Modern Israeli Tanks and Combat Vehicles

The 1973 Yom Kippur War had a devastating effect on the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) Armoured Corps. Israeli tanks, once invincible in battle, fell casualty, not to Egyptian and Syrian armour formations, but to infantry forces armed with anti-tank weapons such as the 'Sagger' missile and the infamous RPG. The losses suffered by IDF tanks and crews because of these weapons were severe and deeply felt in Israel, a nation incapable of accepting heavy battlefield casualties. As a result, the IDF did what it does best - it modified almost every tank and AFV on its inventory with extra armour and improved anti-tank defences, in many cases totally altering the appearance of weapons systems purchased from other countries. In addition, the Israelis developed their own indigenous MBT, the Merkava, which with its unique design traded in battlefield mobility for crew survivability. When the TZAHAL (Hebrew acronym for IDF) invaded the Lebanon on 6 June 1982 the newly modified armour forces received their first true combat test. The specially developed applique active armoured plating applied to the M60 (Mag'ach) and Centurion (Sho't) MBTs proved highly successful against all types of anti-tank weapons used by PLO and Syrian forces. The Ml 13 APC, considered a death trap in the 1973 War because so many were destroyed, along with their entire crews, had now received armour sheet protection, and as a result it was able to reach Beirut and beyond with virtual impunity. The Merkava proved to be almighty on the battlefield. It was involved in all aspects of the Lebanese fighting and destroyed numerous Syrian tanks, including more than ten 'invincible' T-72s. Most importantly, although a few Merkavas were lost, not one of their crewmen lost his life in combat. As the war in the Lebanon dragged into a costly Israeli occupation, determined anti-Israeli guerrilla suicide attacks caused the IDF to strengthen even further the armour and anti-personnel capabilities of its combat vehicles. A heavily armoured APC was even developed from the Centurion chassis armed with numerous machine guns and grenade launchers. Today, the IDF's Armoured Corps (Heyl Shiriori) has developed into the world's most formidable armoured combat force. Yet its roots are humble, and the respect it commands has been brought about only by the bitter clashes and heavy losses endured by the State of Israel in six major wars throughout its 38 years of independence. The author wishes to offer his thanks to fellow IDF veteran Dan Rosenberg and to Messrs. Moshe Kastoriano, Leslie Hulkower and Yoav Efra'ati for the invaluable assistance they provided in the preparation of this book; he would also like to offer a very special word of thanks to Mr. Andreas Constantinou, whose patience, technical assistance and hard work made the book possible.