By Mark Episkopos, Managing Editor, Center for Military Modernization
Israel has unveiled its advanced and hotly anticipated successor to the Merkava 4, the next-generation Merkava “Barak” Main Battle Tank (MBT).
“Sensing and front-end processing capabilities based on artificial intelligence, the ability to reveal the enemy and create targets for combat troops on the battlefield, full combat in closed ranges based on 360-degree peripheral observation and a “pilots” helmet for the commander, multi-touch screens, advanced operation controllers, adaptation to changing combat situations and improved survivability – these are just some of the capabilities of the new tank that was recently brought to service in the IDF,” read a joint statement issued by the Israeli Defense Ministry and Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
The Barak tank, explained Israeli officials, comes equipped with a sophisticated sensor array that enables the seamless sharing of battlefield information between the MBT and other IDF assets. The tank, which is described by Israeli sources as a fifth generation MBT, boasts touchscreens and a heads-up display broadly reminiscent of systems featured by modern jet fighters. The Barak tank uses components from a star-studded lineup of leading Israeli firms, including Rafael and Elbit Systems. Rafael’s WindGuard radar system, also featured on some U.S. Abrams MBT models, scans for missile threats and employs active defenses to neutralize incoming projectiles.
The announcement was accompanied by a two-minute promotional video outlining the Barak tank’s new features. The video also showed brief clips of the Barak MBT rolling through a desert and engaging its tank gun.
The previous model in the Merkava MBT series, the Merkava IV, entered service in 2004, in time to be used by the IDF in the 2006 Lebanon War. As many as 360 Merkava IV tanks were built; it is unclear how many Barak MBT’s have been ordered and what the procurement timetable is. The Barak tank was revealed in 2018, spending roughly five years in development and testing before entering service. The first serially produced Barak tanks were transferred to the 52nd Battalion of the IDF’s 401st Brigade.
The Merkava family– introduced with the Merkava Mark I which made a strong debut against Syrian T-72 tanks in the 1982 Lebanon War– has served as Israel’s primary MBT since 1979.
Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant remarked on the symbolic value of the Barak tank being unveiled in the run-up to the fifty-year anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, which saw Israeli forces fend off an assault by a Egypt and Syria-led coalition of Arab states. “It is very meaningful that during the period when we mark 50 years since the ‘Yom Kippur War’, and the heroic battles fought during this war by the soldiers of the Armored Corps in defense of our country- we receive further proof of the relevance and power of the tank as an essential tool,” Gallant said. “The Barak tank is very innovative – it takes our maneuvering capabilities to another level, and it is a clear expression of our technological capabilities.”
Mark Episkopos is the new Managing Editor of the Center for Military Modernization. Episkopos is a journalist, researcher, and analyst writing on national security and international relations issues. He is also a Ph.D. candidate in history at American University.
