"Combination of firepower and high maneuverability": Israel has found the first customer for a new light tank

Tracked variant of Sabrah

The Israeli company Elbit Systems has found the first customer for its new product. On January 26, it was announced about the conclusion of a contract providing for the shipment of lungs within three years tanks for a total amount of $ 172 million to one of the countries of the Asia-Pacific region.

We are talking about the Sabrah machine [not to be confused with the Sabra tank developed for Turkey] in two versions: one modification is placed on the Spanish-made ASCOD tracked platform, the other on the Czech Pandur II 8X8 wheeled chassis. In both versions, the vehicle has a mass of 30 tons and is equipped with a turret with a 105-mm gun [instead of the standard 120 mm for tanks] and Israeli equipment, including electro-optical sights, an FCS, a TORCH-XTM combat control system, and E-LynXTM software-controlled radio systems and life support.

Sabrah provides a unique combination of firepower and high maneuverability

- the manufacturer considers.

Recently, there has been an increase in demand for light tanks in the APR

- writes the Turkish edition of SavunmaSanayiST, indicating that Ankara was able to sign a contract with the Philippines for the supply of 18 units of "medium" Kaplan MT tank of joint development.

Interest in this category of military equipment is also shown in the United States. British company BAE Systems recently presented a modified M8 project to its overseas partners. A light tank weighing 38 tons is armed with a 105 mm M35 cannon, 12.7 and 7.62 mm machine guns. Just like the Israeli product Sabrah, it can be made in both tracked and wheeled versions.

In Russia, the only representative of light tanks is actually the airborne Sprut-SD. In the army, it is represented by single copies, its modernized versions are being finalized. It is not known about any special interest in this product from foreign customers.

Wheeled Sabrah

Comments

[Victor_B]

Sofa ekperdy unanimously broadcast that tanks in our enlightened time on the battlefield play the role of targets ...
And the Jews don't think so.
And buyers also have some "secret knowledge".

[Momotomba]

I'm afraid that as soon as something firing appeared, everything immediately began to play the role of targets.

[Vadim_888]

.tanks in our enlightened time on the battlefield play the role of targets And the Jews, look, do not think so.

Yeah, they just trade in targets, because drone operators need to be trained on something

[113262a]

Duc, opposite the same natives on the same plywood and go!

[Aerodrome]

In Russia, the only representative of light tanks is actually the airborne Sprut-SD. In the army, it is represented by single copies, its modernized versions are being finalized.

I have already grown old, and three grandchildren have appeared, since the days of articles about the "octopus" ... it remains to smile blissfully. and "believe" ...

[ironic]

To be honest, it's not really a tank anymore. Israel itself is actually developing an infantry support combat vehicle and its anti-tank version will follow in the future, just its concept is very different from the Terminator. The development of the Merkava-5 will not be, this has long been announced, and the upcoming production of the Merkava-4 Barak is a test of an automated platform with AI elements for this future machine. The number of MBTs in the Israeli army will be reduced to over 1100 units and 4 Barak will gradually replace all three. And then not all of this figure will be in direct operational operation, but most likely less than half, and the rest will be in storage ready for deployment of reservists, if required.

[Momotomba]

We need heavy armored personnel carriers and light tanks ... The army is full of paradoxes ...

[Aerodrome]

Quote: Momotomba

We need heavy armored personnel carriers and light tanks ... The army is full of paradoxes ...

no ... there is money ...

[silverwolf88]

an interesting niche has formed ... (with Octopus it is clear ... it is "light" precisely because of its airborne capability), but all these developments are for various kinds of "African" conflicts and the defense of the "islands of the southern seas" represent a kind of version of a heavily armed armored personnel carrier ...

[Snail N9]

It's actually enough to drive rebels and t-34-44-55 ... All these "light" tanks, by and large, are the same t-... only on a different element base, with different observation and aiming devices. The main tank is roads, but in fact its not being protected from above is taken into account, indeed, it is no longer needed. It is no coincidence that the Britons, who have their own school of tank building, abandoned the main tanks, as they did not meet the modern conditions of the battlefield.

