corn and carrots and more. But the IDF is not the only army whose field menu has changed drastically. We used ChatGPT to get some examples of modern combat dishes in various militaries around the world.
MREs (Ready-to-Eat Meals): The U.S. Army provides its personnel in the field with vacuum-sealed meal bags, with options like beef stew and chicken curry, that give warriors a taste of home in distant battlefields all corners of the world.
IRPs (an acronym for "food packaging for individuals"): Russia takes a different approach, offering a rich selection including borscht and kasha. They are often praised for their simplicity and strong flavors.
The British Army offers two types of dishes: a single meal, which includes a main course, side dishes and dessert, along with 24-hour packages that include a menu of several meals and snacks. Each dish is packed in a separate vacuum bag. Dishes on offer include chicken tikka masala, meatballs and pasta, and of course pork that the British can't live without.
RCIR ("Single Reheated Combat Dish"): The French military uses a relatively similar format to IDF combat dishes, with canned fish or pork (out of 14 types of combat dishes, 7 include fish and 7 include pork), dishes such as chicken or paella, and types of meat such as rabbit and octopus.
The Chinese military describes its combat rations about the same way Apple describes a new iPhone – with lots of flashy words that don't mean much, like "electrolyte replacement" and "anti-fatigue option" (seriously) – but among the more concrete details in these descriptions are "self-heating" dishes (i.e. those that come with "heating bags"), freeze-dried soup, and packaging that leaves no dirt around the fighters.
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