Israel's defense industry sector is increasingly eyed by the world. Most recently, the Main Battle Tank (MBT) mainstay of the Jewish Zionist state, the Merkava, was exported for the first time to a European country. It doesn't say which country, but the clue is that the country is in a state of tank shortage due to massive support to Ukraine in its war effort against Russia.
Currently, the stage has reached the final negotiation before the two parties agree on a contract, including the transaction value and purchasing units. In addition, there is one other country outside Europe that will also receive additional defense equipment from the Merkava.
"There are two prospective countries that we are currently negotiating (about the sale of tanks). I am forbidden to name them, but there is one in continental Europe,” Yair Kulas, head of the export coordination department of Israel's Defense Ministry's SIBAT, was quoted as saying by The Jerusalem Post.
From a business standpoint, the Russia-Ukraine conflict can be said to be profitable for the Israeli defense industry. So far, some of Israel's defense products have not been allowed to export even though they have a production surplus.
However, the protracted Russia-Ukraine conflict changed that. Many countries want to strengthen their defense equipment. It is not surprising that Israel has recently been flooded with orders for defense equipment products and has achieved record orders.
After suffering heavy losses after the war against Egypt and Syria in 1973, Israel was determined not to depend on foreign-made defense equipment. Since then, a series of defense equipment has been successfully created, one of which is the Merkava which has now given birth to the fourth generation or four variants which mark the long evolution of the world-class Main Battle Tank (MBT).
The latest variant, the Merkava Mark (MK) 4, has been in operation with the Israeli Army since 2004 with a population of more than 360 units.
With classic opponents, namely Lebanese militias and Palestinian fighters, the priority for Merkava is an adaptive layer of protection, considering that Israel's opponents, such as Hamas and Hezbollah fighters also often operate anti-tank missiles.
This year, the Israeli Army Cavalry is scheduled to begin receiving the Merkava Next Generation (NG) MK5. This latest generation of Merkava is labeled “Baracks” which in Hebrew means “Thunderbolt.”
According to reports, the Merkava MK5 will be equipped with the enhanced Trophy active protection system against anti-tank missiles, made by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd; 360 degree camera coverage for day and night viewing, increased situational awareness; and a heads-up display for the tank commander, similar to that used by fighter jet pilots.
The Merkava Barak will also include the latest advanced sensors, enabling it to autonomously acquire targets and engage rapidly, as well as engage in electronic warfare and advanced computing support.
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