Israel’s Home-Built Merkava Tank Tactics
Вставка
- Опубліковано 19 жов 2023
- Thank you Ridge Wallet for sponsoring today’s video. Check them out here: ridge.com/taskandpurpose and use code "TASKANDPURPOSE" to get 10% off
This is the Israeli Merkava Main battle tank. It’s 120 mm MG253 smooth bore cannon can fire multiple types of munitions on target 2,000 meters away while on the move thanks to its sophisticated fire control systems. The development of the Merkava takes us through multiple wars and a unique period in Israel's history. It tells us a lot about how Israel's domestic military industrial complex became the powerhouse it is today. I want to find out what type of tactics and strategy work best with the Merkava in urban warfare. We’ll also explore the vehicle's strengths and weaknesses.
Written by: Chris Cappy & Armando Duarte Galán
Edited by: Maksym
Join this channel to get access to perks:
/ @taskandpurpose
Task & Purpose is a military news and culture oriented channel. We want to foster discussion about the defense industry.
Email capelluto@taskandpurpose.com for inquires.
A big thanks to Ridge Wallet for sponsoring today’s video. Check them out here: ridge.com/taskandpurpose and use code "TASKANDPURPOSE" to get 10% off
Baby killer products are not welcome
Hi Chris, great video as always, thanks.
The only thing that I would have briefly mentioned, is Israel's famous espionage.
This is not a negative thing, They are a small country and population, so "borrowing" ideas and technology from friend and foe is on the table, and good luck to them.
Talik is pronounced Taalik, not Taleek. The stress is on the Ta.
You claim 9 mile sniping.
That's unrealistic. Verify and cite please.
Even 9km would be exreme long range esp. w/ 1970s tech
you make this video without watching or knowing the recent video showing hamas destroy merkava mk4 with cheap drone drop grenade ?
A few other things to consider:
The thermal sights are so good, Merkavas have been used for decades as de facto observation posts (with hard kill capacity) around borders. After Hamas took out all the stationary armed observation posts around Gaza in one fell swoop, the IDF will probably go back to that tried and true tactic, where you can change positions easily and have actual soldiers on the ground, instead of the cool futuristic remote controlled but ultimately easily defeated posts.
Also, the Mk4 had the best improvement of all - air conditioning!!!
And lastly, a major bonus of the Trophy APS is that it relays the calculated source of the incoming projectile straight to the main gun's targeting computer, so you can fire back and destroy the enemy crew in seconds and are not likely to have multiple incoming threats from the same location. That is huge, since you normally have no idea where you were just attacked from.
Air conditioning in a tank in the middle of the desert sounds like a godsend. 10/10 best upgrade ever
all the observation posts needed was some top armor and they would have been fine.
I thought ALL the Merkava's had air conditioning, right from the Mk1
Nope, there was added-on aircon in the modified version of the MK3, but it was first fully integrated to the ABC system in the MK4.@@niks1
No its a nice story
Until about 2 decades ago, all engineers on the projects (Outside of select specialists) were all former tankers, though by now that has been changed. So it was a tank designed by tankers, all of whom had been in combat in tanks, and they designed it based on what they knew was needed, what worked best, and what was ideal from experience.
BTW for people wondering why a Corps head is a Brigadier General, in Israel they go from Battalion to Brigade Level (no Regiments), Brigades are commanded by Colonels, and the head of a sector command is only a Major General and the Chief of Staff is a Lt General. Israel's system is designed to allow for flexibility in case of war, as well as give a lot of independence to each lower level of command in combat, because of that need for flexibility. Israel has been using such a system since the beginning. Also every soldier starts off as a private before being selected for officer school, so even the Chief of Staff was once a private, which creates a very different officer breed
Nobody is ever going to be as good a boxer as Jack Johnson, because he fought four times a week for 20 years to get that good. NOBODY has more experience on less battlefield more often than Israel. You got a problem? IDF figured it out in 1980. If those cope cages merely discourage dropped munitions from drones, they're worth every penny. America talked a good game about our chem suits before Operation Iraqi Freedom, and as a result the Iraqi military decided not to use chemical or biological weapons. Game-set-match.
Great info. Thanks.
Holy sh*t, that would make a huge difference!
Do you think Hamasses Yassin RPG 105mm is apable of destroying the merkava as they claim?
As I recall, (at least infantry) Israeli officer casualties are routinely high. Leading from the front is expensive...but more often than not it results in victories... YP
I always think it’s cool when a culture creates its own weapons and armour, because they always take on a unique character.
But also, they have the money and tech support of the West by a lot!!!. On the other hand, the Arabs pull in different directions. they own interest first.
i mean the US usually gives them about $2.5bn a year. the defense budget in a normal year (for the IDF) is about $24bn, sooooo i wouldn't say that they really "have" the money of the west@@moigonli9834
it's just an abrams that they tried to make look as different as possible. people wouldn't want to see abrams rolling into gaza.... because of the implication
Everything you just said is factually false lol@@ZEZlMA
That is factually false lol@@ZEZlMA
Having ridden on the outside of an M60A3 as an infantryman in the '80's, I always liked the concept of the Merkava carrying grunts foward. Infantry squads can stay assigned to an APC, but the Merkava's ability to transport infantry onto the objective is a real plus and lifesaver for the tanks.
From what I heard, the space in the back is not really to transport infantry, that door is quite small for dismounting infantry in full gear. The main is reasons is to serve as living space for the tank crew for extended static operation or to carry the crew of a disabled friendly tank (Israel don't want them to be gunned down by the enemy since it take months to train them). It also make the rearming of the tank quite faster and easier. It's what they learned from combat experience.
The Merkava was never meant to transport troops it was pushed into that role in emergencies. The Israeli have come out with the namer Apc where they use the older mark merkavas to make the heaviest armored ApC in the world They took the turret off and raised the roof a bit. the Isrealis have a history of using obsolete tanks to transform them into heavy apcs. They first did it with the centurion tank they called the heavy apc version Nagmachon.The Israelis are the best military recyclers. They had captures many soviet T 54/ t 55 tanks and thought waste not want not and covered them into Achzarit apc. The one thing that makes the Merkava better then these first heavy APC is that the merkava is front engined like most apc are. The earlier apc made from rear engines had to be massively modified to get the troops safely out in combat. The problem with both merkava and the namer is that they are way too heavy for mobile militaries like the us
And can be used to rescue and transport the injured.
@@TheMax0005
We don't want any of our soldiers injured or killed.
That compartment _is_ usually used to transport additional ammunition, and as a rest-area for crew, especially because the Merkava is so often used as a forward outpost.
It does provide sanctuary for casualties and crew from damaged vehicles.
