July Corn, August 15, 2018The Palestinian teenager armed with an RPG-7V rocket launcher awaited the entry of Israeli troops into his Gaza neighborhood.Suddenly, less than 100 meters away, he could see the first Jewish car.Without hesitation he fired the gun at him, “direct hit!”he yelled, but his disappointment was complete when he observed that the car continued to advance while firing its machine guns at him.This situation has been repeated on many occasions during the last decades in Lebanon or in the territories under the Palestinian Authority or the Hamas terrorists.The answer to why Israeli tanks are so tough is none other than the Merkava.This Israeli-designed armored vehicle has become one of the most effective in the world, especially in terms of protection, being the only frontline of the Tzahal, which is the name given in Hebrew to the ground force of the IDF (Israel Defense Forces(1)).Since its creation in 1948, Israel has clashed with Arab armies on numerous occasions.During these conflicts, the use of armored means has been continuous and growing in terms of their number and qualities, although in the last two decades they have had to adapt to asymmetric warfare.Photo: Troops of the Israeli Armored Corps form in Latrun, next to the wall that collects the names of all its fallen from the War of Independence to that of Lebanon in 2006 (photo Julio Maíz).Currently, Israel is one of the few nations that has a top-of-the-line battle tank of its own design and production.Since the first development of the Merkava, the so-called 1, was presented in 1979, its design has been continuously improved, always with the aim of protecting the lives of its crews, the members of the Armored Corps, which is the spearhead of the Tzahal. .The last of this family was presented in June 2002 in Jerusalem, the Merkava 4. This is a battle tank fully comparable to the German Leopard 2 or the American M-1A1.Its 1,500 hp General Dynamics GD833 engine, one of the most powerful in the world, is the US version of the German MTU 883 liquid-cooled direct injection V12 diesel.The main weapon is the cannon of the IMI (Israel Military Industry) company 120/44 mm.smooth-bore, developed by the Israeli industry from the part of the German Reihmetall that equips the Leopard 2 and the Abrams, which can fire the most common ammunition: APFSDS-T M711, HEAT-MP-T M325 and TPCSDS-T M324, which are supplied by the IMI Ammunition Group, although it also uses the same caliber projectiles manufactured by firms in France, Germany and the United States, in case they must be imported.It transports 48 pallets, in addition to the 10 ready to fire, located in the electromechanical automatic loader, which can select the type of projectile to be fired.This modern piece also allows the firing of IAI (Israel Aerospace Industry) Lahat missiles.Photo: Detail of the tower of a "Merkava 4", you can see the hanging chains that make the propelled grenades explode when they hit them, avoiding further damage.You can also see an Amcoram LWS-2 detector that warns when the car is illuminated by laser systems, attached to a missile launcher (photo Julio Maíz).As secondary armament, it carries two 7.62 mm machine guns, one in the commander's cupola and the other coaxial to the main weapon.On the base of the barrel can optionally carry another 12.7 mm.or a US Mk-19 40mm grenade launcher.Finally, it carries an internal 60 mm breech-loading mortar, developed by the also national firm Soltan, with a range of 2,700 m, being able to fire explosive and illumination ammunition.The modular armor, already one of the best in existence due to its angular shapes and composition, provides excellent protection, which is also provided by the Trophy electronic active protection system, manufactured by Rafael, which offers total 360o coverage against grenades, anti-tank missiles and HEAT (High-Explosive Anti-Tank) shells fired by other tanks.Once the Trophy detects the trace of the shot, it classifies and calculates the point of interception where to launch the countermeasure systems, whether chaff or flares.The idea is clear, that the crew feels safe in the face of any threat and that they can concentrate on reaching enemy targets.Apart from this, the Merkava is equipped with a new generation Amcoram LWS-2 laser threat identification system, capable of detecting when and from where it is being targeted by the adversary, as long as the guided threat is by laser (the one used by most cars and helicopters), in addition to electromagnetic interference.Israeli studies of the 1982 war showed that much of its vehicle losses were due to missiles from Syrian Eurocopter Gazelle and Mil Mi-24 helicopters.With this system, enemy aircraft are detected, which allows avoiding their missiles, in addition to responding with machine guns.The Merkava 4 maintains the capacity of its predecessors to transport up to eight soldiers or three medical evacuation litters, although it is not a very common practice, reserved for emergencies.If we add to this 65 ton.one of the most innovative designs, which includes a totally new tower, electrically driven, instead of the classic hydraulic, from Elbit, we are facing one of the most modern in the world.Production began in 2001 and operational training with the IDF in July 2003. By the following year the Tzahal already had its first battalion of this model.It has contracted, at least officially, the purchase of 500 Merkava Mk IV, which are produced at a rate of about 50 a year, with more than 300 currently in service, after speeding up production as a result of the