[mojohed2012]

105 mm. for the tool. It seems that this caliber is clearly not enough for fighting medium tanks built by the USSR / Russia. It is also possible to destroy light armored vehicles with 30 mm / 57 mm. caliber. Such light MBTs are unlikely to be able to withstand medium tanks, in principle, with the massive use of the latter. As a movable firing point, it will do. The Russian octopus is not a light tank and not an analogue. Octopus is an artillery on a tracked chassis for the landing, and its caliber is the same as that of the main Russian MBT, which is significant. Why would a landing party lead Octopus to attack enemy tanks - the question. But in defense, behind cover, the Octopus will shoot no worse than the T-72/90.
The concept of light tanks with reduced caliber guns is a product for Africa / poorer countries of Asia and the East.

[Hermit21]

Why the hell is the Octopus not a light tank? In fact, this is it, although it is officially called SPTP

[Old tanker]

"Octopus" is not called a light tank just because the customer is GRAU, not GABTU. If the GABTU was the customer, it would definitely be called a light tank. This is the clash of classification. That's all.

[Vladimir_2U]

Quote: mojohed2012

The Russian octopus is not a light tank and not an analogue. Octopus is an artillery on a tracked chassis for the landing

Okay, I understand the people who wrote "Octopus" in the PT, although this is not so, but to put it in the artillery is already too much.

[EvilLion]

In 105 mm, there is quite a normal land mine.

From the point of view of classification by actual properties, and not by departmental regulations, Sprut-SD is quite a light tank. For going on the attack, modern 30-35-ton models with several tens of mm of armor are no better suited, even the old RPG-7 with a Soviet cumulative grenade, that 50 mm of aluminum, that 100 mm of steel, everything is the same.

[Zoldat_A]

Quote: mojohed2012

The concept of light tanks with reduced caliber guns is a product for Africa / poorer countries of Asia and the East.

Nowhere is it written that Israel is going to fight them. They said they found a buyer. And what, in the poor countries of Africa, Asia and Southeast Asia, dollars are not as green as in America? Yes, it seems not ... If you have something to pay - then why not sell? And spank these tanks exclusively as an export commodity.

In addition, I never had the illusion that the Jews misunderstood something in this life. What - but in their brains you will not refuse. And for themselves, they are unlikely to produce anything that depends on the supply of components from Spain (a great tank power?) And the Czech Republic.

[ironic]

Israel itself is developing a lightweight platform and reducing the number of MBTs.

[Zoldat_A]

Quote: ironic

Israel itself is developing a lightweight platform and reducing the number of MBTs.

Yes, I do not argue that Israel itself can develop and is developing a platform. For yourself. I'm talking about THIS SPECIFIC tank. which, due to the dependence on foreign platforms, can be made as EXCLUSIVE export. The article clearly states

one modification is placed on the ASCOD tracked platform spanish production, the other on Czech wheel chassis Pandur II 8X8

[ironic]

So after all, a lot of Israeli technology began exclusively as an export one, using other people's platforms, then it was modified, replaced and / or acquired a patent, and ...

[113262a]

For defense and Nona would be enough! And having a stabilizer weapons, and shoot from the trench is just nonsense! What for a tank that will turn anti-personnel mine fragments and a rifleman into a colander? Even bapbaevs are not good enough to drive through the desert!

[EvilLion]

The Sprut shooter will not penetrate.

[113262a]

On the basis of which it is made, it breaks through! Is that in the frontal projection. Plywood armor is not related!))

[EvilLion]

BMP-1/2 EMNIP makes its way into some places from the AK, but how much armor you weld on, so much will be. I have no reason to understand the term "bulletproof armor" in a meaning other than the literal one. 12.7 is hardly a tank, except head-on, not to mention 14.5.