But I remember when the Merkava was first introduced, that compartment was intended for four accompanying infantry escorts. The four-man section was two two-man teams who would provide security during maintenance and any field repairs, bivouac, and so forth. During major operations against peer forces, one team would use a Stinger, stored under their seats, while the other would wield a T.O.W. missile launcher stored under their seats, each with a single ammo crate of reloads. During field bivouac in a combat operation, these would be the primary security during crew rest. That is how Merkava operated in Lebanon in the 1980's, I did not hear about any lessons learned; but that might be why we don't see that now, but we do see the Namor and previous heavy armored personnel carriers.
Nice to see all the footage of the czech Merkava. Czech Republic operates one Merkava that was given to us by Israel (and we only take it out to show it off) because of how good of an ally czechoslovakia was in the past and czechia still is to this day.
Didn't the Israel's find weapons in Czechoslovakia in 1948, when they had nothing?
@@gvibration1they did not "find" weapons, Czechoslovakia supplied the newly founded Israel with weapons, both domestic production and a lot of wermacht and luftwaffe surplus that was left from the war. Czechoslovakia basically built the israeli air force at the very begining of Israels existence. But they had so little that even all the ammo and small arms supplied by Czechoslovakia was crutial.
So the Merkava czeched all the czechboxes?
Czechoslovakia was the only country that didn't embargoed Israel between 1947-1949.
I’m a retired Israeli tanker, I f-n love Czechia! I read Brave Soldier Švejk when I was enlisted, got married in Prague, visit Brutal Assault frequently. My favorite country.
Regarding the dual MAG feature - this was a 1982 upgrade born from experience in urban fighting in Beirut. The initial design of the Mk1 was with just a commander's gun, but when patrolling Beirut streets, they decided that another pair of eyes (and a barrel) would do good for the safety of the tank, so they straped an infantry machine gun to the loaders hatch to have the loader participate in active anti-infantry deterant watch. The loader's built-in MAG mount was developed as an improvement (in Hebrew "שוש" - short for "שינוי ושיפור", "change & improvement" ) on updated Mk1 after that. The concept of "שוש" is deeply ingrained in Israeli Armor corps maintenance and every model goes through a continuous process of refinement and improvement throughout the life time of the model. Sub model are labelled with a letter after the number, so Mk2a, Mk2e, etc. When I was in standard service in a Mk2 battalion, we had all kinds of submodels, and every few month you retire an older submodel back to the refurbishment center where they take it apart and put it back together as an updated submodel and send it back to the battalion.
Ah like Kaizen in japanese industry culture
@@maccheese8379 yes, something like that. The coolest feature was that updated tanks would be delivered with their "improvements manifests" - essentially a "release notes" book with the list of updates, so you can check what's new and provide feedback.
sounds awesome dude
And that is why the Israeli Armed Forces is tops, constant improvement and user feedback and consideration at all levels, love it.
That's so cool. Like a new update to a phone or software lol@@guss77
I have always been an admirer of the Israeli military technology. From their rifle, the “Tavor” to the Merkava main battle tank and the anti missile systems like the Arrow and the Iron Dome, just to name a few examples. Unique and purposeful. Always using cutting edge solutions and proven for reliability by the IDF. What I like specifically about the Merkava is the emphasis on the crew survivability and protection. As a Bulgarian American I wish that more of the Israeli technology is used by the militaries of both Bulgaria and the United States.
Neither country's roads can handle it the Merkava! Great tank for where it is, though, and a great source of ideas too.
I have handled the Tavor some. It seems very solid and rather heavy, which are strong advantages in close-quarters fighting. The I.D.F. even have a "Mikro-Tavor" with a 230 mm barrel used by snipers providing close cover! But the Tavor is exceptionally expensive.
While many countries envy Iron Dome, an equal level of protection can be much less expensive by building a defense system similarly suitable for protecting cities based on the 122 mm multiple launch rocket systems. You just need the same kind of detection, tracking, and targeting as Iron Dome, with a rocket that releases several sub-munitions. Think of a 122 mm rocket with a 16-32 kilometer range (Buy an older propellant formula from Raytheon for domestic manufacture to keep cost down and provide good jobs locally.), that is quickly launched at the attacking launcher. It has a semi-active radar receiver in the nose. On its way, when signaled by the tracking radar, it releases two submunitions based on 30 mm cannon shells for each rocket they need to intercept. (I was inspired by a cannon shell bottle opener from Poland.) The submunitions receive guidance from the main 122 mm receiver, shortening the control loop and increasing accuracy. Figure no more than ten submunitions in each 122 mm rocket, but each normal launch rack holds fourty rockets. Small, five tube, launchers could be used to defend less-threatened areas. The Romanian version is the best defender for a city, though. It used a tractor to haul a long cargo flatbed trailer, with a fourty-tube launch rack at each end. Team each tractor-trailer with a radar vehicle, and situate these in pairs. That way, there is always a spare radar when one has to go down for maintenance, and there is a complete spare launch vehicle in case of trouble or needing to reload. "Three is two, two is one, one is none," is an old proverb; this way, you have four! Radars are expensive and vulnerable to attack; best if the radar installation has a spare, and is heavily defended by very strong protection, yes?
Red Arrow is very impressive, true.
Also, have you seen the Israeli Anti-Tank missile? It is small and light, because it was originally designed to be launched from the Israeli tanks that, like the original Merkava, had 105 mm gun. It is laser guided off the modified range finder, and only has a powered range of 1,000 meters. But its sensor is sensitive enough to be guided and engage from as much as thirteen kilometers so that it can be dropped like a bomb from the air. If that could be boosted from mortar or howitzer, or dropped from something like the Chinese P.L.A. two-man gyrocopter or a crop-duster airplane, that could be very useful support for forward patrols.
Do you think Hamasses Yassin RPG 105mm is apable of destroying the merkava as they claim?
"Israeli R&D teams had this obsession with statistics and after-battle reports."
That's definitely how you successfully iterate
It's refreshing to see someone who creates vehicles of war have his priorities about the survivability of its crew above all else. It's the least you could do for your own people.
I used to work in submarine design. We used to say that the Russian submarine design was based on the cry "You can't sink our sub" while the American design philosophy was "You can't sink us if you can't find us."
I mean, that's generally the US strategy with this stuff. The M1 Abrams is one of the most survivable military vehicles in the world and our aircraft are built with crew egress and ejection in mind from step one generally. It's really the exception to the rule that is Russia/USSR that put crew survivability at the lowest level of thought. I'm not intimately familiar with the Chinese hardware but knowing they try to use a professional volunteer military it's very likely that they also put at least a visible focus on crew safety or you aren't going to retain a lot of your volunteers on contract renewal. In the USAF I never felt like safety was a low or even secondary priority. The mission had to be absolutely critical for the USAF to dismiss safety practices even slightly.
