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71-522: The Toophan comes in at least 11 variants, many of which are poorly documented, including variants with laser guidance , thermobaric warheads, and tandem-warheads with increased penetration. The Toophan is manufactured jointly by the Aerospace Industries Organization of Iran and Iran Electronics Industries. It is normally deployed from ground-based tripods, but can also be mounted on fighting vehicles and helicopters. Like

142-663: A 105 mm IMI M64 gun, a license-built variant of the M68 . The Mark 3, Mark 3 Dor Dalet BAZ kassag , and the Mark 4 are armed with an IMI 120 mm smoothbore gun which can fire almost all versions of Western 120 mm smooth bore tank ammunition, as well as the LAHAT anti-tank guided missile. Each model of the Merkava has two roof-mounted 7.62 mm machine guns for use by the commander and loader and another mounted co-axially with

213-462: A 360° virtual reality view of a tank's surroundings to crew members' helmet displays while protected inside. Israeli company Elbit developed the system for the F-35 fighter aircraft. The Merkava has participated in the following actions. The Merkava was used widely during the 1982 Lebanon War. The tank outperformed contemporary Syrian tanks (mostly T-62s ), and its front proved largely immune to

284-747: A 60 mm mortar mounted externally, with the mortar operator not completely protected by the tank's hull. The general design borrows the tracks and road wheels from the British Centurion tank , which had seen extensive use during the Yom Kippur war. The Merkava was first used in combat during the 1982 Lebanon War , where Israel deployed 180 units. Although they were a success, the M113 APCs that accompanied them were found to have several defects and were withdrawn. Merkavas were converted into makeshift APCs or armored ambulances by taking out

355-598: A brief set of trials, work began to retool the Tel HaShomer ordnance depot for full-time development and construction. After the new facilities were completed, the Merkava was announced to the public in the International Defense Review periodical. The first official images of the tank were released to the American periodical Armed Forces Journal on May 4, 1977. The IDF officially adopted

426-431: A centralised system that takes data from tracked units and UAVs in theater, displays it on color screens, and distributes it in encrypted form to all other units in a given theater equipped with BMS. The Merkava IV has been designed for fast repair and replacement of damaged armour, with modular armour that can be easily removed and replaced. It is designed to be cost-effective in production and maintenance. The tank has

497-571: A direct energy system capable of intercepting drones and cruise missiles. The Merkava Mark IV tank also has enhanced armor on top of the turret, providing more protection to the crew against drone strikes. A main feature of the Barak, unveiled in July 2018, is the integration of the Iron Vision helmet-mounted augmented reality system , using high-resolution cameras arrayed around the tank to provide

568-483: A faint black band on the rear end of the launcher. Toophan missiles, on their packaging, are instead labeled as TOW missiles; for example a Toophan 2M is labeled as a "TOW 2M". Modern TOW tripods have black rings, while Toophan tripods have yellow rings. Internally, Toophan missiles have different screw placement and cylindrical launch motor nozzles. Beam-riding Beam-riding , also known as Line-Of-Sight Beam Riding (LOSBR) , beam guidance or radar beam riding

639-699: A high-performance air conditioning system, and can be fitted with a toilet for long-duration missions. The Merkava Mark 4M (Mk 4M) Windbreaker is a Merkava Mark 4 equipped with the Trophy active protection system (APS), designated "Meil Ruach" ( Hebrew : מעיל רוח ; "Windbreaker" or "Wind Coat"). Mass production of Mark 4M tanks began in 2009, and the first whole brigade of Mark 4Ms was declared operational in 2011. The Trophy APS successfully intercepted rocket-propelled grenades and anti-tank missiles , including 9M133 Kornets , fired by Hamas before and during Operation Protective Edge in 2014. A midlife upgrade for

