After the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war, the biggest threat to tanks comes from conventional anti-tank guns, and more from suicidal u**. Israel has already provided the Merkava MK3 with a rooftop structure that can withstand drone attacks. However, a few recent **s show that a stripe-like device has also appeared on the side of the Merkava tank, which makes people even more worried. According to foreign media, this is due to the extremely harsh operational conditions in the Gaza Strip, Merkava, far exceeding the war between Russia and Ukraine. So, what exactly do those long strips of equipment do?
The roof of the Merkava is very well structured, this is to avoid being destroyed by aerial bombs, bombs and the like that are dropped from above. Moreover, it prevents the enemy from throwing grenades and the like at the tank when approaching. The structure of such a canopy is very simple, with only a few iron nets or barbed wires, so the purpose is well understood. As for the elongated equipment on both sides of the Merkava chariot, it looks a little weird. Such defects occur only on the sides of the armored vehicle, especially above the body, as well as in areas where the armor is weak. Now there is not enough ** to justify the installation of the same equipment on the tail of the Merkava, which, like an ordinary tank, is also weakly defensive.
According to foreign media reports, this strip structure is likely to be a rubber or foam substance that can resist electromagnetic explosives. Previously, Palestinian militants had used a simple magnetic explosive that attached it to the chariot and then set it on fire, causing enormous damage to the chariot. Their fire was concentrated on the sides, especially in the parts of the armor. In fact, such means of protection existed as early as the Second World War, when the Germans created an armor imitation of porcelain. This electromagnetic anti-tank weapon can be easily attached to the shell of the combat vehicle, and the combat vehicle at that time was far less defensive than the modern combat vehicle, as long as it was hit by the electromagnetic weapon, it was definitely a disaster. The structure of German imitation ceramic armor is very sophisticated, and its theoretical basis is to make different three-dimensional textures on the surface of the armor, so that it is difficult for electromagnetic weapons to fit to the chariot.
From the point of view, this strip structure may be to widen the gap between the electromagnetic type and the combat vehicle, making it difficult for simple magnetic bombs and anti-tank guns to stick to the armor layer. The main armor and turrets on the front side are quite protective or visible to the driver, so there is no need to use such protection.
The Merkava tank was equipped on both sides mainly due to weaknesses on both sides, and the Palestinian militants were able to easily add electromagnetic explosives to the tank during the fighting in Gaza. However, let's not forget that in World War II, the German-made imitation ceramic armor did not play a big role, but was mistaken by the Allies and the Soviet Union for high-tech self-healing armor. Judging from the actual footage, the Palestinian militants not only mounted the magnetic force ** on the side of the vehicle and armor, but also boldly set the explosives on the chassis of the combat vehicle, aiming it at the weakest part of the combat vehicle. Therefore, it now seems that these so-called electromagnetic protections may not be very effective in the fighting, and they are nothing more than creating problems for the Palestinian radicals.