Israel To Phase Out Merkava Tank
Ryan R. Jones - All Headline News Middle East Correspondent Jerusalem (AHN) - Israel will end production of its vaunted Merkava main battle tank over the next four years, according to an Israeli financial daily. Globes reports that the Israel Defense Forces decided to phase out the Merkava prior to the summer's Lebanon war, though the tank's mediocre performance in the conflict with Hezbollah may have accelerated the process. First designed by legendary Israeli general Israel Tal in 1969, the Merkava project ended Israel's reliance on the import of foreign armor. It also gave Israel the opportunity to create a main battle tank suited to its specific needs. For years the Merkava has been regarded as the world's most advanced and safest tank. But its static defensive systems proved vulnerable to advanced Russian-made anti-tank missiles employed by Hezbollah. During the war, 47 Merkava's were destroyed or damaged by anti-tank missiles, and another two were put out of service by roadside bombs. Thirty-three Israeli soldiers lost their lives in Merkavas. A military report published following the war noted, however, that inadequately prepared reserve tank crews failed to make use of the Merkava's advanced active defense systems, which could have cut the casualty figures dramatically. With the modern battlefield shifting from classic confrontations between two well-defined armies to urban warfare against conceale |
