Tanks and the Desert: Israel's Future Armour

摘要

Brig Gen Guy Paglin, Head of the MERKAVA and armoured platforms directorate in the Israeli MoD, told MHTech that currently, in the CARMEL programme, technologies that are relevant to the MERKAVA and APCs are being developed, with a focus on the new EITAN 8X8 APC. "Some of these technologies are already being implemented in the future versions of the MERKAVA , EITAN and NAMER APCs," he stated. He added that these technologies will enable the operation of an APC equipped with multiple systems in an intuitive manner and, in the future, with fewer crew members. If the MERKAVA production line is an indication, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) still believes in very advanced armoured platforms. This in spite of the fact that many 'classic' armoured missions are performed now by other systems, some in the air rather than on the ground.