[Aerodrome]

Why would a landing party lead Octopus to attack enemy tanks - the question.

really ... why? where did you come up with that? but fortified areas (counter-battery installations and MLRS) to multiply by zero, and open the operational space is easy.

[Old tanker]

Small caliber (30, 57 mm) has a very low power of a high-explosive fragmentation projectile. A tank is not a self-propelled anti-tank gun, but a means of destroying a wide range of targets. In low-intensity conflicts, which are just the same recently, tanks are used not just as a means of dealing with armored objects, but as mobile firing points for infantry support. That is, they are mainly used to destroy fortified objects, firing points and manpower in field shelters and openly located. This requires quite powerful high-explosive fragmentation shells.

[voyaka uh]

I will add that all sorts of copies of the famous British
105 mm gun Ordance L7. Record holder for accuracy so far.
It has not only high-explosive, but also quite powerful kumm shells.
They cannot pierce the forehead of modern MBTs, but any other armored vehicles
they nail down with a bang, and from 3-4 km in an open area (if the gunner is experienced).

[ironic]

And if the rate of fire is still high, then this is sometimes more important than the larger caliber of the projectile.

[ironic]

This is a very good product, given the increased rate of fire of the gun compared to the larger MBT guns, and Wolfram and Uranium needles in elongated ammunition do a very good job of knocking out almost all existing MBTs.

[Old tanker]

Initially, the tank weighing about 30 tons belonged to the medium class (the same our famous T-34), but now these are "light" vehicles.

[ironic]

The battlefield has changed, the approach has changed.

[Old tanker]

It's not about changing the battlefield. It's just that modern main ignition tanks have become, according to the old, not even heavy, but super-heavy. And now, against the background of these bridges, which not every road bridge can withstand, medium tanks already seem to be "light". But the mass and, accordingly, the possibility of transportation, nowhere from the simplification of the name, did not go away.

[ironic]

Technological possibilities appeared to create a well-protected 60-70-ton tank with a powerful engine and relatively acceptable ground pressure. It used to be worse with that. In addition, the capture of large territories and tank battles, crowd on crowd, are no longer included in the concept of modern wars. MBT became more maneuverable pillboxes, but in local conflicts their use became when it was simply not convenient, and when it was redundant. They are expensive to manufacture and maintain, and painful to lose. As for transportation, modern trailers are quite capable of transporting tanks even as heavy as the Merkava-4.

[Old tanker]

Transportation isn't just about driving a trailer through the Negev desert. And also the railway gauge, road bridges, which, even now, far from all can withstand such a mass. Not to mention the usual, not specialized, pontoon-bridge parks, heavy mechanized bridges, ferries. As well as landing ships and boats. With such a mass, you can even think about air transportation.

[ironic]

Do you know about the problems of transporting the Abrams or similar problems of transporting the Merkava through the centers of Gush Dan or Sharon? About the impossibility of their transfer over the water barrier? I dont know. And what's wrong with the C-17 and C-5?

[Old tanker]

Of course I know. Studying the experience of a potential adversary is not only a personal interest, it is a requirement of governing documents.
And yes, even the representatives of the Pentagon, who are responsible for its testing, speak about the problems with the mass of new "Abrams" М1А2 SEPv3.
Something like that.

[ironic]

Someone always speaks to the project about some problems, very often it is in style - but let's do it better. This does not always mean that everything is bad now. I know this well from my project. From time to time they get out all sorts of inconsistencies due to problems with 3 contractors, also a daily practice. Recently such crap came out with new tractors for the Merkava. They had a scandalous story. But it can also be turned into something like, everything is very bad Merkava has nothing to carry, because it is heavy.

