New IDF Barak tanks. (Defense Ministry and Israel Defense Forces)
On September 19, the Israeli Ministry of Defense and the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) unveiled the 5th generation Merkava battle tanks, dubbed “Barak”.
The Barak was developed over the past five years by the Defense Ministry’s Armored Vehicles Directorate and the IDF’s Ground Forces and Armored Corps. The tank includes systems developed by several Israeli defense contractors, including Elbit Systems, Rafael, and the Israel Aerospace Industries’ Elta subsidiary, among other companies.
The Israeli MoD said that the Barak tanks are equipped with “a wide infrastructure of reliable sensors” to detect targets, and intelligence information can be shared between the tank and other parts of the military, which will be “a real revolution on the battlefield.”
“The Barak tank will strengthen the capabilities of detecting enemies and will enable fighting against an enemy with a reduced signature and in all combat scenarios, on the current and future battlefield, against the entirety of threats that exist for the maneuvering force,” the ministry said.
The commander of the Bakra would be equipped with a helmet developed by Elbit that provides a full view of their surroundings and displays relevant information about ongoing fighting.
Elbit said the helmet, dubbed IronVision, “generates an image that enables the crew to ‘see through’ the vehicle’s armor” and will help the soldiers “overcome inherent visibility limitations, while improving mission efficiency and safety.”
Barak tanks also include an advanced active protection system, the Windbreaker, developed by Rafael, which is inexplicably known as the Trophy system outside of Israel. The system is made up of a radar detection system that spots incoming projectiles and predicts their trajectories, and launchers that fire buckshot-like metal pellets for interception.
The ministry said the Barak tanks’ firepower has also received a “significant upgrade,” increasing the “lethality” of the military. The fire control system, developed by Elbit, enables “accurate attacks while idle and while moving” during the day or night, with improved ranges, according to the defense firm.
“The Barak tank has capabilities and means to close circles of fire between all the forces fighting on land and in the air, in a way that will reduce time and increase accuracy in battle,” the ministry said.
The first batch of Barak tanks were delivered to the 52nd Armored Battalion of the IDF’s 401st Brigade. The tank is expected to replace older versions of the Merkava Mark IV.
Praising the Barak, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that the tank was “an extraordinary leap forward” in the Armored Corps capabilities that “guarantee the IDF’s qualitative advantage every time, in defense and attack.”
As Israel continues to modernize and strengthen its tank fleet, its foes continue to work on solutions to defeat the newer versions of the Merkava. Last month, Lebanese Hezbollah unveiled a dual launcher for Russian-made Kornet missiles which can in theory defeat tanks equipped with the Windbreaker system.
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