@@tonymorris4335Chinese modern tanks like type 96/99 are based on the t72 and have the carousel autoloader
@@tonymorris4335 Could imagine its because USSR and Russia are mostly about mass, instead of quality, so the knowledge of their crews and therefore their education, was and is probably not so expensive. The economical factor of crew survivability is not just humane and necessary for a low population like Israel, but probably also economically valuable, since if the crew survives, probably a lot of the tech inside survives -and you don't have to invest in new crews and their expensive training.
@@tonymorris4335 Half true. Yes the M1 Abrams is indeed one of the most survivable military vehicles, due to its sheer size, armor, firepower, etc. However if you ask its designers what the primary focus was when designing the tank, crew survivability wasn't at the top of the list. It was still there mind you, pretty high up on the list but not at the very top(nor second for that matter). The Merkava design willingly sacrifices combat utility, be it speed, firepower, etc, in order to improve crew survivability, as in putting that first on the list, ahead of all these other factors. Basically pound for pound, weight and money wise alike, the Merkava is the most survivable armored vehicle in the world because that's its number one design priority which is in stark contrast to other tank designs, western and eastern alike. The main difference between western and eastern tanks is that eastern tanks(well, Russian mostly) is that eastern tanks traditionally put next to no focus on crew survivability whereas western designs did consider crew survivability, just not as the highest priority.
I'm an IDF reservist. Currently deployed in the area surrounding Gaza. I'm not a combat soldier by any means, but I did get to see a lot of these up close. Quite a sight to behold. Happy to learn more about them from this video.
I wish you health and good fortune. I hope you are not subject to any of the horrifying situations that can arise from your service.
Victory ahead
"never again".
Large parts of the world support you. Good luck to all.
@@mmcion1 God is with palestine.
@@ob1934 God is with Israel.
Developing a domestic arms industry is a very smart move, especially when you are surrounded by enemies on all sides.
And western arms manufacturers who are sometimes reluctant to supply to israel . Britain and France for instance do not treat israel as a friendly nation . Preferring to supply Arab tyrannies instead .
@@jonathansamuel7033 If I am not mistaken, for similar reasons South Korea also decided to focus on domestic industry, and as for other countries trading in arms, I can only say that for them it is just business and the only thing that matters is whether they can make money.
@@jonathansamuel7033 To the extent that, in 1967, France refused to deliver boats that had already been built and paid for and were ready for delivery. If I'm not mistaken, Mossad and Israeli SEALS went into the French port and "stole" the boats they had already paid for.
@@jonathansamuel7033 Nobody supplies Arab states more than the US, look at Saudi Arabia.
It dates back to 1948, when Israel was under an Arms Embargo. At that time, only France and Germany were willing to buck the embargo and risk Sanctions.
France had been gifted a whole lot of Sherman tanks by the United States of America, and after Israel signed up to buy some AMX-13 light tanks, Israel was offered Sherman tanks, too. Later, Germany gave some Sherman tanks, too, along with a lot of rifles, machine guns, and submachine guns. That is why Israel started out with the 7,9×57 mm Mauser and 9×19 mm Luger for its small arms.
A couple of clarifications:
The primary protection of the front engine layout is the spaced armor effect of the engine bay, not the engine block. Engines are not made of armor steel and add only slight protection against penetrating weapons. The bay has a significant benefit because it is a large space for high explosive anti tank weapons to dissipate energy.
The primary purpose of the rear hatch is for rapid reloading while under fire in combat. This was seen as important from experience in defensive battles against numerically superior forces. The other benefits and potential uses are secondary to this.
I've heard some say the tank's engine being in the front being a drawback in some cases, If I recall right I believe the argument was that APFSDS makes the engine become a additional projectile for the crew like shrapnel, however I do not recall how credible that claim is or if I'm misremembering,
I recall someone named "spookston" making a video on the Merkava and I believe he was the one that made the comment, he is the sort of person who purchases and distributes old tank spec documents and stuff for the game he plays so I believe he is far more credible than the average joe.
It doesn’t add any additional hazard to the crew because the mild steel debris from an damaged engine are not going to penetrate the armored wall behind it. It would only be dissipated energy like a kevlar vest, spreading energy over a larger area.
The projectile penetrating rod itself is hardly going to lose much energy going through an engine block anyways. It will go straight through without breaking up, even with the typical tungsten rod. Even a rifle bullet can penetrate an engine block. An APFSDS rod is going to almost entirely ignore the engine, going straight through without slowing down significantly. The armor layers are what will stop it if anything.
There are some potential drawbacks but that isn’t one of them. I don’t think I should go into detail about it right now though because Israel is in an active war.
Yeah but the engine will also be a black holef or any spalling or smaller frags.
I see, I guess the risks are minimal if there even is any.
I find it a bit funny how people are saying its a draw in that it will result in more mobility kills, since if it were to fall victim to such the crew would have already been either dead or greatly wounded if it were a standard tank.
generally as long as you're not Russia/Soviet (they don't care) your military values the crew more than the vehicle, especially for Israel which is such a compact and small country.
1.5 kilometers is 0.93 miles. Not 9.3 miles. Decimal points matter folks❤️
Facts matter as well.
Edit:typo
Lol definitely. I was thinking damn how tf would you see something 9 miles away? Desert must be really flat.. but yeah .93 of a mile makes a lot more sense. Still a hell of a shot.
@@forfun6273you should see the optics now. 4 kms is the longest I believe.
@@forfun6273Now a days 3.5-4km is a normal engagement range for western tanks. About 2-2.5 miles. It’s doable because of the quality of optic, crosswind atmospheric sensor and the fire control software.
Too right dp's matter! Credibility ripple alert!
It's great to see Merkava 1 shots from the Czech Republic. My country was the first country who receive merkava and the only country who receive it as a gift. It is still in the Lešany military museum.
When I was in Cav Scout training we studied this amazing tank. It is in the top three main battle tanks used in militaries today. Some people rated as the number one.
merkava vs 1 rpg
@@Swoiny Merkava with APS vs 1 rpg.
I think yes a sniping tank is probably great. But shit they are about to go Door to Door 🫤
I dunno man, these tanks are getting taken out by Chinese-made imported RPGs…really makes you think how imperceptibly weak modern tanks are, even though the development for this technology has come a long way.
What are your other top picks
I served as a senior tank platoon commander on the Merkava. One of the most overlooked advantage of the mark 4 is the fact that it needs about 10% of battlefield maintenance as even the mark 2. The tracks are very durable and rarely detach or break, that's huge for tank warfare.