[Old tanker]

That you are all running into the trailer?
In Eastern Europe, with its rivers, rivulets, streams, ravines, swamps and forest roads soggy after rains, there is no need at all. But bridges (the bulk of which in this region have a carrying capacity of up to 60 tons or less), pontoon parks and bridgelayers (with which the amers, to put it mildly, not very much), and in some places the usual gati, oh, as required. And then you will immediately understand what the excess mass of the tank means.
With our Russian, much easier, problems with organizing transportation or marches, planning and choosing routes, there are enough problems, and only with Western monsters ...
Please note that all bridge crossings, including railways, and road junctions during hostilities will be destroyed first. In 2003, in Iraq, their quick capture did not work out everywhere. Therefore, the US Army had problems in this regard in the conduct of hostilities.
When organizing crossings on water obstacles ford in Eastern Europe, even small and shallow water, with their silted bottom and unsteady sandy beaches, will also face problems.
But I am very glad that you are firmly convinced that the large mass of the tank is complete nonsense. The main thing is to create a successful project and find a good trailer! We will have fewer problems.

[ironic]

I am convinced that in this regard, the important parameter is not the mass of the tank, but the pressure on the ground. The impenetrable mud of the swampy forest area will become an obstacle for the T90, about which there are many videos on the network, as well as a video about how even heavier than the Merkava Namer overcomes streams full of mud in the Golan. If the capital bridges are already destroyed, then the columns on the march are even easier to disperse. As already mentioned, tank attacks like the Second World War will no longer take place, and the side that will throw hundreds of tanks into battle at the same time will have just hundreds of tank corpses. Therefore, MBTs are increasingly gravitating towards heavy and complex systems, and the bulk of the armor that will be required in future battles will be light, i.e. 30-40T, dispersed, fast, maneuverable and very rapid-fire, i.e. the caliber will be limited, and the stock of ammunition is desirable more. MBT will continue to be assigned the role of mobile heavy pillboxes, with increasingly complex combat systems approaching aviation ones, which alone are not warriors in the field. Their price will grow, and the number of troops will gradually decrease. No, they will not disappear, but they will become noticeably smaller.

[Old tanker]

What does tank attacks have to do with it if we are talking about transportation or marching?
Okay.
To end the dispute between two rams on a log.
A simple task for you.
You need to transfer 30 Merkav-4 and 30 T-90A aircraft on the C-5M aircraft with a payload of 129 tons to the maximum range of this aircraft.
How many sorties are needed for the Merkava-4 and how many for the T-90A?
Solve this problem, I will suggest a bunch more

[ironic]

Almost the same, I'm afraid, in view of size rather than weight.

[Old tanker]

The dimensions of the S-5M cargo compartment allow it to take two Chariots and two Vladimirs. But the carrying capacity of the aircraft will not accept two Kooesnitsy, but yes Vladimir.

[ironic]

Empty, with the body kits removed, will enter the maximum load. But it must be borne in mind that the Merkava was not specifically designed taking into account the need to redeploy two units to the C-5, other western tanks will be slightly easier. Those. will be able to.

[Old tanker]

Well, here's your answer. If you need to transport a fully equipped Merkava on a C-5, then 1 tank - 1 sortie. The same is with Abrams and Leopard .. But the T-90 has 2 tanks, one sortie.

[ironic]

Fully equipped tanks are not transported in the west. The West is investing in the speed of picking and replacing parts for similar products. In addition, the weight of modern Western MBTs is not only the ability to stuff them into the plane, it is, first of all, taking care of the crew, because it is put on the list of priorities more than a tank. As well as taking care of the equipment, because the efficiency of a unit on the battlefield is more important than the cost of transporting it. And given that the concept of wall-to-wall tank battles is no longer seen as effective, this becomes justified.

[Old tanker]

Good slogans.
They are confirmation of what I have said.
I especially liked the fact that no one transports usefully equipped tanks in the West.
While they deliver their heavyweights for spare parts, we are on our own fully equipped, but with a double superiority here, as here

[ironic]

So far, these slogans are quite working in reality, which forced the Rissi defense industry to take up the increase in the weight and size of the Tank, as well as the time of replacing many parts of both the structure and the body kit. As a result, the same Armata is a departure from everything that you are trying to prove to me.

