SETH J. FRANTZMAN
JERUSALEM — Israel this week unveiled the latest iteration of its Merkava family of tanks, what the Israeli Defense Force calls the ‘Lightning’ version of the Merkava IV.
The advanced tank has been under development and undergoing trials over the last half-decade. In a joint statement from Israel’s Ministry of Defense and the IDF, it was presented as a key to the future of the IDF, incorporating the latest sensors, artificial intelligence, networking and active protection system — technological, rather than structural advancements.
“The new era ushered in by the Barak tank is an extraordinary leap and an expression of the technological capabilities that continually enhance and secure the qualitative advantage of the IDF, both in defence and offence,” Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a statement Tuesday. The Commander of the 401st Armored Brigade, Col. Benny Aharon said the “absorption of the new tank is a tremendous opportunity to improve operational effectiveness in preparation for the next campaign and a force multiplier for the IDF, the Infantry, and the Armored Corps.”
The tank will be received by the 401st, which is under Israel’s Southern Command and is one of three armoured units that make up the armoured corps in Israel.
The new tech includes the Iron Vision helmet, made by Elbit Systems, which is being fielded for the first time with the new tank. Linked to sensors on the outside of the tank, the system enables the commander, like a fighter pilot, to see “outside” the tank with peripheral vision that is knitted together from sensors and cameras, according to an Elbit official and to a video distributed by the IDF.
According to Elbit, the tank has image processing capabilities and artificial intelligence which help its sensors sort data and identify objects, so that the driver, gunner or commander can use screens inside the tank to investigate and neutralize threats. Operators use a gun controller that is similar to a joystick or pilot’s flight control stick. It also incorporates Rafael’s Trophy Active Protection System,
Today’s IDF statement says Israel began to conceive of the tank back in 2015 to meet new operational needs. At the time Israel was primarily using tanks in Gaza, usually in urban environments against asymmetric threats, such as militants with RPGs. The tank’s development went through engineering in 2016 and development began in 2018, with technological trials in 2020 and 2021.
Israel’s Defense Minister noted that the announcement about the tank comes as Israel celebrates 50 years since the Yom Kippur War, one in which Israel’s army was much more tank-focused. The war also illustrated vulnerabilities to Israeli armour, and the country has learned much since then about protecting its vehicles.
Like most of Israel’s new large systems, such as the Sa’ar 6 corvette ships that arrived in 2022 and the Eitan APC which is being fielded to the Nahal brigade, the new tank includes technology from Israel’s three large defence companies; Elbit, Rafael and IAI, though the IDF and Ministry of Defense did not specify which technology on the tank came from IAI.
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