Editing Merkava (section)

=== 2006 Lebanon War ===
[[File:9M133 Kornet.JPG|thumb|The AT-14 Kornet anti-tank laser-guided missile]]

During the 2006 Lebanon War, five Merkava tanks were destroyed.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Cordesman, Sullivan |first1=Anthony H, William D |title=Lessons of the 2006 Israeli-Hezbollah War |date=2007 |publisher=Center for Strategic and International Studies |location=Washington, DC |isbn=978-0-89206-505-9 |page=110 |edition=First |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ela6DjyEBQwC&q=Cordesman,+Anthony+H;+Sullivan,+William+D+(2007),+Lessons+of+the+2006+Israeli-Hezbollah+War,+CSIS |access-date=21 November 2020}}</ref> Most of the tanks engaged were Merkava IIIs and earlier versions; only a few of the tanks used during the war were Merkava Mark 4, since by 2006 they had entered service in limited numbers. [[Hezbollah]] fired over 1,000 anti-tank missiles during the conflict against both tanks and dismounted infantry.{{Sfn |Cordesman|Sullivan|2007|p=110}} Some 45 percent of all tanks and armoured vehicles hit with [[anti-tank guided missile]]s (ATGMs) during the conflict suffered some form of armour penetration.{{Sfn |Cordesman |Sullivan |2007 |p=110}}

In total, 15 tank crewmen were killed by these ATGM penetrations.{{Sfn|Cordesman|Sullivan|2007|p=111}} The penetrations were caused by tandem warhead missiles. Hezbollah weaponry was believed to include Russian [[RPG-29]] 'Vampir', [[9M113 Konkurs|AT-5 'Konkurs']], [[9K115-2 Metis-M|AT-13 'Metis-M']], and laser-guided [[9M133 Kornet|AT-14 'Kornet']]<ref name="Ali Saleh">{{cite web |title=Ali Saleh: Destroying the Merkava Myth |first=Mohamed |last=Nazzal |date=July 12, 2012 |work=[[Al Akhbar (Lebanon)|al-Akhbar]] |url=http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/ali-saleh-destroying-merkava-myth |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012030319/http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/ali-saleh-destroying-merkava-myth |archive-date=October 12, 2013 |access-date=August 28, 2012}}</ref> HEAT missiles. The RPG-29 was able to defeat the advanced reactive armor on the Merkava 4.<ref>{{cite book |title=Small Arms Survey 2012: Moving Targets |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hY3s5nHUM24C |date=2012-08-30 |page=326|isbn=9780521146876}}</ref> The [[Israel Defense Forces|IDF]] reported finding Kornet ATGMs on Hezbollah positions in the village of Ghandouriyeh.<ref name="Israel humbled by arms from Iran">{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/08/15/wmid15.xml |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |title=Israel humbled by arms from Iran |date=August 15, 2006 |location=London |first=Adrian |last=Blomfield |access-date=2010-04-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080416172034/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=%2Fnews%2F2006%2F08%2F15%2Fwmid15.xml |archive-date=April 16, 2008}}</ref> Several months after the cease-fire, reports have provided detailed photographic evidence that Kornet ATGMs were indeed both possessed and used by Hezbollah in this area.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/data/pdf/pdf_human_2.pdf |publisher=Center for Special Studies |title=Hezbollah's use of Lebanese civilians as human shields |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150720183328/http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/data/pdf/pdf_human_2.pdf |archive-date=July 20, 2015 |access-date=July 16, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/17/9m133jn4.jpg |format=[[JPEG]] |publisher=Center for Special Studies |title=Kornet ATGMs captured in Ghandouriyeh |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104215209/http://img237.imageshack.us/img237/17/9m133jn4.jpg |archive-date=November 4, 2013}}</ref>

