Thanks Dwi for the pick!
Note: In the pic below you can clearly see the missile cannisters inside the tanks turret. I would love to understand the thinking behind this vehicle! Somebody tell an IDF spokesperson to drop me a line when he gets a few minutes!
Note: In the pic below you can clearly see the missile cannisters inside the tanks turret. I would love to understand the thinking behind this vehicle! Somebody tell an IDF spokesperson to drop me a line when he gets a few minutes!
About 20% of Israel traces ancestry to the former Soviet Union. So this looks like a soviet-inspired idea, see Victor Suvurov's "Inside the Red Army" chapter on organization of an army: "An independent anti-tank battalion, which has 40 IT-1 tracked anti-tank rocket launchers [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IT-1]. The existence of these battalions, and of the IT-1 itself, is a carefully guarded secret. These batteries do not form part of the anti-tank regiment, and there is a sound reason for this, since they carry out operations using quite different tactics. The independent anti-tank battalions, with their highly mobile launchers, harass the enemy constantly, making surprise attacks from vehicles and manoeuvring from area to area under the pressure exerted by the enemy's superior forces. Meanwhile the anti-tank regiment, armed with more powerful but less manoeuvrable guns, has the task of stopping the enemy tanks, at absolutely any cost, when they reach a previously defined line. Thus the more mobile battalion goes into action against the enemy's tanks from the momient the latter break through, while the anti-tank regiment, deep in the rear, is preparing an impassable barrier, behind which it will fight to the last man."
ReplyDeleteWell, the idea isn't new. The Israelis always had a penchant for mounting rockets on tanks.
ReplyDeleteIts really along the lines of the Russians where ATGM provide a long range punch that enables engagment of enemy tanks before they can close into gun range, but same goes for distruction of enemy ATGM teams and launchers , for Israelis the ATGM probably represents a precision fire element again outside the tank gun range(tank guns are qute accurate at 2000m but outside that not so much so when you need to duel with enemy ATGM teams stand of range of such missile armed tanks is of great benefit.
ReplyDeleteI think that this is more likely the thinking.
DeleteIt's more of a Infantry Support tank rather than a Anti-Tank tank. The amount of reactive armor, which helps with ATGM and RPG protection more than tank fires, bears this out.
Remember too that the Spike NLOS is almost the perfect urban weapon also plays a big part. It's ability to fire from behind cover and travel for 25+ miles while providing IIR-relayed seeker images provides a powerful urban tool.
This seems to me like a logical outgrowth of networking tanks together.
DeleteYou now have the capability for a front line of gun tanks to designate targets for the missile tanks further back. Thus, wherever an enemy presses or concentrates, missiles can be put there immediately. While reserve gun tanks would take more time to rush to a reinforcing position.
Swarm attack? Do these missiles launch in volley fire?
ReplyDeleteLooks as if the IDF is all set to chew bubble gum and kick ass, but they are all out of bubble gum.
At what level are they attached? Battalion? Brigade? Is it part of an armor unit or an artillery unit?
ReplyDeleteHow handy is it to have organic precision fires available to the unit, huh?
Are you all on drugs ? It's just the f*ing rear hatch that's open ...
ReplyDelete