[Old tanker]

The pressure of a person on the ground is 04 kg / cm XNUMX.
Leoprd and T-90 will push harder only twice.
What would you prefer to be stepped on by 2 people standing on one another's shoulders or to be run over by Leoaprd-2?

[ironic]

I prefer not to fall under anyone. This is from the point of view of personal feelings, but from the point of view of movement of equipment, two people did not sew a mare's tail at all and in a swamp standing on each other's shoulders will definitely load no worse than a tank.

[Old tanker]

Well, you yourself understood that it is stupid to operate with the concept of "ground pressure".

[ironic]

Not at all, this is actually a fairly used practical criterion.

[A. Privalov]

Elbit did not disclose the identity of the customer or the number of vehicles in the order, but a number of experts believe the Sabrah is designed to meet the demands of the Philippine army through projects for the acquisition of light tanks and wheeled armored personnel carriers.

[Aerodrome]

Quote: A. Privalov

Elbit did not disclose the identity of the customer or the number of vehicles in the order, but a number of experts believe the Sabrah is designed to meet the demands of the Philippine army through projects for the acquisition of light tanks and wheeled armored personnel carriers.

run out of the office ... I saw the Filipinos on the first floor ...

[ironic]

Urgent sip of pickle.

[Eugene-Eugene]

Unlikely. The Filipinos have a joint project with the Turks - LT Kaplan. Indonesians can be.

[A. Privalov]

Quote: Eugene-Eugene

Unlikely. The Filipinos have a joint project with the Turks - LT Kaplan. Indonesians can be.

And yet the Philippines.
According to the Philippine website MaxDefense PH Defense Resource, the total purchase amount negotiated in a government procurement (G2G) between the Philippines and Israel is approximately US $ 172 million (8,5 billion pesos) and includes 30 vehicles, including 18 tracked. and 10 wheeled, armored command and armored evacuation vehicles.
https://www.phdefenseresource.com/2019/11/light-tank-acquisition-project-of.html?fbclid=IwAR0R_rSGakKFH0_AjFi-T57_lGyBDvOPSA7v72O43NoSOdvbSvPHRSV5ot0

[A. Privalov]

For those interested in the topic - a small video.
There, in the coma of a video sequence about tanks from Elbit, there is little about German corvettes for Israel, and about Italian frigates for Egypt.
Titles available. You can customize the Russian language.

[Eugene-Eugene]

I see. Thanks

[A. Privalov]

Quote: Eugene-Eugene

I see. Thanks

You're welcome!

[voyaka uh]

Indonesians definitely CANNOT be. Indonesia and Israel are at war.
Indonesia is led by an active Islamist.

[UA3QHP]

Are the T-55s over? The performance characteristics are suitable.

[113262a]

So there is a massage chair, cruise control, parking sensors. And climate control is mandatory!)))

[UA3QHP]

For Africa, air conditioning, no laughing matter, is a very necessary option.

[ironic]

You forgot your radio / phone card kit.

[Kot_Kuzya]

Light tanks with weak weapons are a dead-end path, as the Second World War has already proved. And the countries of the Third World buy light tanks from Israel, not because they are so promising, but because they are banally cheaper and also cheaper to operate them. And then the couch experts came running and immediately started yelling that Russia also needs to have a fleet of light tanks. The experience of Tukhach, who raved about a hundred thousand light tanks and tankettes for the Red Army, is apparently unknown to them.

[AUL]

Quote: Kot_Kuzya

Light tanks with weak weapons are a dead-end path, as the Second World War has already proved.

You think in terms of WWII! No one will throw light tanks into battles like the Kursk Bulge (and they will not be in modern warfare). These tanks have a completely different niche of application - police and counterinsurgency operations. IMHO, of course.

[Kot_Kuzya]

Quote from AUL

These tanks have a completely different niche of application - police and counterinsurgency operations.

