Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1407425
that the designers have learned their lessons, taught to them back in the 1990s. For weight-saving reasons, the protection system is a combined one. The turret sides and the area over the tracks are protected by ERA modules optimized to stop SC warheads. The remainder of the turret front and hull modules come in the form of SLERA or NxRA (hull sides). Even though the protection from HEAT rounds is unquestionable, some doubts may emerge when it comes to protection from APFSDS-T rounds. Maybe other, different armor modules designed for a full-scale conflict exist - that could replace the ones we currently know. The latest Israeli MBTs did not wait long, for their baptism of fire. The conflict in southern Lebanon back in 2006 could have been classified as hybrid warfare, involving a well-trained, determined enemy, using advanced weaponry that is used by regular armed forces, but with tactics usually asso- ciated with asymmetrical warfare/guerilla warfare. This is why the involve- ment of modern anti-tank assets, such as RPG-29, Metis-M, and Kornet, was high - not as high as the Israeli reported though. The users of those systems were well-trained, and also had good observation and communications sys- tems at their disposal. The second, specific characteristic trait of the opera- tions was the fact that the MBTs were forced to overcome fortified areas pre- pared by Hezbollah, including flanking anti-tank ambushes. All of that was happening with relatively unstable support of Israeli infantry. The air support was also quite inefficient. The sources on the Israeli losses in Lebanon are coherent when it comes to losses. The devil's in the details though. Based on a fusion of data published in the Israeli press, and western descriptions of the conflict, one could conclude that little over 50 vehicles were hit. Some were hit more than once, and in the case of 15, we can speak of armor penetration. Another matter is the neutralization of the Merkava Mk 4 - offering protection levels similar to the Western MBTs. The first losses happened on July 24th, 2006. On that day, a commander was killed in one of the Merkavas hit. An- other Merkava was flipped over by a huge IED. The turret fell off, but only the driver was killed in the incident. On August 3rd another Merkava commander was killed. The armor was not pierced, but the blast and fragmentation have killed a soldier observing the area around the MBT through a half-open hatch. On August 12th the famous Wadi Al-Saluki battle took place, with 24 MBTs falling victim to a well-prepared ambush, with Kornet ATGMs and RPG-29 systems in use. 11 MBTs were hit. One crew was killed as a whole. In another tank, three crew members were killed. Another two Merkavas suffered from the loss of a single crew member each. In total, during the fighting in 2006, 18 Mk 4 vehicles were hit by anti-tank weapons owned by Hezbollah. Some took multiple hits, with the armor having been perforated only in six vehicles. Interestingly, the photographs documenting the conflicts did not show any effective hits piercing the front turret and hull armors of the Mk 4 vehicles, www.fragoutmag.com