Israel is known for its lean attitude towards military equipment. Obsolete samples are being modernized, which allows them to be kept in service and get the desired results. In the nineties, similar processes were observed in the field of military air defense. Obsolete self-propelled anti-aircraft guns "Hovet" were modernized according to the "Makhbet" project. The resulting combat vehicles differed favorably from the basic models.
Deprecated imports
At the end of the sixties, the US Army entered service with the newest ZSU M163 Vulcan Air Defense System, made on the chassis of the M113 armored personnel carrier and armed with a 20 mm M61 cannon. Soon, such equipment was exported and entered service with third countries. One of the customers of the M163 was Israel. In the IDF, the self-propelled gun appeared at the very beginning of the eighties and received the designation "Hovet".
ZSU "Hovet" have been used in all wars and operations since the beginning of the eighties. They were actively used in battles both for their intended purpose and to support ground forces. On the account of combat crews, many destroyed targets, incl. one downed enemy plane. The last combat episodes with the participation of the "Hovets" date back to the 2000s.
In the early nineties, the United States decided to write off the ZSU M163 due to the final obsolescence and inconsistency with modern requirements. The IDF did not follow the example of foreign colleagues and kept the "Hovet" in service. At the same time, it became clear that this technique needs deep modernization to continue its service.
The update was supposed to affect the complex of weapons and controls. The terms of reference for the new project required equipping the ZSU with modern optical search aids, a new fire control system, etc. The 20-mm six-barreled cannon was proposed to be supplemented with guided missiles. The resulting anti-aircraft missile-gun system could continue to serve for a long time.
Project "Racket"
Development of the modernization of "Hovet" started no later than 1993. Israeli Aircraft Industries (IAI) received the order for the work. She had to find all the necessary units and integrate them into the design of the existing machine without its fundamental restructuring. The modernized ZSU was named "Makhbet" ("Bita" or "Raketka").
When developing a new project, the design of the carrier machine was almost completely preserved. Only individual changes were introduced related to the installation of certain devices. They did a similar thing with the turret and artillery system - however, in their case, the volume of innovations was greater.
A whole set of new instruments appeared on the tower, above the swinging artillery unit. The installation was equipped with blocks of optoelectronic equipment with day and night channels, as well as a laser rangefinder. The radar rangefinder standard for the M163 / Hovet has been removed.
Developed a new LMS with enhanced capabilities. Its main element is a central control unit based on an Intel 486DX / 33 processor. It was made in the form of a secure laptop console with a monitor, controls, etc. The OMS is interfaced with a satellite navigation system and other devices. There were communication facilities capable of receiving target designation. ZSU "Makhbet" were supposed to work in conjunction with search radars of different types.
The new set of devices included a video recorder. With its help, it was proposed to record a signal from optical means - for further analysis and analysis of the actions of the crew and the enemy.
The existing weapon was supplemented with guided missiles. A launcher bracket for four FIM-92 Stinger missiles has appeared on the right side of the turret. The installation was made movable, with vertical guidance along with the gun. It was argued that the appearance of missiles makes it possible to simultaneously attack several targets, while the ZSU "Hovet" could only work one at a time.
The rearrangement of the internal compartments led to a reduction in the ammunition load of the gun from 2,100 to 1,800 rounds. Missile ammunition - 8 units. Half were transported on a launcher, the rest were housed inside the hull. The installation was recharged manually.
A deep modernization of onboard equipment and weapons had a noticeable impact on the tactical and technical characteristics. Dimensions and weight, as well as running characteristics have hardly changed. At the same time, the presence of missiles made it possible to increase the range and altitude of target destruction. The modern MSA has increased the efficiency of observation and search for targets, followed by their shelling.
From test to service
The prototype ZRPK "Makhbet" was made on the basis of the serial machine "Hovet". The tests of this machine took place in 1997 and did not take long. The chassis was not modified and therefore did not need to be checked. The tests affected only a new complex of electronic equipment and weapons.
The tests did not reveal any serious problems, and IAI received an order for the serial modernization of the equipment. Already in 1997, the army handed over the first divisional set of self-propelled guns. The assimilation of equipment by the troops proceeded at a rapid pace, and at the beginning of 1998 the first division from the ground forces reached combat readiness. During the same year, the equipment of the next division was modernized.
As of the end of the nineties, the Air Force and ground forces of the IDF had no more than 130-150 ZSU "Hovet". According to the plans of that time, all of them were to undergo repairs and modernization to the state of "Makhbet". In addition, the new project was supposed to be brought to the international market and receive lucrative contracts.
However, such plans were only partially implemented. According to The Military Balance, air defense units from the ground forces are currently armed with only 20 modernized Makhbet vehicles. The Air Force continues to operate more than 100 old Hovet ZSUs. Thus, only a small fraction of the total number of equipment received the update. On the other hand, the fleet of equipment of one of the branches of the armed forces has undergone a complete modernization.
The plans to enter the international market did not come true. Foreign operators of the M163 did not want to carry out modernization according to the Israeli project. The reasons for this were various factors of a technical, economic and political nature.
Technique in battle
At the turn of the nineties and two thousandths, another round of the Arab-Israeli conflict began, and the recently adopted Makhbet ZRPK went into battle for the first time. Such equipment was repeatedly involved in combat missions in all operations at the beginning of the 2000s.
In those events, the IDF had to deal only with the land enemy, and therefore the anti-aircraft self-propelled guns performed the functions of rapid-fire fire support systems. As the well-known photographs show, in the absence of an air enemy, missile launchers were removed from the air defense missile system, which slightly improved the view.
After that, the combat qualities of the ZRPK were determined by the M61 cannon and the modern MSA. Such a complex proved to be an effective means of dealing with ground targets. With its help, it was possible to hit any structures, fortifications and equipment of the enemy. However, the IDF was then not fighting a well-equipped and trained army.
An uncertain future
According to known data, in 2006Israel's ground forces carried out a large-scale restructuring of their air defense, as a result of which a lot of units were transferred to new equipment. ZSU and ZRPK were recognized as insufficiently effective, but significant numbers of such combat vehicles are still in service.
How long the service of the remaining self-propelled guns "Hovet" and "Makhbet" will last is unknown. The practical value of such a technique is ambiguous and largely unrelated to tasks in the context of air defense. In addition, there are several congenital deficiencies that negatively affect combat capabilities and overall potential.
It can be assumed that over the next few years, the IDF, known for its frugality, will retain the existing anti-aircraft self-propelled guns of two types, and the write-off will affect only equipment with a depleted resource or unacceptable damage. "Hovet" and "Makhbet" can be used in the battles of the future, but in the distant future they will definitely be written off due to complete moral and physical obsolescence.
