30 Tanks Wiped Out in Lebanon

ISRAEL NATIONAL NEWS ^ | Aug 11, '06 | not attributed

[APRPEH]

(IsraelNN.com) IDF officials admit that the biggest surprise of the ongoing war against Hizbullah is the ease by which terrorists have destroyed IDF tanks.

At least 30 tanks have been totally destroyed or seriously damaged in bomb and anti-tank rocket attacks involving state-of-the-art Russian anti-tank rockets.

About one-half of the military personnel killed in southern Lebanon were inside tanks.

[GarySpFc]

The Hezbollah has Kornets (AT-14), the latest missile from the Sov, er, Russians. It can knock out a Merkava through its frontal armor.

The Iranians obtained one and reversed engineer the missile.

[Americanexpat]

Any armor force can be effective out on the open plains against other enemy armor. But Isreal is fighting in populated, built up, areas which afford enemy fighters with cover and concelment. Personally, I do not believe this claim or the Hezzies would have flooded the MSM with photos and propaganda.

[brazzaville]

Good morning.
"...sounds like Pickett's Charge to me."

Pickett didn't have MLRS, smart weapons and aerial control centers to help him take the high ground.

Hezbollah can only inflict casualties. The worst enemy Israel faces in this war is the UN.

Michael Frazier

[Perdogg]

reactive armour can be easiliy defeated with new high tech anti-tank weapons.

Like:

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/row/at-7.htm

http://www.army-technology.com/projects/milan/

http://www.enemyforces.com/firearms/rpg29.htm

[RightWhale]

If this report is true, and it may be a total fiction, some of the rules of armored warfare are being ignored.

[RightWhale]

What are the implications for us and our tanks?

When the armor gets out in front of the foot soldiers the armor is vulnerable. Armor and foot is best when they support each other.

[RightWhale]

the IDF tank losses reflect tactical mistakes

Without a doubt.

[ichabod1]

Here's something I've been wondering. If the Israeli's sent a bunch of B-52s to bomb Lebanon, would they have to circle around for a while to get enough altitude to drop their ordinance?

[michaelt]

I think the more difficult thing would be the lack of Israeli B-52s.

[ichabod1]

Because of their wish to avoid casualties I would suspect that the Israelis are not accompanying their tanks with adequate infantry.

It ain't workin'.

[ichabod1]

Israelis don't allow inbeds.

[NordP]

I think it's because the darn media keep showing the Hesbos where they are all the time!!!!

[NordP]

You're right...IF this report is true. Great first premise.

[letsgonova19087]

But still, why would the IDF allow Hezbollah fight the war its been preparing to fight for years? Why Not fight a mobile war, drawing Hezbollah out of the fortifications to where the airstrikes and artillery can target them in the open? Perhaps a Pattonesque lighting drive straight through the center followed by an encircling action, or maybe an airborne operation a few miles north of the Litani...something, anything, to get those clowns out of those entrenchments. Someone may correct me if they think I'm wrong, but IDF tactical doctrine to this point has been wholly uninspiring.

[ichabod1]

I think the Army would trade a tank for the crew everytime.

Why? Those tanks cost millions of dollars, don't they?

[ichabod1]

What I cannot understand is why they haven't tried to outflank the Hezbollah positions by an aerial or seaborne assault and attack the Hezzie rear.

Supposedly that was the lont-time plan, overruled by the military genius Olmert.

[Slings and Arrows]

I meant the Hizzies. They declare victory every time a jet drops a drop tank. Why aren't they crowing about their kills?

[FlipWilson]

You are kidding right? The purpose of any piece of equipment is to save lives (yes, I know, kill the enemy, but killing the enemy means saving YOUR life). Not to mention the fact that training a tank crew is not exactly a cheap endeavour. Our Army isn't the Russian Army, our soldiers aren't cannon fodder.

[RightWhale]

Tank crews are valuable. There are plenty of tanks, but trained crews who can get some positive results are hard to come by.

[stevio]

What is "reactive armor"?