Beautifully done and informative video, thank you!
One more note: the Merkava Barak is a Mark 4M not mark 5!
The Merkava appears to be an optimum compromise between East and West tank philosophies from the cold war. It's an excellent tank by all accounts.
What about the Merkava demonstrates a Cold War Eastern tank philosophy, in your opinion?
Yet, they got their behind handed over to them by a bunch of guys in adiddas pants and slippers 😂😂😂
@@1AlShmary An RPG is an RPG, no matter who's holding it. If 100 chimpanzees blindly fired 100 rockets at a tank, one would probably hit by sheer chance, even if those chimpanzees are wearing Adidas pants and slippers. With literally thousands of RPGs fired so far at the Merkavas, and only three or four tank crews killed so far (one was reportedly outside the tank at the time), I'd say the tank has proven itself quite capable.
what? which philosophies are u talking about
its just a design with minimal weight and size limitations
The VR system for the Crew is a huge help for increasing situational awareness. Definitely something that other countries should look at adding to their tanks and other armored vehicles.
SOME countries!
haha@@anthonyscott5134
Everyday we creep closer to Battletech.
What happens if they paintball the optical system?! They could effectively blind the crew. Thinking about my Tesla and how it’s optics, and consequently much of its clever functionality, were constantly degraded by a bit of average English weather. 😬
VR, really? Elon Musk is already working on a Gundam unit for America.
I was in an IDF reserve armor battalion in the early Nineties. We had upgraded, Bubba'ed M-60 A1's in the Magach 7* configuration. I was a medic in the headquarters company and I was often detached to a tank company's tech squad, so I heard the tankers watching the Merks Mk2 and 3 training near us at Ze'elim (Israel's desert Grafenwoehr) call their crews by a rather offensive slang moniker sounding a bit similar to, and meaning something like "hussies". The Merkava, even back then, was so much more comfortable to its pampered crews than the M-60, that was fit only for "real men"! It even had air conditioning from the get-go!
Oren of Traveling in Israel was part of a tank crew and he did his service I"m pretty sure in the M-60. He said he'd rather go to war in his Subaru.
Im from NY... I did the volunteers for Israel program in 82 during the first Lebanon war...I worked on Camp Julis in Ashkelon which was a Merkava Maintenance depot.
but damn..... having no air conditioner would be just mean in the desert 😂😂😂
@bzipoli yes, those tribes in the desert are sado masochist without cameras and pornhub.
My buddy is a tanker is the US military and when he was overseas there was a rumor for the Taliban to shoot something on the back of the Abrams to "knock out its forcefield." What it actually did was knock out their internet which in turn sent the crews on a rampage and caused them to delete everything around them because no more listening to music or some of the other creature comforts
To be fair, in 1948, the Sherman was neither vintage nor a hand-me-down. It was actually still the primary tank of US armored units, alongside the Pershing.
and most of the models we gave them were considered state of the art for the Sherman itself
The Shermans didn't come from the U.S.A., there was an international embargo on Israel. Those were bought from France, which is why they ended up being re-gunned with the gun developed for the AMX-13, which Israel had also bought.
The Tank Museum channel has a fascinating piece on it, as does The Chieftain if you want the close-up specifics.
Shermans were a badass, much better crew survivability than any peer tank. Details on the why of that are in a different Chieftain video.
This is the kind of detail that goes beyond regular statistics that regular media is so obsessed with. Thank you for all the timely research and information.
Outstanding! I did a presention on the Merkava during my US Army basic course in 1987. Live in Tel Aviv now and waiting for the ground action...
I am impressed by the size of this tank. Yes it’s heavy but it has interior space! And a back door! Trying to get out of dead tank usually means you will get shot just as dead as your tank. If a tank is immobilized you can get out and into another vehicle without exposing yourself to enemy fire (hopefully). I don’t know of any other tank that has that capability.
On a side note, Canada switched to Leopards in the mid to late seventies and sold/gave our Centurions to the Israelis. They immediately ripped the gas power train out and installed diesel. Upgraded the turret systems and replaced the guns. Turned it into a useful tank for (at the time) modern warfare.
I heard one of the big complaints back in the 80's when the Abrams replaced the M60 Patton was that the Abrams did not have the belly escape hatch the M60 came with. (it also made it easy to take a piss without getting out of the tank)
@MM22966 2nd was more eof a complaint than the first I'd bet
Its like a tank troop transport lmao cant it fit like 6 troops in the back?
Most Centurions ended up having their turrets ripped out and converted to heavy APCs. The Lebanon wars saw a series of these "upgrades" and after that they mostly remained in active duty as heavy engineering APCs on the combat engineers corps under the label "Puma" (Israeli APCs are all named for large wild cats).
A big consequence of the space for infantry is the bloated weight. Everyone is trying to reduce weight of tanks and not increase it. Heavy tanks can not be transported on certain aircraft and sometimes can’t even fit on some aircraft, railcars and flatbeds. They also have slower acceleration which is deadly in today’s battlefield, they burn more fuel, are more expensive to operate and often struggle more in mud.
Leopards and Challengers are also very heavy and it didn’t help much in Ukraine and Syria where dozens were destroyed. This isn’t the 1970s or 1980s, drones and advanced ATGMs have changed the game.
Excellent content, thank you! In '92 I was in the one of the last IDF armored brigades (401st) to have the suped-up version of the old Pattons; my friends had the old Centurions. The next draft started to get the Merkava I. Even so, we had one of the world's most sophisticated aiming and stabilizing (for firing on the move) systems: I hit a target while on the move at almost 3 kilometers, at night. So you're "right on the mark" with the sniping comment you made. Good research. Thanks again!
Do you think Hamasses Yassin RPG 105mm is apable of destroying the merkava as they claim?
@@kamel3d those shiny merkavas stand no chance against tandem charges. Also the trophy system doesn't work in urban or in close range
wow. i am in awe. after everything they suffered at the hands of so many occupiers, fanatics and human monsters... they survived and keep on becoming more and more powerful. i am envious of such unity and dedication to their cause: survive. this tank is a reflection of that.
Merkava 5 sure seems like "..a real tank's tank" .. Capable and strong with so many important features.
Yeah... how much money could America save by having Israel build us a whole bunch of those? SUCH A DEAL!
@@captainmaimthey are only perfect for Israel’s very specific needs in warfare, I’m sure israel could design a tank for America that fits its needs though but it would look very different.
I greatly appreciate this ‘deep dive’ explanation of the development of the Israeli tanks. I am a Christian mother and grandmother that loves and stands by Israel.