710-1016: A large number of non-state actors in the Middle East , and has been used in the Iran–Iraq War , the 2006 Lebanon War and the Iraqi, Syrian, and Yemeni Civil Wars. Iran was among the earliest countries to import the TOW missile, as far back as 1971. Extensive repair and assembly facilities were set up at the Iran Electronics Industries (IEI) by the Texas-based Emerson Energy Systems, as well as Hughes Missile Systems , to repair TOW and FGM-77A Dragon missiles. In May 1975, negotiations between Iran and Hughes Missile Systems on co-production of TOW and AGM-65 Maverick missiles stalled over disagreements in

781-479: A much larger 12.7 mm machine gun for anti-vehicle operations (most commonly used against technicals ). The Mark IV has the Israeli-designed TSAWS (tracks, springs, and wheels system) caterpillar track system, called " Mazkom " ( Hebrew : מערכת זחלים קפיצים ומרכובים, מזקו"ם ) by troops. This system is designed to reduce track-shedding under the harsh basalt rock conditions of Lebanon and

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852-544: A target's laser warning receivers to detect. Very low power signals can be used. In modern use, laser beam riding is generally limited to short-range missiles, both anti-air and anti-tank. Examples include ADATS , the Starstreak , the RBS 70 , Russian 9K121 Vikhr and 9M119 Svir , Ukrainian Skif and Stuhna-P ATGMs . Merkava The Merkava ( Hebrew : מֶרְכָּבָה , [mɛʁkaˈva] , " chariot ")

923-688: Is a series of main battle tanks used by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the backbone of the IDF's Armored Corps . Current iterations of this tank are considered broadly equivalent to the capabilities of the M1 Abrams , Leopard 2 and the Challenger 2 . The current iteration of this vehicle also shares the same MTU EuroPowerPack powerplant as a number of other tank platforms. Development began in 1970, and its first generation,

994-414: Is a technique of directing a missile to its target by means of radar or a laser beam . The name refers to the way the missile flies down the guidance beam, which is aimed at the target. It is one of the simplest guidance systems and was widely used on early missile systems, however it had a number of disadvantages for long-range targeting and is now found typically only in short-range roles. Beam riding

1065-430: Is based on a signal that is pointed towards the target. The signal does not have to be powerful, as it is not necessary to use it for tracking as well. The main use of this kind of system is to destroy airplanes or tanks. First, an aiming station (possibly mounted on a vehicle) in the launching area directs a narrow radar or laser beam at the enemy aircraft or tank. Then, the missile is launched and at some point after launch

1136-516: Is not a problem at short ranges, but as many early surface-to-air missiles were designed to work at long ranges, this was a major issue. For example, earlier versions of the RIM-2 Terrier missile introduced in the 1950s were beam riders, but later variants employed semi-active radar homing to improve their effectiveness against high-performance and low-flying targets. In contrast to beam riding, semi-active guidance becomes more accurate as

1207-576: Is poorly documented, but Toophan-1 missiles seem to be the most common. Furthermore, the Kurdish YPG militia has used Toophan 1 missiles as well. The missiles have since proliferated to a wide range of non-state actors operating in Syria. In addition, Toophan missiles have been captured by groups fighting the Syrian government, including ISIS and al-Nusra. The first known Iraqi group to receive Toophans

1278-401: Is possible to spatially encode additional information in a beam using digital or electro-optical means, which has a number of advantages. Missiles with small optical receivers on their tail can beam-ride on lasers with similar ease as earlier radar beam systems, but will be inherently more accurate due to the higher spatial resolution of the beam's encoding at the target. Additionally, because

1349-420: Is stronger. The radar is then rotated towards the stronger signal to re-center the target. The antenna is spun so that this comparison is being carried out all around the target, allowing it to track in both altitude and azimuth. Systems that performed this automatically were known as " lock on " or "lock follow". Beam riding systems can be easily adapted to work with such a system. By placing receiver antennas on

1420-472: Is the original design created as a result of Israel Tal's decision, and was fabricated and designed for mass production . The Mark 1 weighed 63 tonnes and had a 908 horsepower (677 kW) diesel engine, with a power-to-weight ratio of 14 hp/Tonne. It was armed with the 105 millimeter M64 L71A main gun (a licensed copy of the American M68 ), two 7.62 mm machine guns for anti-infantry defense, and

