Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1365706
It is nicknamed the droid. The system is effective in acting against ATGMs dating back to the 1970s and 1980s. The above includes the Iranian BASIC TOW knock-offs. The photos depict the setup of the Droid system on Merka- va Mk 2B, Merkava Mk 2 BATASH, Merkava Mk 4, and on heavy APCs. Usual- ly, a single system as such is assigned to a single MBT company - given the greater range systems as such offer, when it comes to jamming (500 meters or more), this is sufficient to effectively protect the whole element. The BATASH package protection measures were saving the day of the tank crews multiple times. It withstood the toughest test on November 22nd, 2005, near al-Ghajar, when an outpost attacked by Hezbollah willing to cre- ate a hostage situation received support provided by Merkava Mk 2 BATASH MBTs. One of the MBTs was hit seven times with RPGs and ATGMs. None of those hits resulted in penetration of the armor, and thus the blast was kept away from the crew. The new special armor for Merkava Mk 3 was unveiled in 2000. The variant sporting that armor was called Dor Dalet, or Mk 3D. It protects the vehicle from both sabot, and HE rounds. The project was unveiled in 2014, when a photo of one of the Mk 3D vehicles was leaked, with the rear cover of the side turret armor module removed. The internal part of the module consists of more than 10 NxRA layers placed in parallel to the upper and lower sur- face of the module. In parallel to the top surface, four NxRA packages are arranged, with another 5-6 placed at the bottom. The angle is analogous to the angle that the top and bottom parts of the module are inclined. The projectile hitting the side must go through at least four NxRA packages that would activate at least 8 moving metal liners. The penetrator damaged by them (or the shaped charge energy disrupted) is ultimately stopped by the turret structure. Protection as such is fairly effective - especially when acting against HE rounds. Only modern ATGMs creating very fast shaped charge energy beams, or featuring the so-called non-explosive precursors, could be a problem here. The left side of the turret features three modules as such. Four have been arranged on the right side. The front part of the tur- ret features two modules with a relative thickness similar to the side ones. They are located on both sides of the gun. The top portion of the turret, up to the level where the commander's sight is placed, is also protected by NxRA modules. The turret niche has been protected in a manner identical to the legacy variants - by a slat armor made out of a basket, and chains with metal spheres hanging from them. The sides of the hull, at the level above the tracks, are protected by Western-style special armor alone. In the case of the heavy ballistic aprons, both legacy, as well as modern NxRA segments are used. The front part of the hull has been fitted with armor modules in front of the driver. Some photos also depict the plate over the engine fitted with a thin layer of special armor. As a result of the experience gathered during the conflict with Palestine, based around Intifada, the Merkava Mk 3 MBTs started to receive asymmet- ric warfare packages, so that the MBTs would be tailored to participate in riot control scenarios. The basket in the rear of the turret was removed - only a cage and frame were left where they originally belonged. This was done, as the equipment stored there was exposed to Molotov cocktail attacks. For the very same reasons, the exhaust is now protected by a fine net. The air in- take has been protected with an extra housing with an inclined top part, and with a net-covered hole opening to the left. Thanks to the aforesaid housing, the flammable substances flow down, instead of entering the air intake. The commander's and gunner's panoramic sights have been fitted with a pro- tective net that can withstand the impact of a stone or brick. Some vehicles also feature a cupola placed over the commander's hatch, fitted with 8 large windows made out of bulletproof glass. Later, the driver's station was also enhanced by a reversing camera. The two-part hatch in the rear part of the hull was replaced with a new one, featuring a glass visor and a firing port. Furthermore, a small bench has been placed in the corridor, between the ammunition containers, for the fifth member of the crew covering the rear of the vehicle. Some information suggests that most of the ammunition in the rear part of the hull is removed, and two troops are carried there instead. Some vehicles also feature extra armor plating for the bottom of the hull, providing extra IED protection. Photos of Merkava Mk 3D MBTs with GSM/ radio jammers that would defeat the ability to detonate IEDs remotely are also available. Some MBTs also feature an unknown optoelectronic system for protection, with its sensors installed behind the last turret special armor modules. The system provides 180 degrees coverage and it features four large vertical windows with armored shutters. It remains unknown wheth- er the above refers to a detection sensor, or whether it is a new variant of the Droid soft-kill APS. This system required space, thus four LWS-2 laser warning system sensors were installed onto a special-purpose mast placed between the gunner's and commander's hatches. No photos of this system are available, depicting it on MBTs other than Merkava Mk 3D. Mk 3D tanks have been broadly employed to patrol the borders - especially the locations exposed to ATGMs and RPGs. One vehicle was lost back in Author: Dr. Zachi Evenor VEHICLES