Another Merkava IV tank crewman was killed when a tank ran over an [[improvised explosive device]] (IED). This tank had additional V-shaped underside armor, limiting casualties to just one of the seven personnel (four crewmen and three infantrymen) on board. In total, five Merkava tanks (two Merkava IIs, one Merkava III, and two Merkava IVs) were destroyed.{{Sfn|Cordesman|Sullivan|2007|p=110}} Of these two Merkava Mark 4, one was damaged by an IED, and the other being destroyed by a Russian AT-14 'Kornet' missile. The Israeli military said that it was satisfied with the Merkava Mark IV's performance, and attributed problems to insufficient training before the war.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3297431,00.html |title=Why did Armored Corps fail in Lebanon? |work=Ynetnews |date=August 29, 2006 |publisher=Ynet |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060901011702/http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3297431,00.html |archive-date=September 1, 2006 |last1=Greenberg |first1=Hanan}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Barzilai |first=Amnon |title=Defense establishment favors Rafael tank protection system |work=Globes Online |date=August 30, 2006|place=IL |url=http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000127813 |access-date=August 22, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103043649/http://www.globes.co.il/serveen/globes/docview.asp?did=1000127813 |archive-date=November 3, 2013}}</ref> In total, 50 Merkava tanks (predominantly Merkava IIs and IIIs) were hit, eight of which remained serviceable on the battlefield. 21 tanks suffered armour penetrations (15 from missiles, and 6 from IEDs and anti-tank mines).{{Sfn|Cordesman|Sullivan|2007|p=110}}

After the 2006 war, and as the IDF becomes increasingly involved in unconventional and [[guerrilla warfare]], some analysts say the Merkava is too vulnerable to advanced anti-tank missiles, that in their man-portable types can be fielded by guerrilla warfare opponents.<ref>{{cite web |format=video |url=http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8853586453841327363 |title=God's chariot |access-date=2008-07-04 |agency=Al jazeera |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110222220310/http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8853586453841327363 |archive-date=February 22, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4794829.stm |title=Tough lessons for Israeli armour |access-date=2008-07-04 |publisher=BBC |date=August 15, 2006 |first=Jonathan |last=Marcus |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090107012912/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4794829.stm |archive-date=January 7, 2009}}</ref> Other post-war analysts, including David Eshel, disagree, arguing that reports of losses to Merkavas were overstated and that "summing up the performance of Merkava tanks, especially the latest version Merkava Mark 4, most tank crews agree that, in spite of the losses sustained and some major flaws in tactical conduct, the tank proved its mettle in its first high-saturation combat."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.defense-update.com/analysis/lebanon_war_3.htm |title=Assessing the performance of Merkava Tanks |publisher=Defense Update |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080513181318/http://www.defense-update.com/analysis/lebanon_war_3.htm |archive-date=May 13, 2008 |access-date=September 13, 2007}}</ref>

On a comparison done by the armor corps newsletter, it was shown that the average number of crewmen killed per tank penetrated by missile/rocket was reduced from 2 during the [[Yom Kippur War]] to 1.5 during the 1982 Lebanon War to 1 during the 2006 Lebanon War proving how, even in the face of the improvement in anti-tank weaponry, the Merkava series tanks provide increasingly better protection to its crew. The IDF wanted to increase orders of new Merkava Mark 4 tanks, and planned to add the [[Trophy (countermeasure)|Trophy active defense system]] to Merkava Mark 4 tanks, and to increase joint training between crews and Israeli [[anti-tank warfare|anti-tank]] soldiers.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3439667,00.html |title=IDF mulls spending plan |access-date=2008-07-04 |work=Ynetnews |date=August 20, 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080609091110/http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3439667,00.html |archive-date=June 9, 2008 |last1=Egozy |first1=Aryeh}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1188392502053&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull |title=New training aims to help tanks cope in hostile territory |first=Yaakov |last=Katz |work=[[The Jerusalem Post]] |date=August 31, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429194744/http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1188392502053&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull |archive-date=April 29, 2011}}</ref>