1491-433: Is used on all sides, including the top and a V-shaped belly armor pack for the underside. This modular system is designed to allow damaged tanks to be rapidly repaired and returned to the field. Because rear armor is thinner, chains with iron balls are attached to detonate projectiles before they hit the main armored hull. It is the first contemporary tank without a loader's hatch in the turret roof, because any aperture in

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1562-418: Is “gathered” by the radar or laser beam when it flies into it. From this stage onwards, the missile attempts to keep itself inside the beam, while the aiming station keeps the beam pointing at the target. The missile, controlled by a computer inside it, “rides” the beam to the target. Beam riding is one of the simplest methods of missile guidance using a radar. It was widely used for surface-to-air missiles in

1633-640: The 2006 Lebanon War . The Toophan missile has seen extensive use in the Syrian Civil War. Hezbollah has used Toophan missiles in the war and is one of the missile's most prominent users. The missiles have also been provided to the Syrian Army and Iranian-backed Shiite militias in Syria. Toophan missiles first appeared in Syria reportedly in October 2015. Overall the Toophan missile's use in Syria

1704-610: The IAI Lavi program of the Israeli Air Force to make the tank harder to spot and target by heat sensors and radar. The Mark 4 includes the larger 120 mm main gun of the previous versions, but can fire a wider variety of ammunition, including high-explosive anti-tank (HEAT), and sabot rounds like the armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot (APFSDS) kinetic energy penetrator , using an electrical semi-automatic revolving magazine for 10 rounds. It also includes

1775-545: The Yom Kippur War to 1.5 during the 1982 Lebanon War to 1 during the 2006 Lebanon War proving how, even in the face of the improvement in anti-tank weaponry, the Merkava series tanks provide increasingly better protection to its crew. The IDF wanted to increase orders of new Merkava Mark 4 tanks, and planned to add the Trophy active defense system to Merkava Mark 4 tanks, and to increase joint training between crews and Israeli anti-tank soldiers. The Merkava Mark IV

1846-437: The 1980s and 90s with the introduction of low-cost and highly portable laser designators . Due to the shorter wavelengths used, a laser beam can be projected with a much narrower angular resolution than a radar beam while not requiring a significant increase in the size of the projector's aperture when compared to other optical devices being used by a typical guidance system for precision-guided munitions . Because of this, it

1917-538: The BGM-71 TOW missile, the Toophan is a large, rugged, powerful, and reliable anti-tank guided missile deployed by small teams against tanks, armored vehicles, buildings, and other targets. The Toophan forms the backbone of the Iranian Armed Forces' ATGM inventory and is procured in large quantities in a variety of variants. The Toophan has been exported to the governments of Iraq and Syria and to

1988-673: The Golan Heights. The model has a new fire-control system, the El-Op Knight Mark 4 . An Amcoram LWS-2 laser warning receiver notifies the crew of threats like laser-guided anti-tank missiles and the fire-control system can launch smoke grenades to obscure the tank from the laser beam. Electromagnetic warning against radar illumination is also installed. The tank carries the Israeli Elbit Systems BMS (Battle Management System; Hebrew: צי"ד),

2059-440: The IDF had begun a plan to take the old models out of storage and repurpose them as heavy armored personnel carriers. Cannons, turrets, and spaces used to store tank shells inside the hull were removed to create a personnel carrier that outperforms the lighter M113 APC. Converting hundreds of Mark II chassis provides a low-cost way to upgrade support units' abilities to perform medical, logistical, and rescue missions. By late 2016,

2130-520: The Mark 4. The Merkava Mark 4 began development in 1999, and production in 2004. The upgrade's development was announced in an October 1999 edition of the military publication Bamachaneh ("At the Camp"). However, the Merkava Mark 3 remained in production until 2003. The first Merkava IVs were in production in limited numbers by the end of 2004. Removable modular armor , from the Merkava Mark 3D,