I have been praying continuously for the protection of the IDF soldiers…esp those who will be fighting combat in the tanks. I watched the whole video and was amazed at your knowledge and how well you explained all of these military upgrades. Thank you so much!🇮🇱
Wow this is a great tank. It can also carry up to 6 infantry? That is as many as a Bradley IFV! That seems AMAZING to me. I realize that they don't airlift these all over the world, so weight is not limited by that, but the Abrams is not much lighter than these. So, this is an incredibly good design!
This tank is truly a high tech wonder from such a powerful nation ❤
The "cope cage" was ment to protect against shape charge type munitions, like Rpg's. It detonates the warhead early, for those interested who aren't informed, check out how an Rpg works, it's pretty cool.
Meant. However. It has failed in combating NLaws and javelin.
It should stop grenades and light drone attacks.
@@gorethegreatNLaw and Javelin have tandem charges which bypasses both ERAs and cape cages.
@@Dingusdoofus I know
They are usually intended to deform the shape of the warhead prior to detonation.
The cope cages are made for people who can't cope with their favorite tank being destroyed
I think the Merkava is one of the best looking modern tanks and the chain & ball skirt makes a lot of sense. Not sure why other tanks haven't applied the chain armor.
Def a really sick looking tank
Only the IDF have Aussie bushwackers on thheir team.....
Took their anti-bug hats with 'em
Then someone said 'Oy, If we scale those corks on strings up a bit ........'
I think that using the engine as armor doesn’t matter when a dart flies thru it
Because it looks weird, and being tacticool is always paramount.
They expect to be hurled rocks, otherwise the chain skirt is pointless
Merkavas can also lower their gun below horizontal line (not sure what that's called in tank parlance). This allows the tank to remain almost below the enemy line of fire while shooting. It was used in the Golan Heights fights.
Thank you Chris, great job as usual.
Last but not least, thank you for your service!
Max depression -5 degrees
Soviet tanks are happy tanks, they have no depression...
@@kobusdowney5291 OK, negative elevation!
Small countries that develop their own military hardware really have a different development process than larger countries. Like Israel. Here in sweden we too have developed some very unique weapon systems adapted to our specific battlefields and for specific roles.
I really like the S tank
At risk of sounding ignorant, what battlefields?
I think Sweden collaborate with everyone...
OP we need answers OP.
IRC last military actions was militarizing homophobia
@@beri4138 For the most part Russia, so basically the Finnish border in case the Russians conquer Finland and have Sweden as their next target. You do realize a nation's military is meant to defend it from both current and potential enemies, right...? The fact that Sweden hasn't joined a war in like forever(was neutral during both WW1 and WW2) doesn't mean their military isn't designed to defend their nation from the most probably potential future threats, which as Ukraine has exposed to the rest of the world, is Vladimir Putin and his Russia.
Yeah, Sweden is, and always has been, pretty much at risk. I think having Finland as one border has been a huge asset, as no one wants to fight a Finn or Lapp twice (Or is alive to do it twice).
Having Denmark goes both ways, what with the Danes wanting to join Sweden to their kingdom, and if Finland *did* get overrun, the mob of Danes looking to get their war on overrunning Sweden to get there!
A quick question about CV90 -- is Sweden updating their own to the Swiss Mark 4, or even the newer Mark 5?
And why no diesel-electric hybrid Strv-103 with an upgraded gun?
It will never cease to amaze me how a channel with such simple animations consistently has me on the edge of my seat.
That pause in the narration as Little Boy fell gave me chills ... I’ll take Task & Purpose over most movies any day. 👍👍👍
That Mark 5 sounds like one kick ass tank. The fact that the engine is in front I find to be very interesting. It also makes the back end shorter making it more maneuverable in an urban setting. Which, it seems ultimately was one of the key design elements. Plus, with access from the rear, as was mentioned let’s many evolutions happen that are not normal too any other tank. It seems to me Israel puts a very high price on all of their trained personnel, knowing they are not cookie cutter replacements just waiting to go into battle. Also, the anti-rpg/ tank killer rocket system is top notch, probably imho one of the best out there today, and it auto reloads.
Meet the Barak tank (lighting in Hebrew)
I’m glad you explained the chain balls. They always kind of reminded me of prayer shawls.
It’s been 40 years since I’ve been trained in anti tank warfare. From a M-60 circa 1982 to this beautiful beast it’s been an incredible evolution. Great video soldier take a look at South Korean K2 Black Panther now that’s my favorite. JB Sargent 0352 USMC Cold War veteran.
The new Barak is nice with the helmet and its 360° vision! The anti small rocket automated defense system seems like a great feature to have as well.👍
one more way to occupy other people land
Most of the Merkava tanks destroyed on 7 October were at base sleeping/parked and without operators. They should try destroying Merkava's when the tanks are on an offensive in Gaza.
funny how people thinking putting the engine at the front risks "mobility kill" when in the Abrams, the driver is in the front, and guess what happens if the driver is dead/injured? You also get a mobility kill.
Hey Cappy! Just an FYI for historical knowledge, tank cages have been used since tanks began in WW1. They were fitted to some tanks to protect against Grenades being thrown onto the top of the tank
Love your content!
also useful for carrying Birnam Wood to Dunsinane. (Macbeth)
The cages don't work -- ask the Russians. They MIGHT work from dropped munitions on the turret but don't protect the rest of the vehicle. And for sure cages are ZERO protection from kamikaze drones, which usually do NOT come from above, and might be more numerous as they're probably are the "drone of choice" Ukrainians use against armored vehicles.
-- BR
I love how the Merkava looks.
Great video Cappy. Well written and presented. You are showing clear improvement and growth in terms of presentation, accuracy and style. Love your content man.
you are right of course but remember when Cappy was a laugh, the world was a laugh - we just didn't know it.
He has a little help with research and writing.
who does not like to know more about terrorists!!
@@KE-qu3tyokay bot. Palestine isn’t a recognized state and is run by a internationally recognized terrorist organization.
@@KE-qu3ty This wasn't so much about Hamas though, but about the tank Israel uses to destroy the terrorists.
Hey, in 1948, Israel had at least 2 British Cromwell tanks, both with different types of cannons. One had a 57mm 6 pounder and the other a 75mm. One of the tanks was stolen and the other was british crew stationed in Egypt and decided to defect and became Israeli. Along with their tank.
Cromwell, now *that's* a tank! "Cross-country, *any* country!"
This was one of the best, if not the best of the Israel Merkava tank. This tank is far more advanced than many Weston tank and one can see the design was made for protection, carrying troops full visual 360 and much more. I was very impress with this video and the production, many thanks from the UK
Tbh I sometimes wonder how many details about the tanks aren't being shared publicly, but it does make sense they have a lot of modern cutting edge features. Constant pressure to protect against ongoing situations in combination with not really having a weight restriction (primarily impacts just speed and acceleration rather than being able to cross a bridge or not).
