Metis-M & Kornet AT Missiles vs. Merkava Tanks

[pdoktar]

The guerrilla force wins, when it does not loose, the regular army looses, when it does not win. From The WinSPMBT end quotations. Seems to work fine, especially considering modern-day media.

[PlasmaKrab]

Some intersting news, guys.

New Weapons Turning Up on Mideast Battlefields: Abizaid

Excerpts:

Gen. John Abizaid said the weapon, an RPG-29, has a dual warhead and has proved effective against most types of armored vehicles.
(...)
He said only a single RPG-29 has turned up in Iraq so far, and it was unclear how it was smuggled into the country.

[Pazam]

Hey Pyros,

Just a small correction to your post - none of the Merkava tanks use ERA plates. The Magach tanks [specifically the 6] does have ERA and Israel I believe was the first user of ERA, but the Merkava series from 1 to 4 does not. This is easily confirmed by pretty much any resource that describes the Merkava.

[JaM]

Merkava done use Explosive Reactive armor but NERA - nonexplosive reactive armor. Mk3 Dor Dalet and Mk4. Older used spaced and composite armor.

[PlasmaKrab]

If you dig a bit further into it, I think you will find that NERA is another (commercial) name for a type of composite armor also called bulging armor, which uses a layer of soft non-metallic material (e.g. rubber) to the same effect as the original explosive layer (i.e. expanding after the impact and displacing the outer metallic plate).
Since it is advertised diversely as new-generation ERA and advanced passive armor, that can cause a confusion in some sources.
More technical discussion and references here.

[serg3d]

You can find of the net the recent photo of Merkava 4 hit by AT missile into turret. Ruptured layer of armor is looking not like ERA, but like NERA - outer metall tiles bend outward and some white powedery substance spilling out.

[Pazam]

Do you have a link to a photo of that?

[Ike]

...but am interested in any comments on how WinSPMBT may already reflect this sort of a result. I look forward to doing some testing myself in the near future.

I think WinSPMBT simulates this quite well myself. ANY tank in the game is vulnerable to the latest ATGMs as in real life. I think it's a mistake however for the military circles to be writing off the tank however as outdated. Tanks were NEVER impervious and were NEVER meant to be. In southern Lebanon the Israelis never used tanks as they are supposed to be used. I think the media saying how the Merkava was a total failure is blown way out of proportion anyway. Hizbullah fired HUNDREDS of ATGMs at Merkavas and took out what?, twenty in 34 days. That's not a total failure in my opinion. I think Israeli casulties would have been much higher had they not deployed tanks. Can you imagine casulties in any war while having to clear out bunker after bunker without the direct fire support of a tanks big guns and high explosive shells?

The tank is not outdated, the militaries have just forgot how to use them and have been on the quest to build the indestructable tank. Never going to happen.

In WinSPMBT I find tanks essential to keep casulties down. Move in Infantry to spot the enemy, including the ATGM's. Then blast them with long range direct tank fire. Works for me. Maybe I lose a tank or two to the ATGM's but I come out way ahead.

[pdoktar]

The military hasnt ever said that the tank is obsolete, the media has, as you already said.