alanch90

They tried something like that.

Though thats not my point. All I´m saying is that depending on imports for parts has its own risks.

Latest M1E3 concept available. Its a further iteration of a full scale mockup shown not too long ago so apparently the overall design is locked. IMO it should get a completly different designation because theres almost nothing left of the Abrams itself. Whichever General it should be named after ("Starry" IMO is very adequate) I fear it may get the "M47" designation. Because we are already getting an "F-47" so... https://mdex-ndia.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/GVSC-Briefings-to-Industry-09APR2025.pdf

Though those are manufacturers that MoD doesn´t have control over. For example, look at the case of Arjun using an MTU powerpack, its deliveries are years behind schedule and India MoD has had enough of it so they are replacing the whole thing with a locally (to be) manufactured powerpack.

True, they only indicate those types of armors may be present in Cr3 in some form.

GB202112266D0 "Explosive reactive armour panel and method" https://patents.google.com/patent/GB202112266D0/en?q=(Rheinmetall+BAE+Systems+Land)&oq=Rheinmetall+BAE+Systems+Land GB202112268D0 "Armour panel and method" https://patents.google.com/patent/GB202112268D0/en?q=(Rheinmetall+BAE+Systems+Land)&oq=Rheinmetall+BAE+Systems+Land Neither of these are available but its almost certain they are Cr3 related.

Theres not much. RBSL has only 4 patents published that can be found through Google Patents, with only 2 being of interest because it likely relates to tank stuff. 1 being this one and another one for one type of ERA. The latter sadly isnt´t available right now.

At last we have an indication about Challenger 3 having compartmentalized ammunition racks and blow out panels. This is one of the few patentes by RBSL and published 2 years ago. https://patents.google.com/patent/EP3990853B1/en

In the IDF, maneuver infantry and armor are regarded as ´elite´, rather informally. The 77th is a tank battalion belonging to the 7th Armored Brigade.

I´m without words. This is the sum of everything that shouldn´t happen within a serious military institution. Irresponsible officers, disregard for the life of subordinates, institutional coverup.

So its 67 repaired in total for combat damage, that is including those sent back to factory and workshops to the rear and also those repaired on the field or only the factory repairs? Assuming theres 67 damaged tanks total during the war, and I´m counting 102 crewmen KIA (can´t differentiate how many of these were KIA while outside their tank), then we have a ratio of about 0.65 KIA per damaged tank. In Lebanon 2006 this ratio was more than 1 IIRC.

Another look at this yet unnamed thing. https://x.com/Rational314159/status/1897643413694304567?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1897643413694304567%7Ctwgr%5E096469bf99691ce4a10ce7c935b66bdaf1b1216a%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sinodefenceforum.com%2Ft%2Fpla-next-generation-main-battle-tank.8644%2Fpage-51

Post circa 2000, Rafael oriented its R&D towards NxRA/SLERA. I know it because pretty much every single patent of theirs past that date describes their new armors being of these types. The recent "KE Shield" being called outright an ERA is an outlier. But in any case, the outward appearence of Eitan side armor modules is coherent with these being SLERA/NxRA. Though with the limited evidence we have at the moment we can´t be conclusive. Just an example from US 7,779,742 B2, published by Rafael in 2010. It would be a type of SLERA given its stated to use explosive reactive elements. But looks extremely similar to what Eitan has. One last comment. The picture showing the Eitan in the factory its very clear regarding the disposition of reactive modules and likely protection performance: there are 2 rows of modules separated by an intermediate layer, perhaps being composite or perhaps being a light metal like aluminium. This means circular protection against tandem HEAT charges, at least of 105mm caliber (PG-7VR, RPG-29, Yasin, etc.).

Them being manufactured by Rafael almost certainly points to NxRA/SLERA. Using ERA inside a module mixed with, lets say, NERA is something they did only on Merkava 3 and perhaps some late Merkava 2.

That "but" in the third line says it all. Russia willing to stop the war without having annexed the whole Ukraine but having it locked outside NATO is the 100th piece of evidence of what it was all about all along.