According to the Israeli Defense Ministry, production of the newest Merkava tank, labelled “the best in the world,” has begun in Israel. The new Merkava 5 will be used by the army starting in 2023.
Many contemporary systems are fitted into the Merkava Mk5 to deal with anti-tank weapons and unmanned aerial aircraft (UAVs).
Israeli engineers drew inspiration for the new Merkava tank characteristics from the situation in Ukraine, where anti-tank missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are the main dangers to the tank.
The commander of the tank crew is outfitted with a customised helmet that offers a 360-degree vision, much like an F-35 fighter pilot.
Additionally, the helmet contains a built-in data monitor. The computer provides assessments of the damage to the tank as well as basic information about the target and recommendations for the sort of ammunition that should be utilised.
A new contemporary sensor will be incorporated into the Merkava 5 version, assisting in the faster detection of targets in the battle area and alerting the crew to potential UAV threats so that the crew can activate the electronic warfare system.
We think the conflict in Ukraine, where the main tanks performed poorly on the battlefield, was the catalyst for Israel to produce the upgraded Merkava 5. The body frame has also undergone numerous revisions in the current edition, particularly the defensive armour.
With the new improvements, the Israeli military can demonstrate that on the battlefield, drones fall short of tanks.
Although the electronic warfare equipment on the tank is unclear, it has the potential to interfere with operations and perhaps render the UAV useless.
One of the few nations where the stockpile of tanks exceeds the number of operational tanks is Israel. The Israeli military presently employs 490 Merkava tanks, mostly the Merkava Mk4 model, according to statistics from 2021. The stockpile currently has 880 tanks, which is nearly twice as many.
The Merkava Mk4, which is estimated to cost $ 4.5 million, is superior to Germany’s Leopard 2 and Russia’s T-90 as the best main tank model available today.
This tank model, which has an autonomous computer-controlled fire system, is at the cutting edge of modular design.
The Trophy active defence system is also included with the Merkava Mk4 weapon. The military of Western nations and numerous North Atlantic Treaty Organization members have acknowledged the Trophy system, which has protected Israeli tanks against threats for the previous ten years (NATO).
Hezbollah members are said to have fired approximately 1,000 anti-tank weapons during the 2009 fighting in Lebanon, however only 52 Israeli tanks, primarily the older Merkava Mk2 and Mk3 models, were damaged.
A 1,500 horsepower turbocharged diesel engine is used by the Merkava tanks to propel them to a top speed of 64 km/h. The Israeli Merkava tank is thought to be substantially more fuel-efficient than the American M1 Abrams tank.
