Israel unveils its battle tank of the future
The new tank is equipped with sensors and artificial intelligence capabilities to identify targets and threats. The budget for the production of several dozen such tanks is about $260 million
50 years after the Yom Kippur war that challenged Israel's armored forces and following a development process that lasted about five years, the Ministry of Defense and the IDF unveiled on Tuesday the new tank that will be used by the IDF's armored forces. It’s name is "Barak", and it has been described as, “The most advanced and best battle tank in the world".
According to the Ministry of Defense, the new tank has been tailored for combat on the contemporary battlefield, equipped with measures aimed at enhancing its detection and identification capabilities, firepower, and lethality, incorporating artificial intelligence technologies.
The first Barak tanks have already been delivered over the past few months to the 52nd Battalion of the 401st Brigade and every year, over the next few years, several dozen tanks of this type will be delivered to the IDF's armored forces that will gradually replace the aging Merkava 4 tanks.
The defense establishment claims that the "Barak" represents the IDF's first fifth-generation battle tank, incorporating capabilities developed by dozens of defense companies, including Rafael, Elbit Systems, and the Israel Aerospace Industries. These capabilities are centered on sensing and processing, driven by artificial intelligence, allowing for target identification via sensors both on and inside the tank.
According to the IDF and the Ministry of Defense, the "Barak" has been designed to ensure decisiveness when confronting the latest threats faced by maneuvering armored forces on the modern battlefield, including advanced anti-tank missiles. They also highlight its status as a "learning system," continually improving its survivability against future threats.
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The tank commanders will be equipped with Elbit Systems' new combat helmet - IronVision - functioning similarly to the helmets used by fighter pilots. It projects relevant combat data within the specific terrain compartment onto a mirrored visor. Armored personnel receive real-time information about their surroundings through 21" personal touch screens, based on a 360-degree scan to detect emerging threats. Recent disclosures reveal that the fire systems of the new tank possess the capability to deliver precise and lethal fire strikes before threats have the chance to act, thus safeguarding the tank's crew.
The tank's systems incorporate a new version of Rafael's active protection system, offering complete and automatic perimeter protection against RPG rockets and anti-tank missiles of all types. It intercepts and neutralizes these threats even before they are directed at the tank.
Originally planned to be named "Merkava 5" and serve as an upgraded version of the Israeli Merkava tank series, it was eventually named "Barak." This decision was made due to the substantial differences between the new tank and the previous Merkava series tanks, apart from the engine and crawler system.
The defense system has not disclosed the price of each tank, but annual budget allocations for the production of several dozen units for the IDF are estimated to be around one billion shekels. Despite the numerous innovations and advanced systems incorporated into the "Barak," its price will not increase to the extent that it would impede the supply of a few dozen tanks annually.