Second Lebanon War.Very shortly after re-equipping several armored battalions with the Merkava 4, in the summer of 2006 an attack by Hizbollah terrorists on Israeli forces in the occupied Syrian territory of the Golan triggered the Second Lebanon War.After some initial phases in which the IDF aviation had the main and more than forceful role, the continuous bombardment of the North of Israel by Hezbollah rockets forced the Tzahal to conquer the South of Lebanon.The main mission was, in addition to destroying the forces and infrastructure of the terrorist organization, to conquer the rocket launching ramps and force the mobile batteries to withdraw to the North, thereby removing the danger.Photo: Close-up of an Israeli tanker wearing his characteristic black beret.Note the metallic insignia of a car it carries (photo Julio Maíz).The IDF infantry and tanks entered rough and mountainous terrain, in which Hizboula had prepared deep defenses and blockades, making the advance slow and costly.The fighters of the terrorist organization made excellent use of their modern Russian and Iranian anti-tank missiles and RPG-29 rocket launchers.Many times, they let the Merkava overrun their positions, to shoot from behind, which had a real chance of destroying the armor and, more importantly for them, killing the crew.An almost suicidal mission, since normally the machine guns of the other tanks or the accompanying Infantry in their VCI (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) killed their militants instantly.The IDF lost 121 of its troops, most of them from the Tzahal, and 55 Merkavas were put out of action, three due to the action of large loads of IEDs (Improvised Explosive Device(2)) and 52 due to the action of anti-tank means, managed by members of Hezbollah and, supposedly, by some of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, who train terrorists based in South Lebanon.The IDF made public in an exhaustive report presented by the Winograd Commission on April 30, 2007, stating that due to anti-tank fire, 33 Merkava of models 2 and 3 and 19 of 4 had been hit, although only 22 tanks were totally destroyed. , plus the three struck down by IEDs, of which one was a 4. The Armored Corps troops added 23 names to their long list of casualties in combat, which began in parallel with Israel's history.Photo: A formation of "Merkava 4" ready to go into action (IDF photo).We are facing a theoretically moderate number of human losses, which gives a good idea of ​​the protection characteristics with which the Merkava has been developed, although they are high for an army as small as the IDF, so a thorough analysis was carried out of how they had occurred.Currently the IDF Armored Corps ranks the spectacular figure of some 2,500 battle tanks, of which more than 1,600 are Merkava 2, 3 and 4 and the rest belong to local variants and modernizations of the American M-60, units of second line used only, mainly for training, by reservist units.The Corps, commanded by Brigadier (Brigadier General) Agai Yehezkel, has ten divisions, three active (36th, 162nd and 366th) and the rest in reserve, which, although they have assigned armored material, are only provided with reservist personnel at as it becomes necessary.These divisions are structured in turn into 24 armored brigades made up of 72 battalions.All front-line units are equipped with Merkava and in the process of standardization with model 4, which has accelerated after the war in Lebanon, while reservists, who are periodically activated for training, use Merkava 2 and 3 and the aforementioned American cars.The Israelis have also developed a whole family of VCI vehicles based on battle tanks in which the tower is dismantled and the barge is modified to transport infantry or paratroopers.The first were based on the large number of Soviet-made T-54/55 armored vehicles captured during the different wars, as well as on the Centurions, which were being decommissioned by the IDF.Later they also began to use those of the first Merkava.The most modern of this long family is the so-called Namer (leopard), derived from the Merkava 4, to be able to transport the Tzahal Infantry to the combat area with the same security as the tankers.Photo: The powerful “Merkava 4” is exhibited to the public on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the creation of the State of Israel (photo Julio Maíz).The Namer can carry a dozen soldiers, including the three crew: commander, driver and gunner.Its main armament is the Rafael Samson RCWS (Remote Controlled Weapon Station) tower, known in Israel as Katlanit (lethal), which is armed with a 12.7mm machine gun.or a Mk-19 grenade launcher.They are also equipped with a 7.62mm MAG.for manual use, located in the left hatch.The Merkava and VCI combination is on the ground one of the most perfect combinations of tanks with mechanized infantry in the world, in its conventional combat role.But Israel has had to face asymmetric threats, such as those that have arisen since the start of the so-called second Intifada, which began in 2000, which has been followed by actions in the Gaza Strip and, to a much lesser extent, in the fighting in South Lebanon.These conflicts have a common factor, that they take place mostly in urban or highly populated areas.In fact, Gaza is one of the most densely populated areas on the planet, with the consequent advantage for Palestinian or Hizboula forces to use their anti-tank systems, IEDs and deadly snipers.For this type of action in these areas, the Tzahal added to the binomial the suitably armored American Caterpillar