Merkava MK IV Down: The IDF Has Lost One of Its Most Advanced Tanks: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has lost one of its Merkava Mk IV Barak main battle tanks (MBTs) in Gaza.

According to online reports, the advanced MBT was destroyed by a massive improvised explosive device (IED), which killed the commander, gunner, and loader. Only the driver, who was seated ahead of the other three crewmembers and next to the main engine compartment, survived.

Considered among the absolute best MBTs in the world, the Mk IV Barak variants first entered service in 2023. As this recent loss in combat serves to remind us, even the best can be taken down.

"First confirmed Merkava MK4 loss I've seen since the invasion of Gaza. This Merkava happens to be the brand new variant, the MK4 Barak. It was hit by a super massive IED & only the driver survived. There comes a point where no tank can survive a certain amount of explosives," the social media account Tank Posting shared on X (formerly Twitter) with images of the destroyed Barak MBT. The add-on armor and turret were blown off the chassis.

The Mk IV Barak was clearly damaged beyond any hope of repair, suggesting the IED must have been enormous – possibly several dozen kilograms the Defence Blog suggested – and yet the tank's design still allowed the driver to walk away with minor injuries and burns.

Did Hamas Find a Weakness in the Trophy Armor Protection System?

Questions are now being raised as to how Hamas militants were able to destroy the most advanced tank in the world without access to equally advanced anti-tank weapons. The best answer is that the Iran-back terrorists may have gotten creative.

Army Recognition reported that Hamas has increasingly employed "shaped-charge IEDs, which utilize cumulative charges capable of penetrating armored military vehicles like the Merkava tanks by focusing explosive energy on a single point. Blast-effect IEDs, often placed on roads or in strategic areas, aim to deform vehicle structures by creating a massive shockwave."

Another possibility is that the militants may have employed a twin grenade launcher. According to the Ukrainian-based Militarnyi, members of Hamas were armed with such weapons that included a Soviet-designed RPG-7V mounted above an RPG-7VR.

"At the time, it was assumed that the concept of use was based on exploiting the Trophy's vulnerability – the inability to simultaneously intercept two munitions in a row in a narrow sector," the Ukrainian outlet explained.

In essence, it works much like a "double tap" fired from a handgun, where in this case the first rocket grenade neutralizes the APS countermeasure while the second exploits the gap in the defenses.

"This concept is already used in the Russian RPG-30 Kryuk anti-tank rocket grenade, which first fires a target simulator to neutralize the interceptor, followed immediately by the main 105-mm high explosive munition," Militarnyi added.

Israel had already lost several of its older model Merkava tanks in Gaza, and likely a few more in southern Lebanon where it is battling Hezbollah. Even the best MBTs aren't invincible, especially when facing a determined enemy that employs some ingenuity, counts on luck, and willingness accept casualties.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].

Image Credit: Creative Commons and/or Shutterstock.

From the Vault

Could China Sink a U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier in a War?

USS Parche: The Navy Submarine That Could Self-Destruct