2201-488: The Merkava II, it has upgrades to the drivetrain, powertrain, armament, and electronic systems. The most prominent addition was the incorporation of the locally developed IMI 120 mm gun . This gun and a larger 1,200 horsepower (890 kW) diesel engine raised the total weight of the tank to 65 tonnes ( 143 000  lb), but the larger engine raised the maximum cruising speed to 60 km/h (37 mph). The turret

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2272-592: The Merkava Mark 1, entered official service in 1979. Four main variants have been deployed. As of 2023, Merkava Mark 4 Barak is the latest version. The Merkava was first used extensively in the 1982 Lebanon War . The name "Merkava" was derived from the IDF's initial development program name. The tank was developed in the Merkava and Armored Combat Vehicles Division of the Israeli Ministry of Defense , and most of its parts are manufactured in Israel. The Merkava

2343-546: The Mk. 4M that is somewhat of a bridge between the Mk. 4M and the Mk. 4 Barak. The Merkava Mark 4 Barak (Lightning) entered service in 2023. The tank has an upgraded Trophy APS , 360-degree day/night camera coverage for boosted situational awareness, a fighter jet–style helmet-mounted display for the tank commander, and new sensors enabling it to independently acquire targets and strike them rapidly, as well as having electronic warfare abilities and advanced processing systems, and

2414-399: The Toophan name. Toophan missiles can be fired from TOW launchers, and their components are generally interchangeable. A number of sources say that the Toophan's quality is inferior to that of original American-made TOW missiles, but is still robustly capable. In 2014 Iran showed a Toophan/TOW simulator they built for helicopter-launched missiles. In a December 2016 military exercise Iran used

2485-575: The anti-tank weapons of the time (the AT-3 Sagger and RPG-7 ) that were used against it. It was judged to be a significant improvement over Israel's formerly most effective main battle tank, the Centurion . Israel lost dozens of tanks during the conflict, including several Merkavas. In February 2002, a Merkava III was destroyed by a roadside bomb near Netzarim in the Gaza Strip. The tank

2556-406: The beam is usually projected directly onto the missile's receiver, an order of magnitude less intensity is needed than a semi-active design where the target must be "painted" and the missile must detect the laser's diffuse reflection from the target. The lower intensity requirement of laser beam riding systems compared to semi-active laser homing systems can make them significantly more difficult for

2627-510: The conflict against both tanks and dismounted infantry. Some 45 percent of all tanks and armoured vehicles hit with anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) during the conflict suffered some form of armour penetration. In total, 15 tank crewmen were killed by these ATGM penetrations. The penetrations were caused by tandem warhead missiles. Hezbollah weaponry was believed to include Russian RPG-29 'Vampir', AT-5 'Konkurs' , AT-13 'Metis-M' , and laser-guided AT-14 'Kornet' HEAT missiles. The RPG-29

2698-472: The first half of the war, with the TOW missile being prioritized due to its better performance. The earliest prototype version was ready in mid-1985, but performance was disappointing compared to Iran's US-made TOW missiles, which received widespread praise in Iran at the time. Following about a year and a half more of R&D work, the Toophan was tested against Iraqi tanks and showed better performance. The missile

2769-551: The last conscripted brigade to operate Merkava 2 was scheduled to transition to Merkava III and Merkava IV tanks for battlefield missions, relegating the vehicles to reserve forces for border patrols during conflicts and conversion to personnel carriers. The Merkava Mark 3 was introduced in December 1989 and was in production until 2003. As of 2016, the Merkava III was the most numerous tank in frontline IDF service. Compared to

2840-646: The late 1960s, the Israeli Army collaborated on certain design aspects for the British Chieftain tank which had originally been introduced into British Army service in 1965, with a view to Israel purchasing and domestically producing the vehicle. Two Chieftain prototypes were delivered as part of a four-year trial. However, it was eventually decided not to sell the Chieftain to the Israelis, as

2911-441: The main crew compartment allowing easy access under enemy fire. This allows the tank to be used as a platform for medical disembarkation (with no ammunition, the Merkava can hold up to 4 stretchers, but this is only an emergency measure), a forward command and control station, and an infantry fighting vehicle . The rear entrance's clamshell -style doors provide overhead protection when off- and on-loading cargo and personnel. During