D9 bulldozers, protected with grilles that stop RPG fire and equipped with a 7.62 mm MAG machine gun.for your self defense.Although they have good defense, it is much lower than that of their action partners, so a remote-controlled version is already in the works.Photo: The "Namer" infantry transport vehicle, which is based on the "Merkava 4", had its baptism of fire in Operation "Cast Lead" carried out between the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009 in the Gaza Strip (photo IDF).In action, while the D9Rs clear obstacles, including areas where IEDs may be hidden, the Infantry arrive at the combat zone in their IVCs, waiting for the bulldozers to destroy the smallest houses or open entrances in the largest. large to access, while the Merkava 4 finish off their deadly shots with any core of resistance that opposes the advance.One of the bases of the system is that the infantrymen are not exposed at any time to the fire of automatic weapons, grenade launchers or the always dangerous shots of the elite shooters.As can be seen, as with the Merkava crew, they try to avoid their own casualties.A good example of this type of combat was the Cast Lead operation.This latest Arab-Israeli conflict began at the end of December 2008, when, in response to the continuous missile launches from the Gaza Strip, under the control of the Hamas terrorist organization, the Hebrew aviation unleashed a massive and harsh response.On January 3, 2009, the ground phase began, with the entry into the strip of a large contingent of the Tzahal, which divided it into three sectors.The offensive witnessed the use of ground combat technique and marked the Namer's entry into action.A couple of these vehicles were assigned to the Golani Brigade, which used them in the Gaza Strip, along with its numerous other, more veteran, VCI crews.The combat experience of the Namers must have been favourable, despite the very short period they entered into action, since, after the operation, the IDF ordered 130, which could be expanded by another 800 with which to standardize the Israeli Mechanized Infantry.The Merkava 4 of the 401st Armored Brigade participated, a very veteran unit that also acted in Lebanon.When operations finally ceased on January 18, the IDF had lost only ten fighters, in addition to 336 wounded, a good sign that the lessons of Lebanon had been learned, although Hamas's anti-tank capacity was far inferior to what they had. their counterparts in Hizboula, since they hardly had any anti-tank missiles and most of their grenade launchers were RPG-7Vs.Compared to other variants of the Merkava 4, a damaged tank recovery vehicle has been designed.If its construction is approved, the numerous M-88s that the Tzahal has will be replaced.The 20th century and the tankIf we had to highlight the medium that most changed and determined land warfare during the last century, it would be the tank.It was used for the first time back in 1916, when its inventors, the British, tried to unblock the trench fighting that had brought World War I to a standstill.Later, World War II was that of tanks and Germans, Soviets and Americans created a school about their massive use.It is not surprising that already in the first Arab-Israeli war, in 1948, almost after the end of the second world conflict, they were important protagonists.After studying and applying eight decades of advances in this field, it has been Israel that has created the most modern family of tanks in which the scale of safety and protection of its crew are the absolute priority.The short history of Israel is totally linked to that of its Armed Forces, having verified throughout several wars against the Arabs that two elements have been decisive in always obtaining victory: aviation and its armored force.During the conflicts of 1948, 1956 and 1967, the Israeli triumph was based on the material provided by the allies of the Hebrews, which included the American Sherman and M-48, the British Centurion and the Gallic AMX-13 in the armored field. , among others.Photo: A group of “Merkava 2”, possibly from a reservist unit, are prepared by their crews to go into action (IDF photo).With this material, generally smaller than that of the Arab countries, Israel was victorious, based on the better preparation and motivation of its crews.Those wars filled the memorial wall of the Armored Corps located in Latrun, a town in central Israel, on the road that connects Tel Aviv with Jerusalem, with multiple names of the crews who died in the fighting.Another lesson that Israel learned is that it should not and could not depend on foreign purchases, sometimes frustrated by the embargoes decreed against its country.In addition, the progressive development of the Merkava has been creating an important defense industry, which supplies parts and systems to the national company IMI, which is the one that builds it.After the aforementioned experiences in the armored field, the Tzahal took into consideration the idea of ​​General Yisrael Tal Talik, a veteran in this field, who had very clear notions of what the tank that should equip the IDF ground forces should be. .Soon, in 1971, work began on the design of the Merkava, which means chariot in Hebrew.General Tal selected the best engineers in the country and the most experienced officers in this type of armored warfare, to create a first-line means of national manufacture.During the design process, the Yom Kippur War in 1973 proved that it was indispensable, so work was brought forward.During this conflict, the Arab armies employed Soviet combat doctrine, using a large mass of T-62s and T-55s, and advanced resolutely, parrying Jewish counter-attacks with the support of infantry armed with anti-tank equipment such as RPG-2 rocket launchers. 