Israel-Hamas War: Israel’s fleet of armoured vehicles set to get their metal tested

The attack on Israel by Hamas on 7 October was one of the most devastating on the state since at least 1973 and almost immediately led to the launching of air strikes.

It also led to the total mobilisation of Israeli land forces which has included hundreds-of-thousands of reservists. It has also seen a gathering of some of the world’s most advanced MBTs, APCs and other vehicles on its western border with Gaza in preparation for a potential ground invasion.

At the same time Israel has been casting a wary eye towards Lebanon and the Iran-backed forces of Hezbollah.

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Most immediately, the Israeli Army has hundreds of modern Merkava Mk 4 MBTs in service and thousands of M113s in service or storage, ready to rake part if an operational plan requires it and an invasion occurs.

These forces would face urban warfare in Gaza City where larger vehicles would encounter greater challenges than they would in open conventional war, particularly with Hamas holding Israeli hostages. The M113 has struggled in similar environments previously and only a few hundred may be battle ready, according to Shephard Defence Insight. 

Jewel in the crown

Development of Israel’s Merkava MBT began half a century ago and the first version entered service in the late 1970s. It has been in almost constant upgrade and improvement. The Merkava Mk 4 entered service with the Israel Defence Force (IDF) in 2004, while in 2023 the Merkava Mk 4 Barak (also known as Merkava Mk 5) entered service.

The most particular feature of the tank is the forward-mounted engine, as opposed to most vehicles of this type, which have an engine situated at the rear. A forward-mounted engine allows the turret to be located towards the back of the vehicle and creates additional stowage space at the rear which is accessed via clamshell-style doors.

The Merkava has remained substantially the same over time in some ways – the weight, secondary armaments and operational range remain similar – but it has seen an increase in fuel capacity with each version, as well as various primary armament in each of the two later versions and other improvements.

An Israeli Merkava Mk 4 near the border with Gaza. (Photo: IDF)

The Merkava Mk 4 can accommodate up to eight soldiers by removing the additional ammunition containers stored within the tank creating an almost APC-standard capability. The vehicle has seen service in several conflicts in Lebanon and Gaza since 1982. Rolling into Gaza would not be a new scenario for the Merkava Mk 4, despite the damage that has already occurred in Gaza City after two weeks of bombing, as it would remain an urban environment.

The vehicle is a testament to Israel’s defence industry with many subsystems from guns to C4I to protection systems made locally.

More than 800 Mk1/2 Merkavas were made for the Israeli Army and almost 800 Mk 3. Six hundred-and-sixty Mk 4 have been ordered and more than 500 are believed to have entered service, with the last under the order expected to enter service in 2024.

The omnipresent M113

The M113 has been clunking through war zones, taking part in peacekeeping operations and rolling through army depots and bases since 1960. More than 80,000 vehicles have been produced in over 40 variants for use by the armed forces of more than 44 countries.

Apart from the US, which has purchased 32,000 vehicles, Israel tops the buyer’s list with 6,000 M113s, although a large number of these are in storage with only 500 believed to remain in service as noted by Shephard Defence Insight. It is not clear how many M113s Israel would be able to call upon for any invasion of Gaza but questions remain about their usefulness.

Battle experience – particularly in Operation Protective Edge in Gaza (July-August 2014) – heightened the IDF’s awareness that it needed an improved 8x8 APC. Only a few Namer heavy APCs were available for Operation Protective Edge, so the IDF relied largely on its fleet of older M113 vehicles. Sandbags were placed on the M113s to increase the level of protection.

Eitan APC has begun to enter service. (Photo: Israel MoD)

Eitan 8x8 APC is one of the vehicles designed to take over the soldier-carrying role of the M113 but it is likely to be too late to play a major role in this conflict as only a limited number are believed to have entered service.

Initially, the IDF expected to field the vehicle in 2020. It was not until 14 June 2022, however, that the Israeli MoD announced the development on the Eitan was completed, with the first unit entering serial production. At the time of this announcement, the MoD stated the first units would ‘soon’ be delivered to the IDF for operational use.

The Eitan has improved firepower with Spike LR anti-tank missiles from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, and enhanced protection with the Elbit Systems Iron Fist active protection system. The Eitan's armour reportedly provides protection up to STANAG 4569 Level 4 but details of its armour remain undisclosed.

First time under fire

The immediate replacement for the M113 is the Namer heavy APC which has been based on Merkava Mk 4 MBT chassis. The IDF planned to procure a total of 386 Namer APCs from GDLS, which would be produced at a rate of 60 per year and delivered by the end of 2019.

