Israel has started installing reactive armor on Merkava Mk.3 tanks removed from storage

The Israeli military has started installing reactive armor on Merkava Mk.3 tanks that were taken out of storage to participate in the operation in the Gaza Strip.

The Israel Defense Forces published a video capturing these tanks.

The published images show that the reactive armor has been installed on the side of the turret, a vulnerable area on non-upgraded Merkava Mk.3 tanks.

The tanks taken out of storage are standard combat vehicles that have not undergone upgrades to enhance protection and install additional modules on the sides of the turret and roof.

At the same time, the reactive armor blocks are installed in such a way that there are significant gaps between them, making it impossible to ensure adequate protection of the side in the event of an anti-tank grenade hitting between these blocks.

In addition, it cannot be ruled out that this installation is due to a shortage of reactive armor, which made it impossible to completely cover the side projection of the turret.

It should be noted that during the upgrade of Merkava Mk.3 tanks to the Dalet level, the vehicles received a similar set of additional protection, which was later installed on Merkava Mk.4 tanks and combined with additional armor modules on the roof.

The Hamas terrorist attack on Israel and the subsequent active operation in the Gaza Strip required Israel to mobilize its forces on a large scale, which in turn led to the makeshift reinforcement of the protection of decommissioned combat vehicles to increase their survivability in urban combat.

Israel is currently one of the pioneers in producing reactive armor for armored vehicles. Rafael supplies dynamic protection modules for combat vehicles such as the Bradley, Stryker, and the British Challenger 2 tank.

In addition to dynamic protection, Merkava Mk.4 tanks of the Israel Defense Forces are being massively equipped with superstructures to protect against Palestinian drones.

Grilles, also known as “mangals,” are welded to the roof of the tank turret. They are designed to protect armored vehicles from drone strikes and explosive devices dropped on the roof in urban combat conditions.

Similar structures have long been used in the Russian-Ukrainian war to counter drone attacks. This threat remains relevant for Israeli tanks, even despite their modern Trophy active protection systems.