7 and AT-3 Sagger missiles.The IDF tanks, Centurion, M-48 and M-60, were no longer superior to those of their enemies and only the quality of their crews saved the situation, although at the cost of filling in several more panels of the Latrun memorial wall, where the impressive Israel Armored Media Museum is currently located.The lessons of this war of attrition were quickly taken into account in the Merkava project.In May 1979 the new Israeli main battle tank was presented.It was a surprise to the military attachés and, later, to the engineers of other countries, when they could see up to ten fully equipped soldiers emerging from the rear doors of the Merkava I.The design had as its primary objective the protection of the crew, for which all aspects of the construction were adapted to this requirement.Firepower would be in second place and mobility in third place, although these aspects were not relegated either.The Merkava was very innovative by placing the engine at the front and the large crew chamber at the rear, which provides additional protection against typical frontal impacts, also facilitating maintenance work or even the complete replacement of the engine in the field in less than an hour.The spacious interior also incorporated the driver in the crew chamber, occupying the left front part of the crew, thus eliminating the relative isolation and strong psychological pressure on this vital crew member of any tank, which in the Merkava 1 had three periscopes, one of them with the capacity to adapt a night vision system, a point that has been progressively improved in successive versions.The design of that first model was already very striking due to its low profile, including the peculiar tower.It was made almost entirely with smooth angular surfaces, which withstand the impacts of projectiles and anti-tank missiles much better.Its armor plating was made from a combination of welding and casting, much of which was spaced, creating voids that provide additional protection against HEAT and ATGW shells.Very soon the IDF would have a chance to test their new design.After an attack against the Israeli ambassador in London, Operation Peace in Galilee was launched from Jerusalem, which consisted of the invasion of South Lebanon to destroy the forces of the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization).It began on June 6, 1982, with the 7th Armored Brigade with Merkava 1 among the participating armored units, mainly equipped with M-60 tanks converted in Israel. Syrian Army troops located in the Bekaa Valley, in the eastern part of Lebanon.The confrontation with the armored units of Damascus took place in the aforementioned valley in the center and east of the country of the cedars, with the newcomer Merkava 1 managing to defeat the Syrian armored vehicles, from the well-known T-54/55, to the most modern T -62 and the very new T-72, managing to emerge victorious at all times.It should not be forgotten that the Jews, as usual, had air superiority.They were very effective, the broken ones being repaired very quickly on the same battlefield by the same recovery units.No Merkava was destroyed by the Syrian tanks, not even the excellent 125mm guns.which had the T-72 as their main weapon.Nor did the Palestinian militias armed with RPG-7 anti-tank material, Sagger and Milan achieve their objective.This had a very demoralizing effect on their Arab enemies (Syrians and Palestinians), as well as an even greater impact on the crews of the tanks themselves, who felt safe in them, at the head of the M-60 columns. and Centurion, making their way inexorably towards Beirut.In total, only seven Merkavas were totally destroyed in the campaign, of which six by the action of anti-tank mines and one by the anti-tank weapons of the Palestinian guerrillas when it was isolated.It was found that the rear junction of the tower with the barge was the most vulnerable point.In fact, the modifications made to the MK II were precisely to address these weak points and to operate more safely in an environment as difficult as fighting in a city.To date, Israel has been very reluctant to export its armored systems to third countries, in order to prevent its main industrial secrets from being discovered and its enemies from being able to use it in their favor.The IDF has taken over the entire production without any problem, although the Merkava Mk III is currently being offered for export by Tel Aviv-based SIBAT.Some of the Mk IV systems and components are also for sale, although the tank itself is restricted from export as such.For Israel, and more so for a few years, the export of defense systems has become more than important for its economy.For this, it has been opening different markets in areas such as Southeast Asia, Latin America and, more recently, in the South Caucasus.In this last area, in June 2009, Azerbaijan's interest in equipping itself with a modern VCI or BMP, as it is called in the countries of the former Soviet Union, which would be the Namer, was made public.The agreed price is $2 million per fully equipped unit.The Azeris are very interested in a system that ensures as much as possible the protection of the crew members against IEDs and missiles and even more so when they have a long-standing dispute over the territory of Upper Karabakh with their Armenian neighbors.Grupo Edefa SA © 2022 .All rights reserved © Content Manager