On 31 July 2017, the IDF announced that it had begun trials of a Namer IFV equipped with an unmanned turret armed with what appears to be an Orbital ATK 30/40mm Mk44 Bushmaster cannon. Mounted on either side of the weapon are radars for the Trophy active protection system. The IDF said that as the turret does not penetrate the hull the vehicle still carries nine dismounts.

‘Hundreds of vehicles have already been delivered to the IDF by the Israel MoD, with several hundred more currently en route to Israel.’— Israeli MoD

In February 2019, the US State Department approved the sale of 270 engines to Israel for use on its Namer fleet. Worth approximately US$238 million, it consists of 1,497hp MTU MT 883 powerpacks without transmissions.

Amid a funding cut to the Namer programme in 2014, production has proceeded at a rate of approximately 30 vehicles per year, meaning the fleet may number more than 350 vehicles. The IDF does not expected to receive its final vehicles out of the 531 required until 2027.

Depending on the final operational scenario of any movement of vehicles into Gaza, this could be the biggest combat test for this vehicle and prove efforts to overcome vulnerability of this type of vehicle under fire.

The light touch

MDT Armor David urban light armoured combat vehicles consist of an armoured capsule that can be mounted on either a Toyota Landcruiser, Hilux or Land Rover commercial off-the-shelf chassis.

The Israeli version is based on a Land Rover Defender 110 4x4 chassis and powered by a 122hp turbocharged diesel engine coupled to a manual transmission.

Israel has thrown its lot in with David and committed to a major purchase in August 2006 under a $22 million order for 160 vehicles which are believed to have entered service in 2007.

A further 370 are believed to have been delivered since then. In July 2021, the US DoD announced that it had awarded MDT a $10 million FMS contract to supply an undisclosed number of Davids to Israel, but this may be about 67 and these are believed to have been delivered, according to Shephard Defence Insight and the Israeli MoD. 

The faith in the vehicle and an acknowledgement of its importance is the delivery by C-17 large transport aircraft of a further four vehicles on 19 October to replace vehicles which, according to the IDF, were ‘damaged in the war’.

Israel received additional David light armoured vehicles on 19 October. (Photo: Israel MoD)

Like David, the Wolf is based on a commercial chassis, in this case a 4x4 Ford F550 chassis. The IDF is known to have 150 vehicles but the number could be as high as 300.

A 5.56mm or 7.62mm machine gun can be pintle-mounted at the roof hatch or a remote weapon station can be installed. It provides NATO STANAG 4569 Level 2 ballistic protection and Level 1 mine/IED blast protection.

The driver and commander sit side-by-side to the rear of the protected engine compartment. Immediately behind is the troop compartment which extends to the rear of the vehicle and can be configured to carry up to 10 passengers.

The design features four side doors and a double rear door. Armoured windows are fitted in each door and side windows can also be fitted in the troop compartment.

Israel operates High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), the lightly armoured 4x4 AIL Storm, which is based on the Jeep Wrangler and the Plasan SandCat based on the Ford F Series.

The SandCat uses many Ford F Series components, such as the 6.7 litre turbodiesel, but the original ladder frame chassis has been dispensed with in favour of a monocoque design. This results in a high level of underbody protection without demanding substantial increases in weight and height.

A modular armour system, which can provide up to STANAG 4569 Level 3 protection, allows the vehicle to be equipped to the threat level and payload needs of the mission.

It is uncertain how many SandCat vehicles the IDF has but it may be as many as 700.

Israel operates the Plasan SandCat which is based on the Ford F Series. (Photo: Plasan)

Looking down the road

The delivery of the small number of David vehicles on 19 October was part of a large-scale procurement operation led by the Israel MoD’s Directorate of Production and Procurement (DOPP) and the US Procurement Mission, aimed at bolstering the IDF's fleet of vehicles to address a range of operational scenarios.

The IDF has made it clear that hundreds more vehicles are on the way.

MoD director general Maj Gen (res) Eyal Zamir has authorised procurement orders, both within Israel and internationally, amounting to more than ILS400 million ($98.5 million).

According to an MoD statement: ‘This procurement effort aligns with the specific needs of the IDF and encompasses a diverse array of specialised vehicles, including armoured ambulances, operational armoured vehicles, tactical trucks, and mechanical engineering equipment.

‘Hundreds of vehicles have already been delivered to the IDF by the Israel MoD, with several hundred more currently en route to Israel.’