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The Failure of the Israeli Merkava MBT !

You can't label a tank's destruction or damaging as failure. If (most of ) the crew survives, or tends to survive at a higher rate than in comparable vehicles, then it has been a succes at at least one of the things what it has been designed for.

Any tank or armored vehicle put in an urban combat situation is at risk of damage or destruction. A full combined arms approach can limit the risk (esp. close cooperation with infantry) but cannot eliminate it. Urban warfare simply is costly that way.

Only ignorant people believe tank (even the most modern ones) are somehow invincible or invulnerable. A modern ICF with 35-40mm cannon can take out any tank, just not always from the frontal arc or the longest range. So can AT(G)W equipped infantry groups, esp. if they isolate and surround the target (single or multiple vehicles) and attack from multiple directions at once. That is not a failure of the tank or armored vehicle in question.
 
You can't label a tank's destruction or damaging as failure. If (most of ) the crew survives, or tends to survive at a higher rate than in comparable vehicles, then it has been a succes at at least one of the things what it has been designed for.

Any tank or armored vehicle put in an urban combat situation is at risk of damage or destruction. A full combined arms approach can limit the risk (esp. close cooperation with infantry) but cannot eliminate it. Urban warfare simply is costly that way.

Only ignorant people believe tank (even the most modern ones) are somehow invincible or invulnerable. A modern ICF with 35-40mm cannon can take out any tank, just not always from the frontal arc or the longest range. So can AT(G)W equipped infantry groups, esp. if they isolate and surround the target (single or multiple vehicles) and attack from multiple directions at once. That is not a failure of the tank or armored vehicle in question.

First was right, but I'm pretty sure 40mm or 35mm cannons cannot even penetrate modern tanks from the front, maybe even the sides.
 
First was right, but I'm pretty sure 40mm or 35mm cannons cannot even penetrate modern tanks from the front, maybe even the sides.

A tanks best armor it over the frontal arc. Tank v tank these days is 120mm v 125mm guns. So, obviously you would aim for the hull sides and rear and turret rear arc.


40ct10.jpg


60DEG+NATO+OBLIQ.jpg

penet+graph.jpg


wn1sm7m.png


The M2 Bradley can use ammunition such as APDS and APFSDS. The M791 APDS-T will penetrate 25mm RHA at a 60-deg angle at 1,300 meters range. The newer M919 APFSDS-T does substantially better: 31mm/60/2,000m. A tungsten-cored 30x173 APFSDS-T round fired from a gun like Bushmaster II or Mauser Mk 30 can penetrate in the order of 53mm/60/1,000m for comparison. Clearly none of this is a starter against the frontal armor of any modern tank. But sides and rear is a different thing, esp. for older tanks.

Leo2sideLOS.jpg


M1A1_HA_sideLOS.jpg

Challenger2sideLOS_B.jpg


T-55AMpancerzgrubo15B01070_zps65dd85b1.jpg%7Eoriginal
 
A tanks best armor it over the frontal arc. Tank v tank these days is 120mm v 125mm guns. So, obviously you would aim for the hull sides and rear and turret rear arc.


40ct10.jpg


60DEG+NATO+OBLIQ.jpg

penet+graph.jpg


wn1sm7m.png


The M2 Bradley can use ammunition such as APDS and APFSDS. The M791 APDS-T will penetrate 25mm RHA at a 60-deg angle at 1,300 meters range. The newer M919 APFSDS-T does substantially better: 31mm/60/2,000m. A tungsten-cored 30x173 APFSDS-T round fired from a gun like Bushmaster II or Mauser Mk 30 can penetrate in the order of 53mm/60/1,000m for comparison. Clearly none of this is a starter against the frontal armor of any modern tank. But sides and rear is a different thing, esp. for older tanks.

Leo2sideLOS.jpg


M1A1_HA_sideLOS.jpg

Challenger2sideLOS_B.jpg


T-55AMpancerzgrubo15B01070_zps65dd85b1.jpg%7Eoriginal

Hey, do you have information about the Merkava's armor?
Because I can only find about the turret-
https://www.google.co.il/search?q=m...hXBvRoKHaRNAhUQ_AUIBigB#imgrc=eWcNIWnBt-irbM:
I am mostly here to debunk idiots that talk about Israel and its equipment.
I am sure IFVs with 35mm cannons or such can penetrate a tank, but I heard that the Merkava was modified with much more side, front and rear armor, since it was modified to also fight in urban areas.
Would thank you if you have any source on its armor.
 

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