I suspect with many western tanks there's a lot of discussion both during design and post adoption modifications with what to allow and what isn't acceptable. Less internal space, size and weight constrictions due to wanting a general purpose vehicle that can be used (just about) anywhere will be a limiting factor.
Thanks to Cappy for informative & entertaining video. One mistake, though. Re sniping at tanks at 1.5 km is Not 9.5 miles, it is 0.95 mile.
I'm a U.S. Army Vet too. My Dad was in aerospace during the boom, some of the B.S. the U.S. Armed Forces deals with is always about arms procurement. There's always a ton of interested parties, some that want a weapons system to succeed and some that want the same system to fail. It's political, and all to secure a big money government contract.
Countries like Israel and Ukraine who have enemies on their borders don't have the luxury of politics. They need very effective systems and they don't want to blow endless dollars in the process. I expect a tipping point soon, drone armies are on their way.
I hope we find a way to minimize civilian casualties.
An excellent well researched piece intelligently presented. A must for anyone interestested in the IDF
Free palestine
Cope cages were dumb when they faced javelins and nlaws. But the threat changed to drones and they have a use against those
Drones just drop their bombs on the engine ( like Hamas did when they hit the front of that Merkava ) - FPV suicide drones just fly under the cope cage and hit rear or side of turret, or just the engine which is a mobility kill.
A dedicated "vertical threat only " trophy system" is being tested and installed aswell.
Merkavas have integrated 60mm mortars
@@chrissmith2114 fpv drones are kinda the 3rd evolution and yes the cages dont do much. But the threat they work somewhat against is the open hatch on the top where drones were just dropping grenades in. Im not gonna say its a perfect or great solution tho
Hmmm maybe drones were there in the beginning in ukraine as well?
I spotted 4 seconds in the British Chieftain Tank MK5, firing down range back in the early 70's demostrating the Marconi improved fire control system that had 98% accurcy on the move.
Sorry back to the Merkava tank.
You kinda touched on it but there is a dedicated Merkava variant called the Namer which is an APC.
And the trophy system is so well received that the US is equiping them on M1 Abrams.
The fact that the Merkava MBT can carry fully equipped infantry showcases that the IDF and Israel as a whole are one of the only countries left with up to date common sense. Infantry is a MUST in the world today, especially in regards to armor.
Look up the USS Liberty
This is actually a little bit of a myth. The MERKAVA is able to carry a full squad but they are extremely packed in there with no room to move. In order to achieve this, the tank has to sacrifice a their ammo. It’s impractical at best. What it was intended for was to be used as an ambulance. I believe it is able to carry 4 stretchers and a medic or two instead of ammunition
To be fair, in 1948 the Sherman Tanks were probably still in use in the US. They definitely stretched out the life of them, though.
The Sherman was still the the most common US army tank in use during the 1950's Korean War. And was used by France in the first Vietnam War, by the second (US) Vietnam war they were already retired from US front line service.
Paraguay had some Shermans serving the Presidential Escort Regiment until 2018 :D
Still in use in South America
Sven Berge, the man behind the Swedish S-tank, he helped the Israelis to design Merkava.
As a former tank mechanic all i can add is these beasts require much maintenance. Awesome analysis!
Reading through replies on other comments, one Israeli tanker said the maintenance is down to 10% from the Merkava Mk 2 to Merkava Mk 4. He said tracks in particular are much stronger and tougher, hardly ever slipping or breaking.
Also, there’s a NON requirement for this tank.
Unlike American and general allies, Israel doesn’t need to deploy these tanks overseas.
So, they don’t need to fit into cargo planes. They’re not planning to go anywhere
All the best to everyone
Seems like they are mainly moved by flatbed trucks.
Being able to carry a fire team with and in the tank is pretty amazing.
now i understand why so few mk3s & 4s were ever lost in battle/damaged beyond repair. these things are defensive BEASTS
It's one of the most beautiful tank out there, i love the design like the chieftain. Beautiful curves.
Upgraded and upgunned American Sherman tanks were used extensively by the IDF. They were initially equipped with the French long-barreled CN 75-50 high velocity 75mm gun. The increased weight of this conversion caused noteworthy issues with the existing Sherman drivetrain, (which was fitted with the Continental R-975 gasoline engine and the VVSS suspension system), including engine strain, which lead to numerous mechanical breakdowns. Off-road performance and reliability was also adversely affected by the tank’s narrow tracks in this iteration.
This Sherman variant, designated by some as the M-50 Sherman, was upgraded with the addition of the HVSS suspension system and the 460hp Cummins V-8 Diesel engine (considered less prone to fire).
Israeli Major General Israel Tal in his M-50 Sherman tank successfully destroyed 5 Syrian tractors on March 6, 1965 at a range of 2000 meters (2200 yards) in under 3 minutes.
In the early 1960s, 180 IDF Shermans were further equipped with the French Modele 105mm main gun. This variant was designated the M-51 by the IDF (often called the “Super Sherman” abroad), and was highly effective in combat.
M-51s performed especially well against the newer, heavier Soviet T-54/55/T-62 tanks, regularly knocking them out when using High Explosive Antitank (HEAT) rounds.
M-50 and M-51 Sherman tanks served with IDF armored forces until the early 1980s (M-50 Continentals were retired from service in 1972, while M-51s remained until ca. 1982).
Israel also deployed American M-10 Tank Destroyers it had scrounged from European scrapyards and dumping grounds ca. 1948-50. This initial batch was in such poor shape that it had to be extensively repaired, with the M-10s not seeing action until ca. 1955. Israel may have also acquired Diesel engines for the M-10s from captured Egyptian Shermans. Some M-10s might have been purchased from France in the mid-1950s, and some captured from Egypt in the same era.
Note:
1.5 kilometers is 0.932 miles.
As we say in the armoured corps: "The man on the tank will win".
it's ain't only the tank. It's the man within.
The Merkava is a brilliant tank...Task & Purpose built. When surrounded by enemies. You need kit like these.
Yep.
At global level, I'd still pick the Abrahms as my #1 tank. (yeah I know we don't have the H, but my support is all on Israel)
However, for the fight they have to fight and where they have to fight it... I think the Merkava is the best tool for the job bar none.
I don't think the weight of the Merkava has to do with Israel's needs. It's a small country and its enemies are really close. It doesn't need to drive their tanks very far in any anticipated war but it DOES have a limited population that it wants to keep safe at all costs.