Uh-huh. So he imagined how against the "yellow vests" Macron throws tanks with armor and a 105-mm cannon. Well, or another situation - as against the bearded men in Syria, light armored vehicles are going into battle, being hit by the DShK and BMG-50. Such armored vehicles are not suitable either for the police or for fighting the insurgents, especially if they are well supplied from outside and therefore have very good weapons in abundance.

[ironic]

But WWII will not happen and what was good for the WWII period is a thing of the past. Israel will develop a light platform for itself, where reaction speed, fire density and maneuverability are more important than the caliber of a cannon.

[Mountain shooter]

30 tons, 38 tons - wow light tanks. And what are the heavy ones then? I know, I know ... It's a joke.
Our "Octopus" is not positioned as a tank, but why? It is also floating. In short, let's wait and see.
It seems to me that ours is better ... Both the Israelis and the Octopus do not have enough armor, but ours has more firepower.

[Aerodrome]

Quote: Mountain Shooter

It seems to me that ours is better ... Both the Israelis and the Octopus do not have enough armor, but ours has more firepower.

Duc .. the stump is clear ... ours is always better ... the current is not enough and not for everyone.

[Cruorvult]

Nook, Abrams MBT and T-90 MBT, but they are slightly different, Sprut 18 tons, parachutes, floats, and these "analogues" are above 30 and do not possess such qualities. You can call them light tanks, but they are for different tasks and theater of operations, and I think it is not entirely correct to compare them.

[Momotomba]

Is the PT-76 still in service? Or removed from service?

[Quadro]

Is ascod Spanish? In fact, Austria did it with someone in cooperation, with different versions of the towers. And it seems that only 1 country bought it or no one at all, in general, not a very successful crap.

[Eugene-Eugene]

"The ASCOD family of armored vehicles includes Spanish PIZARRO, Austrian ULAN and British AJAX" (GDELS company): https://www.gdels.com/ascod.php

[Castro Ruiz]

Pandur ne cheskiy avstriyskiy.

[Eugene-Eugene]

This refers to the place of production, not development. "The Pandur II 8x8 wheeled armored personnel carrier is a product of Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeug GmbH, Austria. Except for the first 17 units, the rest are assembled in the Czech Republic" (Czech Ministry of Defense): https://www.army.cz/scripts/detail. php? id = 15852

[Castro Ruiz]

By licence.

[Konnick]

Quote: Momotomba

Is the PT-76 still in service? Or removed from service?

At a recent exercise, "Kavkaz" saw two PT-76s being transported on trawls towards the Kerch Bridge near Dzhiginka.

[Ryaruav]

this is so for export, as the experience of all the wars of Israel and not only has shown, the protection of a tank is better than mobility, of course, if you are not a helicopter

[DDZ57]

This is what awaits light armored vehicles without dynamic and active protection even from inexpensive SBBs with warheads of multifactorial destruction (in the Russian version of RShG, MRG, TBG, etc., the West has a similar one). Pay attention to the open (torn out hatches). If it was possible to try to escape from a cumulative grenade while on the armor, then it is practically impossible to hide from the hit of ammunition with a multi-factor warhead not inside and not on the armor.

[ironic]

This is not an easy technique, but a tin box on wheels, M113 there.

[DDZ57]

The above does not apply to the light tank described in this article, because it has dynamic protection (it is clearly visible in the pictures) and can optionally be equipped with active protection.

[certero]

During the time of peace, many begin to lean in favor of light tanks: maneuverability, speed, and so on. And then the war begins and everyone wants a meter of armor ...

[ironic]

Which in itself is also a panacea.

[Real Pilot]

Quote: voyaka uh

I will add that all sorts of copies of the famous British
105 mm gun Ordance L7. Record holder for accuracy so far.
It has not only high-explosive, but also quite powerful kumm shells.
They cannot pierce the forehead of modern MBTs, but any other armored vehicles
they nail down with a bang, and from 3-4 km in an open area (if the gunner is experienced).

Alex, good evening!
It's nice to read your always reasoned and well-grounded comments. You haven't been seen for a long time, write more often