The division's involvement in the 1956 war began on October 29, 1956, when a reconnaissance regiment, followed by the 1st and 2nd Armoured Groups (brigades) was ordered to cross the Canal, from its location in the Deversoir area, to the eastern side to counter detected Israeli advances.

By 1967, while the 4th Armoured Division[2] was still partially equipped with the T-34/85, most were in tank regiments supporting infantry formations.

While seen as a well-regarded formation before the 1973 war[4] it performed poorly after the Israelis crossed the Canal following the Battle of the Chinese Farm and the ensuing encirclement of the Third Field Army.

The division was part of the corps-sized group dispatched to Saudi Arabia after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in September 1990.

[7] The division's main weaponry includes M1A1 tanks, M109A5 self-propelled guns, Sakr-45 Rocket Artillery and M113 armored personnel carriers.