The VR battlefield awareness system sounds seriously dope. Hopefully helps to counter those pesky weaponized drones.
I enjoy your videos and appreciate your appetite for developing your expertise. I do not beleve you are an "average infantryman ." You are way, way above "average."
Years ago I read that one of the most important features of the Merkava tanks is that they moved the hydraulic lines from inside the tank to outside the tank. They moved the hydraiulics outside because of the number of soldiers that suffered burns. They found if an armor piercing round entered the tank interior it was likely to hit a hydraulic line. If a hydraulic line is damaged it would release hot hydraulic fluid under pressure creating an oil mist. A second round was likely to ignite the hydraulic fluid burning the tank crew. By moving the lines to the underside the tank crew is better protected.
At the time, only the Merkava had this feature.
In my opinion, the Merkava and especially the Merkava mark 4, is the best and coolest looking tank in the world. It looks so apocalyptic or futuristic and just rugged and mean. Not to mention it’s probably one of the most safe tanks in the world in regards to cruise survivability
Can tell from experience - seeing it in reality is a scary sight even when you know its parked and shut down.
This tank looks like a giant predator straight out of hell.
Al-Yassin: Hi merkava how are you? 😂
I love all the background you give in your videos I spent half an hour on Wikipedia during the video looking up all the wars,events,tactics,personnel etc that I had no idea existed super cool, and as a COD player its very cool to see the Trophy System is real.
The Merkava mk5 is my favorite tank, even over things like the Abrams SEPV3, Leopard 2, and K2 Black Panther.
Same, it’s unique, and it’s pretty cool looking.
Indeed, though the K2 is hot on it's heels, that hydraulic stanceing is majestic.....
It's not a tank, it's a big armored vehicle with a tank gun. This car has no armor against armor-piercing shells, there is armor in some projections against cumulative ammunition.
@@BibEvgen that reply is only semi-coherent. I’d like to point out there are far worse tanks, there’s a lot of countries using the T-72. So by the same logic the T-72 isn’t a tank either, because they can’t take APFSDS from an Abrams.
@@BibEvgen because the spaced armor of the Merkava can defeat HESH rounds, but not APFSDS. But few armored vehicles, including tanks can.
I was a US tanker in desert Storm. I would have loved to have had the merkava 5. That being said, The Abrams was easily able to slice through the opposing armor. And could take a direct hit from Iraqi artillery. Just boresight and move out.
Abrams can take a direct hit from artillery? No it can, that is so stupid there is no words to describe it. Abrams roof armor is a few inches thick. WW2 anti tank rifles would cut through the Abrams roof, forget about 152mm artillery. Plenty of Abrams tanks have been destroyed in Iraq and plenty more in Yemen and they were targeted with ATGMs and RPGs on their thicker armor and not the roof. Stop spreading disinformation, people like you also hyped Leopards and dozens have been destroyed and badly damaged in Syria and Ukraine.
In a shootout at Fort Irwin in the 80s , the merkava beat the Abrams
23:25 The Merkava always carried assault troopers in the rear - moving the engine to the front gave room for assault troopers. The Australian ASLAV was always a conundrum. We experimented with Armoured Corps assault troopers and assault rifleman, RAInf. Unfortunately, we deployed to Afganisand with no agreement on tactical deployment of mounted troops, from protected vehicles.
The thing I find interesting is that they still have the four person crew. I have argued more than once that the forth crew members value outweighed what an autoloader could add. 99.9% of the time it takes for the gun to be reloaded is not even a thing. And 80% of the time things have to be maintained, eyes need to be looking and that extra human is invaluable in so many ways. Fighting a tank is not just something that you learn in a book it is something you have to live to get good at it. With them valuing the survival of the crew vs the old Soviet designs and the "Lollypops to the Moon" turrets that is a good start.
@ 8'52" 1.5km = 0.93miles (9.3 miles would be truly amazing for a snipe 😀)
Thought I was misheard XD
I agree totally about crew survivability being the most important attribute of a tank. That is why the Sherman and Tiger are probably the best tanks of WW2. They had the highest crew survivability.
Max Hastings has called the Sherman tank: "One of the Allies' greatest failures." In contrast to the German tanks, the Sherman was definitely inferior with respect to both armor and firepower. Indeed, the Germans called the
Sherman: "The Tommy Cooker" because it's armor did not adequately protect the ammunition and a well-placed
round would likely set the Sherman on fire. Thus, the Sherman's survivability was inferior to Panthers, T-34's, and Tigers.
The Tiger was expensive, took a long time to build; it was also heavy, difficult to maintain and repair. It did have an excellent 88 mm gun and it did have superior armor. But relatively few could be produced; it suffered from from its weight -- eg the 1945 Budapest campaign where bridges collapsed under the weight of the Tiger and it also often became bogged down in wet, muddy conditions.
The best overall tank in WW II was the T-34 which was inexpensive, had innovative, efficient sloped armor, a good
gun, was fast, relatively easy to maintain and repair, and was also light enough so that it did not suffer from the same problems as the Tiger.
@@salsanchez2114Sherman survival rate was good, T-34 survival rate was pretty bad
@@jameskhoune2858 The T34 in 1941 had three main problems, it was new with a small resource, it fell into the hands of untrained people. Also, the main opponent of the t34 was the enemy's artillery. The Germans at the beginning of the war had tens of thousands of guns, caliber 37-50 millimeters, which mostly destroyed the t34. Sherman with his cardboard sides would have had even less chance than the t34. When the Allies themselves began to actively, massively use the Sherman, a lot of mistakes had already been fixed there, the t34 had no such opportunities.
@@salsanchez2114 t34 was garbage. Unreliable, horrible crew comfort and survivability. Best tank of the war was probably the panzer 4 or the panther.
@@CptAngelKGaming The panther is actually a great tank because a better tank for you crew compared to panzer 4. It’s better to have 100 panthers than 150 panzer 4s because less overall resources needed in maintenance, fuel, and crew.
Thanks for this video. It lifts my spirits at this difficult time in the history of Israel.
I love how they developed a bajillion dollar Trophy system that can't stop grenade dropped by DJI drone nor tank-fired kinetic penetrator.
the israeli sherman usually had 105mm cannon (the m51). It still had good armament for its time and didnt have the 75mm found on older shermans from ww2(dont mean the 76mm shermans). but nice vid
Well they did eventually retrofit a 105 on. Though it did remove the stabiliser it was a big gun.
Also there was the M50 that took the AMX 13's gun and slapped it onto the sherman.
ok thats right but didnt they also have the amx 13 itself?@@davidty2006
Quality of these videos just keeps increasing. The density of information is matched by its accessibility which is quite a trick. Glad I stumbled on your channel.