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2982-511: The main gun. A 60 mm mortar is also fitted for firing smoke rounds or suppressing dug-in infantry anti-tank teams. All Merkava tanks are fitted with a remote-controlled M2 Browning .50 caliber heavy machine gun, aligned with the main gun and controlled from within the turret. The tank's 1,119 kW turbocharged diesel engine was designed by MTU and is manufactured under license by L-3 Communication Combat Propulsion Systems (formerly General Dynamics). The Mark 1, operational since 1979,

3053-594: The missile against naval targets. In 2018 Iran showed off thermal-sights which can be used with the Toophan. The Toophan can be mounted on Boragh APCs, ATVs , or Safir jeeps. Toophan missiles can be repaired by Iran's Shiraz Electronics Industries. The Toophan was later developed into the Sadid-1 , an ambitious project to build a competitor to the Israeli Spike-ER fire-and-forget missile for attack helicopters and drones. The Sadid-1 had limited success, but

3124-450: The missile approaches the target. Another issue is the guidance path of the missile is essentially a straight line to the target. This is useful for missiles with a great speed advantage over their target, or where flight times are short, but for long-range engagements against high-performance targets the missile will need to "lead" the target in order to arrive with enough energy to do terminal manoeuvres. A possible solution for this problem

3195-402: The order of 1 ⁄ 10 of a degree are required. To perform both operations in a single radar, some additional form of encoding is used. For WWII-era systems this was either lobe switching , or more commonly by the second half of the war, conical scanning . Conical scanning works by splitting the single radar beam in two, and comparing the return strength in the two beams to determine which

3266-434: The palleted ammunition racks in storage. Ten soldiers or walking wounded could enter and exit through the rear door. After the war, many adjustments and additions were noted and designed, including the need for the 60 mm mortar to be installed within the hull and engineered for remote firing—a valuable feature that the Israelis had initially encountered on their Centurion Mk3s with their 2" Mk.III mortar . A shot trap

3337-421: The performance of Merkava tanks, especially the latest version Merkava Mark 4, most tank crews agree that, in spite of the losses sustained and some major flaws in tactical conduct, the tank proved its mettle in its first high-saturation combat." On a comparison done by the armor corps newsletter, it was shown that the average number of crewmen killed per tank penetrated by missile/rocket was reduced from 2 during

3408-553: The post- World War II era for this reason. An early example was the British Brakemine , first tested in 1944, as was the first commercially available SAM, the Oerlikon Contraves RSA . Early tracking radars generally use a beam a few degrees wide, which makes it easy to find the target as it moves about. Unfortunately, this makes the beam too wide to accurately attack the target, where measurements on

3479-419: The previous year's incursion into Lebanon. The Mark II used the same 105 mm main gun and 7.62 mm machine guns as the Mark I, but the 60 mm mortar was redesigned during construction to be located within the hull and configured for remote firing to remove the need to expose the operator to enemy small-arms fire. An Israeli-designed automatic transmission and increased fuel storage for increased range

3550-561: The pricing structure. Hughes set the royalty and initial investment costs for Iran at $ 20 million for the TOW and $ 25 million for the Maverick. The subsequent Iranian Revolution in 1979 ended all plans for such co-production. The Iran–Iraq war lead to Iran having an acute need for anti-tank guided missiles to counter Iraq's massive armored formations, leading Iran to import thousands more TOW missiles, as well as Soviet AT-3 Sagger ATGMs. Attempts at local production of both systems began in

3621-407: The rear of the missile, the onboard electronics can compare the strength of the signal from different points on the missile body and use this to create a control signal to steer it back into the center of the beam. When used with conical scanning, the comparison can use several sets of paired antennas, typically two pairs, to keep itself centered in both axes. This system has the advantage of offloading

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3692-402: The rear than in most main battle tanks. With the engine in front, this layout is intended to provide additional protection against a frontal attack, so as to absorb some of the force of incoming shells and projectiles, especially for the personnel in the main hull, such as the driver. It also creates more space in the rear of the tank that allows increased storage capacity and a rear entrance to

