What you need to know: The Merkava main battle tank is the cornerstone of Israel’s armored forces, designed for maximum crew protection and advanced combat capabilities. Originally in the early 1960s, after Britain withdrew from a joint tank project, Israel prioritized the development of a domestic tank.

-The Merkava features thick-spaced armor, a reverse engine drive for added protection, and the Trophy active protection system, which defends against anti-tank missiles and rocket-propelled grenades.

-In the recent conflicts with Hezbollah and Hamas, the Merkava tank has proven its effectiveness, successfully intercepting advanced threats such as drones and missiles, strengthening its role in Israel’s defense strategy.

Merkava tank update

Surrounded by hostile neighbors, Israel relies on its arsenal of highly advanced weapons to ensure its security. From fighter jets and helicopters to main battle tanks and air defense systems, the Jewish state has thwarted all attempts by its adversaries to destroy the nation since its founding nearly eight decades ago.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is currently fighting a multi-pronged war against the terrorist groups Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. In its large-scale invasions in the north and south, Israel’s armored corps deployed its most sophisticated weapons to achieve the country’s war objectives. The Merkava the main battle tank, widely considered to be on a par with the American-made M1 Abrams armored vehicle in terms of maneuverability, played an important role. critical role in Israel’s offensive strategy since the war against Hamas broke out on October 7, 2023.

Introducing the Merkava tank family

The home ones The Merkava Reservoir series is the backbone of the Israeli armored corps. Shortly after the founding of Israel in 1948, the newly formed government recognized the need to provide protection against nearby hostile enemies. The Jewish state initially depended heavily on arms supplies and joint projects with other nations, but this changed in the early 1960s. contributor with Israel to develop a variant of the Chieftain main battle tank (MBT) during this period until Britain withdrew from the project. The intention to design a domestic tank from scratch within Israel’s borders became a top priority for the country.

Developed primarily to protect its operators, the Merkava MBT featured unique capabilities and specifications since its first variant. Specifically, the IDF installed thick armor and reversed the typical position of the engine transmission to provide additional protection for its crew. Over the years, successive Merkava variants have been designed with even greater capabilities to retain an edge over their counterparts.

Perhaps the most significant component of the latest Merkava Variants is the incorporation of the Trophy active protection system. This cutting-edge defense program defends Israeli tanks against anti-tank missiles and rocket-propelled grenades.

Merkava MBT Performance against Hamas and Hezbollah

During the summer, Hezbollah claimed that one of its Almas missiles hit a Merkava and destroyed it. However, video analysis the incident shows that the MBT was able to use its Trophy active protection system to detect and intercept the incoming projectile.

In addition to the Trophy system, the newer Merkava variants are better protected against top-down drone attacks. As pointed out by Forbes“The Mark IV is the best protected Merkava variant. Four hundred Mark IVs equip active Israeli army brigades; hundreds more are in reserve. Several design features protect it from top-down attacks. Mantak omitted the loader hatch and thickened the armor around the commander’s hatch.

Hezbollah and Hamas rely heavily on their drone arsenals when attacking the Jewish state. These lethal aerial weapons, mostly supplied by the Islamic Republic of Iran, are intended to bypass Israel’s Iron Dome defense system through swarm attacks. During the October 7, 2023 massacre against the Jewish state, Hamas used drones to take out security cameras along the Gaza-Israel border and attack MBTs such as the Merkava series.

About the author:

Maya Carlinnational security writer with The National Interest, is an analyst at the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has written for many publications, including The National Interest, the Jerusalem Post, and the Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.

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