Your genuine delivery and understandable descriptions put you in the top 1% of UA-cam creators.
The Namer, has also been used for both troop movement and removing injured soldiers from the battlefield. This vehicle has been built from older Merkava's bodies. As afar as the "New Merkava 5" due to its exceptional shooting distance in an over shooting position, they'll be able to shoot at long distances without placing its crew and tank into harms way.
As someone who participated in the US defense industry for nearly 40 years, my opinion on why Israel is so much more efficient than our MIC is that the Israelis forego the massive "oversight" community that causes endless second-guessing in the US industry and burns through funding quickly. Instead of auditors overseeing checkers, who check and check again every design detail, and enormous systems engineering communities more devoted to projecting progress of programs than actually engineering, Israeli defense firms trust their engineers to do their job, and they get immediate access to IDF personnel for feedback. On several large programs, the gub'mint oversight team was larger than our contractor engineering teams. The USG is so large, that NOTHING is efficient anymore, not only in the DoD. Israel also doesn't have the "competition" aspect to distract them, so they can focus on the best designs without going through multiple proposals-awards-recompetitions for of Dem/Val, EMD, and production phases. The US defense industry spends more time on project planning and Earned Value metrics than they do engineering these days.
The US military industrial complex needs to copy Israel. Defense should not be for profit. For profit systems lead to overcharging.
bureaucracy kills creativity :(
@@unisophia It certainly impedes it greatly, just as the NIH (not invented here) syndrome does.
That’s so on point. I had an honor to be on such an engineering team (Israel). We had bi-weekly meetings with the IDF officers to review the designs. Actually the only controlling body for our project was those officers and some mil spec standard documents. We did move pretty fast for a defense project
@@OlegAryutkin Interesting side story - a friend of mine was lead engineer on our side for David's Sling Stunner EO/IR seeker system, co-developed with Rafael. He had a small team of engineers, contrasted with our large team of engineers and nearly equal number of gub'mint overseers. We plodded through endless rounds of design reviews, which changed little as they typically do. Dave's (yeah -his name was Dave, working on David's Sling, right?) team just seemed to concentrate on engineering and management basically left them alone. Model of efficiency.
Thank you for this detailed video! I am a huge nerd when it comes to the Merkava. It is one of my favorite tanks!
Thanks for the detail. Appreciate the amount of work you put into that
I love your detail and thoroughness to any topic I’ve seen from you. This is definitely a fascinating look at the tank that will certainly get some real world testing soon.
Looks so beautiful with a red triangle on top of it
I feel like the Merkava really does give the Abrams or the Leopard a run for it's money.
Cappy, once again, well done. Not only well researched and loyal to the data, you also integrate the human aspects and contribution, for example the strategy from which the domestic military industry was developed. I very much commend that you brought out that the development of the initial Merkava was done within time limits for considerably less than funds allotted. Suggestion would only be to compare to an American or other NATO country's military industry and development of tank systems. Not necessarily including $11,000 toilet seats and $750 wrenches, but at least demonstrating that the Pentagon and associated partners could actually better monitor and control the waste built into their programs. (Sorry for the digression - easy to get distracted once one develops Adult ADHD - and I genuinely wonder whether anyone has looked into rates of development of Adult ADHD among veterans of ground combat/warfare units, perhaps with and without PTSD. Just a thought. Anyway, another well done show. From one grunt (albeit IDF version) to another - good job brother.
Hey Cappy! Great show today...again! Wow, I did not realize that there was a heavier beast than The Abrams. 74+ tons is a heavy damn battle tank, but this seems like a great piece of armor. This is a fantastic design and the fact that it was brought into existence 40% UNDER BUDGET?? Plus ON TIME? WOW, just WOW! This is something that we here in the USA should aspire to. This was a reminder of the HUGE gouging for profits by US military suppliers. I know that we produce some of the very best equipment here, but it would be great if these US corporations could put some patriotism ahead of enrichment of themselves by taking a page from Isreali design and build of this MBT. But, I really liked your show and I think this looks like a great tank! So much change is showing on the modern battlefield and we need to LEARN the hard lessons that are being demonstrated in Ukraine. Especially with the development of a new MBT here in US coming in the (hopefully) NEAR future. Keep up the good work!
Capitalism with too little control is making US defense budget more expensive than needed. US companies overcharge for everything.
Yeah, the only decent as well as the most competent developer/manufacturer was *Grumman* and they got screwed over by Congress to the point of going bankrupt and being bought up.
I really like the longer videos that you started to create recently. Obviously you know what you are talking about, and I guess you're also doing more research fot those videos - I highly appreciate it. Now your videos are getting on very high level like some of my other favorite channels e.g.: Covert cabal, Perun.. and you post several times per week! It's a real progress for your channel.
The difference in use of cages is the reasoning they have been employed. Russia began using them to try to counter javelins which REALLY did not work... Hence them being called "cope cages" but over time has proven somewhat useful against drones dropping Munitions... Which is why Israel is slapping them on (and why I believe they will become more refined and commonplace around the world).
I guess the new gen MBTs will be needing a Laser CROW... as the anti drone trophy system
I think with advance of trophy system they just extend it to also protect from above like dome around the tank, the projectile from a drone is why slower then an actuall rpg I don't believe it will be hard.
@@iTZiX Yeah but I think the fact that it's so slow is the actual problem, because then they need to make the trophy system so sensitive it would go off if you threw anything on the tank. That would be a hazard and you could possibly overwhelm it by throwing random things on the tank before throwing the actual warhead.
Speaking as a former ER technician, these indestructible wedding rings are the worst. I've seen two men almost lose their finger became we couldn't cut the ring off if the finger was crushed.
The cope cage was for javelin and nlaw not drones. They disappeared in different form and came back _after_ drones were found to be useful
Trophy for the top, how about modular Ai lidar for the front and rear to detect mines, ieds etc. You can get lidar scanners small enough to be handheld or plug into a phone. So realistic for integrated tank software /hardware.
The Barak is not a Mk5, it's "Mk4 Barak", a new iteration of the Mk4 Merkava tank.
Also, it's not quite deployed as of yet. One battalion has been experimenting with it till late September, before deeming it acceptable and ready for deployment. Deployment to be carried out in the first brigade (401st) until 2025.
Another superb video. Well done Cappy!
The magic of weapons r&d when you dont have to bribe everyone to make it work
I had no idea this innovation was happening! How incredible!
🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻
Thank you for this historical perspective.
A very thorough video. Well done, Sir!
Bloody good Tank all round and to be able to bring its own infantry support a major advantage and bloody good show again as always their m8 keep em coming