Israel Unveils Merkava Barak 5th Gen Battle Tank

Israel's Ministry of Defense has revealed the Merkava Barak, a new 5th generation battle tank, delivered to the 52nd Armored Battalion of the 401st Brigade.

The Merkava Barak tank is the result of a five-year joint development effort involving the Defense Ministry's Armored Vehicles Directorate, the IDF's Ground Forces, and the Armored Corps, along with contributions from Israeli defense firms, including Elbit Systems, Rafael, and Israel Aerospace Industries' Elta subsidiary.

The tank incorporates advanced technology, such as improved sights, enhanced night vision, Fire Control Systems for Main Battle Tanks (MBT), E-LynX Software-Defined Radios (SDR), and the IronVision Head-Mounted Display for comprehensive situational awareness. It boasts a sophisticated sensor infrastructure for target detection and facilitates seamless information sharing within the military. It also features IronVision helmet, developed by Elbit, which offers panoramic visibility and relevant battle data. The tank's sealed design enhances crew safety and combat efficiency, eliminating the need for open hatches, Elbit systems said in several tweets.

Armament

The tank is equipped with a 120 mm smoothbore gun developed by Israel Military Industries, capable of firing high-penetration shells and guided munitions at a distance of up to 4,000 metres.

The tank's additional armament includes a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun, another 7.62 mm machine gun mounted on the right side of the turret, and an internally located 60 mm breech-loading mortar.