1 Merkava per day, what a dosage !!!
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There is no immediate threat that Israel would be overrun anytime like in 1967 & 1973, just rockets harassments from the north. The israelis know and the hizbollah know. Why would IDF want to attack for just 2 kidnapped soldiers? It doesn't make any sense to military leaders in IDF.
Both of them are just testing each other's reaction. Israel "overact" with military might under the new prime minister, but he should know that from the 1982 invasion, this would never work. If u are not aware, IDF did went to Litani in 1977 with military offensive to root out PLO gureillas foothold in S Lebanon, in the same way, they decided to go full fledge until Beirut in 1982 since all PLO retreated above Litani river in the 1977 operation.
Nobody know what the israelis have up their sleeve, I guess they could be preparing for a new huge offensive, not tomorrow but definitely down the road. Remember, the current Prime minister was a Lawyer before taking over Sharon. Yes, cunning he is.
This minor operation I guess has many objectives (both militarily and politically). I guess part of it was to test how well the Hizbollah are armed and where are their strengths. Perhaps to let Hizbollah a taste of how "weak" the new military they would face in the future? In the short course, they are also trying to pressure and illustrate to the internal complex lebanese community the "fruits" of habouring Hizbollah in S. Lebanon.
In some way, I believe IDF was hoping that Hizbollah would launch longer range rockets into further south of Israel. This would give them a lot of "pity" tokens to her allies for better support both in term of financial and weapon supports. I read a report on the net that the Iranians was very reluctant to launch the longer range rockets into Israel. (bear in mind that most of these would be operated by Iranian crew) Why? Uncle Bush of USA?? Only they know...
It is not going to have "peace" in the near future in Lebanon, and it would get even more dirty...
my 2 cents -
And thus the need for 'combined arms'.Originally posted by Fatum:a fact: tanks are NOT invulnerable ....
so we can take this as a lesson that cuts both ways .....
our ABGs are NOT invulnerable .....
however ... the tanks that our friendly neighbours have aren't either ..... -
There is an interesting analysis of the recent battle at DefenseNews.com.
HizbollahÂ’s massed missile volleys apparently separated infantry from tanks preventing them from supporting each other.Posted 08/28/06 11:47
Cheers,
Hizbollah Missile Swarms Pounded Armor, Infantry
By GREG GRANT
HizbollahÂ’s innovative use of guided anti-tank missiles has drawn the attention of military specialists eager to glean lessons from the recent fighting in Lebanon, where the high-tech Israeli Army, considered one of the worldÂ’s most formidable fighting forces, was often stymied by militiamen using guerrilla tactics and advanced weaponry.
Much discussion has focused on Hizbollah’s “swarm” tactics, which damaged Israel’s Merkava tanks and heavy armored vehicles with missile volleys at their vulnerable sides and rear.
But some say Hizbollah displayed even more innovation in using anti-tank missiles as mobile fire support against advancing Israeli infantry. They inflicted heavy casualties on ground troops, even when they sought refuge inside thick-walled buildings.
“Because Hizbollah had such a profusion of anti-tank weapons, they were able to stand off at some distance and pop away at Israeli dismounted infantry at ranges beyond what you traditionally think of when you talk about close combat,” said Steven Zaloga, a land-warfare analyst at the Virginia-based Teal Group.
HizbollahÂ’s missile arsenal included old yet effective Russian-made Sagger wire-guided anti-tank missiles, as well as the newer Russian Metis-M and Kornet. They also fired Iranian-built knockoffs of the American Dragon and the larger TOW missile.
Most anti-tank missiles carry very large warheads to penetrate thick steel armor. The huge blast is lethal against exposed infantry and can penetrate the thick masonry walls characteristic of Lebanese construction.
HizbollahÂ’s swarm tactics - firing multiple missiles against a single target - proved effective against both armored vehicles and infantry, said Anthony Cordesman, a military analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington. The missile volleys forced Israeli troops to scatter, yet denied them the sanctuary of buildings as well, said Cordesman, who recently visited LebanonÂ’s battlefields.
The missiles even threatened Israeli helicopters, he said.
The volleys also forced Israeli tank commanders to advance “buttoned up,” with all hatches closed and without their customary infantry escort. This is particularly dangerous on urban battlefields, where tankers rely on infantry to spot ambushes, deadly roadside bombs and concealed or dug-in anti-tank weapons.
As the tanks maneuvered down narrow urban streets and confronted fortified defensive lines without protective infantry, they proved vulnerable to Hizbollah fighters who emerged from hidden bunkers and trenches to attack at close range.
Layered Defense
Zaloga said HizbollahÂ’s huge arsenal of anti-tank missiles allowed the guerrillas to shoot from up to 3,000 meters away, well beyond the range of the Israeli infantryÂ’s small arms. It also allowed Hizbollah to create a layered defensive system in which missiles placed in over-watch positions in the rear could provide fire support for fighters in the frontline trenches and bunkers.
The layered system robbed IsraelÂ’s armored forces of proper combined arms integration, preventing them from making a swift thrust into southern Lebanon. Instead, they became bogged down in a costly slugging match as they slowly chewed through HizbollahÂ’s layered defensive system of bunkers, fortified villages and hilltop firing positions.
Zaloga said the Israelis had beefed up their frontline forces with combat engineers who specialize in assaulting bunkers and fortified positions. But HizbollahÂ’s man-portable artillery prevented the fighting from unfolding in a traditional close-quarters infantry battle - until missile volleys had thinned the Israeli infantryÂ’s ranks.
The fighting was reminiscent of the great World War II tank battle at Kursk, in which GermanyÂ’s massed tank force attempted to smash through thick Russian defensive belts but were ground to bits in a defeat from which the Wehrmacht never recovered.
“Hizbollah had done their homework and made their acquisition decisions and supply from Iran and Syria from what they saw on the other side of the border,” said CSIS’s Guy Ben-Ari. “Years and years of skirmishing gets you to a position where your knowledge of the enemy is very good.”
The U.S. military also has recognized the value of anti-tank missiles when used against infantry.
“American troops in Iraq are using light anti-tank weapons as bunker-busters, against fixed structures,” said Dean Lockwood, a weapons systems analyst at Forecast International. He said Army units built on the Stryker vehicle have used TOW missiles for direct fire support in urban areas where the .50-caliber machine gun carried by most Stryker vehicless proved inadequate.
E-mail: [email protected].
Sunho -
Note the lack of charring. Something was removed? If not how come not "chao tar" around impact area? One would think the panels will be blackened in the close proximity of a large explosive blast?Originally posted by ChineseJunk:I thought this photo might interest tank enthusiasts out there. The Merkava took a hit on its turret from an unspecified round. Look at how the turret skin is made up of several laminated layers of "stuff", for want of a better description.
Or was it a APFSDS hit? Which means blue on blue event? -
You can see one chunk of laminate gone from the turrret. But most AT weapons leave little marks on the vehicle outside. A lot of them merely punch a hole through the outer shell with no charring of any kind. The damage is inside the tank.Originally posted by touchstone_2000:Note the lack of charring. Something was removed? If not how come not "chao tar" around impact area? One would think the panels will be blackened in the close proximity of a large explosive blast?
Or was it a APFSDS hit? Which means blue on blue event?