Merkava: Israel could have one of the best tanks ever

Summary and what you need to know: Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7 made it clear that drones are increasingly being used in modern warfare, especially against armored vehicles such as battle tanks.

– However, the Israeli Merkava MBTs, equipped with modern protection systems such as the Trophy Active Protection System, proved resilient to these drone attacks.

– Designed for survivability with features such as thick armor and a unique front-mounted engine, the Merkava has been a critical asset of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for over four decades, helping to protect Israel’s borders even in the face of the threat posed by sophisticated drones.

How Israel’s Merkava tanks can survive Hamas’ deadly drone attack

Hamas’ October 7 massacre against Israel demonstrated the true power of the Gaza terror group’s drone arsenal. Like other non-state actors, Hamas relies heavily on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to carry out its attacks. Because drones are cheaper to develop and far easier to produce than other explosive devices, their presence in modern warfare – such as in the wars between Russia and Ukraine and between Israel and Hamas – has increased. Drones can perform a range of tasks, including surveillance, reconnaissance, and lethal strikes that can threaten nearly all military systems and equipment. Tiny UAVs laden with explosives can pose a particular threat to battle tanks and other armored vehicles.

As part of its attack strategy in October this year, the terror group used deadly drones against Israeli tanks. However, the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF) fleet of Merkava main battle tanks is better equipped than most of its counterparts to withstand such drone attacks.

Introducing the Merkava

The Merkava series of main battle tanks have been in service with the Israel Defense Forces’ armored forces for more than four decades. Equipped with a number of advanced features, the “Chariot” main battle tank is often described as one of the best armored vehicles of its kind in the world. The Merkava tank dates back to the early days of the Israeli state. During the 1967 Six-Day War, the Israeli Armored Forces achieved victory by deploying its fleet of American M48 Patton tanks and British Centurion tanks in the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights. Israel’s preemptive strike was not well received by some of the new country’s European allies.

Indeed, Britain decided to back out of the joint tank initiative it was planning with the Jewish state, which would have supplied Israel with its Chieftain tanks. At the same time, France imposed another embargo on the supply of its Mirage fighter planes and missile boats to Israel. By this point, Israeli politicians had realized that they could not rely on foreign allies for security.

To remedy this situation, the then commander of the Israel Defense Forces Armored Corps, Major General Israel Tal, initiated domestic production of main battle tanks in the Jewish state. The main function of the new Israeli tank was to be survivability. To minimize casualties in combat, the new tank was equipped with thick armor and a unique engine/transmission positioning to provide additional protection to the crew.

By installing the engine and transmission at the front of the tank, more space was created in the rear of the main battle tank, increasing storage capacity and crew access to enemy fire. Other tanks being developed at the time featured a rear-positioned engine, highlighting the Merkava’s unique internal structure.

Company history

The Merkava first proved to be a decisive advantage for the Israeli Defense Forces during the 1982 Lebanon War. The Merkava was superior in performance to the Syrian fleet of Soviet T-62 armored vehicles and became the backbone of the Israeli Defense Forces’ armored force.

Over the years, several new Merkava variants have been introduced, all featuring new improvements to the platform to keep an edge over the competition. Perhaps the most significant improvement to the Merkava was the Trophy Active Protection System. This countermeasure, developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, is installed on the newer Merkava 4 and Merkava 5 variants.

The self-developed system protects the Merkava from a range of projectiles, including anti-tank missiles, anti-tank guided missiles and high-explosive anti-tank shells. In addition, the Trophy system improves the tank’s ability to locate enemy main battle tanks, thereby increasing the crew’s chances of survival. The Trophy system allows the Merkava to operate more offensively on the battlefield.

As the Executive Office of the Israel Defense Forces Tank Commander School explains: “The first and most important difference in the behavior of the tank commanders (before and after Trophy) was that we were much more defensive, hiding on the battlefield and trying to get out of the range of the anti-tank systems. With Trophy, you feel like you can act more offensively, venture out a little further and take a little more risks than before.”

Israel’s focus on survivability with the Merkava has proven to be a good sign for the Israeli Defense Forces. Because Merkava tanks are better protected from drone attacks than their counterparts, Hamas terrorists were not able to destroy as many of these battle tanks during their invasion on October 7. While the Merkava is not invulnerable, it is certainly a crucial factor in helping to protect Israel’s borders.

About the author: Maya Carlin

Maya CarlinA national security writer for The National Interest, she is an analyst at the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has been featured in numerous publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin. Email the author: (email protected).