3763-500: The seven personnel (four crewmen and three infantrymen) on board. In total, five Merkava tanks (two Merkava IIs, one Merkava III, and two Merkava IVs) were destroyed. Of these two Merkava Mark 4, one was damaged by an IED, and the other being destroyed by a Russian AT-14 'Kornet' missile. The Israeli military said that it was satisfied with the Merkava Mark IV's performance, and attributed problems to insufficient training before

3834-410: The tank in December 1979. The lead organization for system integration of the Merkava's main components is Israel Military Industries (IMI). The Israeli Ordnance Corps are responsible for final Merkava assembly. More than 90% of the Merkava 4 tank's components are produced locally in Israel by Israeli defense industries. Contributors to the vehicle include: The Merkava Mark 1 and 2 were armed with

3905-516: The tanks were already being supplied to Arab countries, which prompted them to follow their own development programme. Israel Tal , who was serving as a brigade commander after the Suez Crisis , restarted plans to produce an indigenous Israeli tank, utilizing information learned from the 1973 Yom Kippur War – when Israel had suffered heavy losses of mechanized armour. By 1974, initial designs were completed and prototypes were built. After

3976-434: The tracking to the ground radar; as long as the radar can keep itself accurately pointed at the target, the missile will keep itself along the same line using very simple electronics. The inherent disadvantage of the radar beam riding system is that the beam spreads as it travels outward from the broadcaster (see inverse square law ). As the missile flies towards the target, it, therefore, becomes increasingly inaccurate. This

4047-627: The turret roof increases risk of penetration by ATGMs . Tank rounds are stored in individual fire-proof canisters, which reduce the chance of cook-offs in a fire inside the tank. The turret is electrically, rather than hydraulically, powered (hydraulic turrets use flammable liquid that ignites if the turret is penetrated) and "dry": no active rounds are stored in it. Some features, such as hull shaping, exterior non-reflective paints ( radar cross-section reduction), and shielding for engine heat plumes mixing with outside air (reduced infrared signature ) to confuse enemy thermal imagers , were carried over from

4118-646: The war. In total, 50 Merkava tanks (predominantly Merkava IIs and IIIs) were hit, eight of which remained serviceable on the battlefield. 21 tanks suffered armour penetrations (15 from missiles, and 6 from IEDs and anti-tank mines). After the 2006 war, and as the IDF becomes increasingly involved in unconventional and guerrilla warfare , some analysts say the Merkava is too vulnerable to advanced anti-tank missiles, that in their man-portable types can be fielded by guerrilla warfare opponents. Other post-war analysts, including David Eshel, disagree, arguing that reports of losses to Merkavas were overstated and that "summing up

4189-596: Was Asaib-Ahl-Al-Haq in 2014. The Badr Organization obtained Toophans in 2015 and the Toophan has since been provided to other Shiite militias organized under the Popular Mobilization Units . Iraq's Federal Police have also been delivered Toophans. Iran has shipped Toophan missiles to the Houthis in Yemen as well, where they have been used in combat. The first video of Houthis using a Toophan missile

4260-526: Was able to defeat the advanced reactive armor on the Merkava 4. The IDF reported finding Kornet ATGMs on Hezbollah positions in the village of Ghandouriyeh. Several months after the cease-fire, reports have provided detailed photographic evidence that Kornet ATGMs were indeed both possessed and used by Hezbollah in this area. Another Merkava IV tank crewman was killed when a tank ran over an improvised explosive device (IED). This tank had additional V-shaped underside armor, limiting casualties to just one of

4331-401: Was designed to provide maximum protection for its crew, and therefore its front armor was fortified and the engine placed in the front part of the tank, unlike most other tanks. Design criteria include rapid repair of battle damage, survivability, cost-effectiveness, and off-road performance. Following the model of contemporary self-propelled howitzers , the turret assembly is located closer to

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4402-468: Was destroyed near the Kissufim Crossing , when one soldier was killed and two wounded. During the 2006 Lebanon War, five Merkava tanks were destroyed. Most of the tanks engaged were Merkava IIIs and earlier versions; only a few of the tanks used during the war were Merkava Mark 4, since by 2006 they had entered service in limited numbers. Hezbollah fired over 1,000 anti-tank missiles during

4473-461: Was found beneath the rear of the turret bustle , where a well-placed shot could jam the turret completely. The installation of chain netting to disperse and destroy rocket propelled grenades and anti-tank rockets before impacting the primary armor increased survivability. The Mark II was first introduced into general service in April 1983. It incorporated numerous small adjustments as a result of

4544-439: Was installed on all further Mark IIs. Anti-rocket netting was fitted for increased survivability against infantry equipped with anti-tank rockets. Many minor improvements were made to the fire-control system . Updated meteorological sensors , crosswind analyzers, and thermographic optics and image intensifiers gave greater visibility and battlefield awareness. Newer versions of the original Mark II were designated: In 2015

4615-510: Was lured into intervening in an attack on a settler convoy. The tank went over a heavy mine (estimated 100 kg TNT), which detonated and totally destroyed the tank. Four soldiers were killed in the blast. This was the first main battle tank to be destroyed during the Second Intifada . A second Merkava II or Merkava III, was destroyed a month later in the same area and a further three soldiers were killed. A third Merkava II or III tank

4686-815: Was published in November 2018. Given that the Toophan is reverse-engineered from the US TOW missile, the identification of Toophan missiles versus TOW missiles is difficult. The Toophan ATGM is very similar to the American BGM-71 TOW ATGM from which it is reverse-engineered. Toophan missiles, launchers, control units, and crates are essentially interchangeable with their American counterparts and are regularly mixed together. The many variations of TOW and Toophan missiles also poses challenges. Toophan missiles can often be identified by their turquoise bands installed by Iran's Defense Industries Organization or by

4757-491: Was re-engineered for movement independent of the tank chassis , allowing it to track a target regardless of the tank's movement. Many other changes were made, including: The 1995 Mark 3 BAZ (Hebrew acronym for ברק זוהר , Barak Zoher , signifying Shining Lightning ) had several updates and added systems including: The last generation of the Mark 3 class was the Mark 3D Dor-Dalet (Hebrew: Fourth Generation ), which included several components as prototypes to be introduced in

4828-517: Was shown on an Iranian TV show on March 21, 1987, and production of what would be named the Toophan 1 began by early 1988. R&D and production work continued through the 1990s. The missile was not publicly revealed until 2000, when the Toophan 1 and Toophan 2 were publicly unveiled at the same time. The Toophan has since become Iran's primary anti-tank guided missile. In addition to Toophan missiles, Iran also produces reverse engineered tripod launchers, guidance sets, and storage boxes, all of which bear

4899-471: Was to use two radars, one for tracking the target and another for guiding the missile, but this drove up implementation costs. A more common solution for long-range missiles was to guide the missile entirely independently of the radar, using command guidance , as was the case for the Nike Hercules . Pure radar beam riding was rare by 1960. Beam riding guidance based systems became more common again in

4970-604: Was used more extensively during the Gaza War , as it had been received by the IDF in increasing numbers since 2006, replacing more of the Merkava II and III versions of the tank that were in service. One brigade of Merkava IVs managed to bisect the Gaza strip in five hours without Israeli casualties. The commander of the brigade stated that battlefield tactics had been greatly revised since 2006. Tactics had also been modified to focus on asymmetric or guerrilla war threats, in addition to

5041-632: Was used to develop the successful Sadid-345 glide bomb, which in turn spun off a smaller counterpart, the Qaem air-to-ground munition. In 2018, it's reported that the Toophan can have the “RU244TK” and “RU150TK” thermal imaging cameras attached. Prototype versions of the Toophan-1 were used in the tail end of the Iran–Iraq War. Hezbollah received Toophan missiles in the early 2000s and used them against Israeli Merkava tanks and other vehicles during

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