These tests have been going on since the beginning of the year, just after the Israel Defense Forces Armored Directorate began installing a new active protection system on the Namer.
It is noteworthy that in this case we are talking about the Namer BMP, made on the basis of the latest Israeli Merkava Mk4 tanks, and this modification has the character of an engineering version.
Note that initially this BMP was developed on the chassis of the old Israeli Mk1 tank, but then this technological solution was revised and the Namer began to be made on the basis of the newest Israeli Mk4 tank with a power plant from the previous Mk3 model.
The Namer's armor level is fully consistent with the latest versions of the Mk4, and, in addition, this vehicle has reinforced bottom armor, as well as nipple anti-cumulative screens in order to save the lives of soldiers transported in the BMP.
It is also worth noting that, following the example of the Russian heavy BMP T-15, created on the Armata platform, the Israelis are currently considering the possibility of replacing the Katlanit combat module with a remotely controlled 30 mm gun.
Modern tactics of tank combat requires the creation of a heavy infantry fighting vehicle
However, despite the fact that the heavy BMP Namer is a great achievement for the military-industrial complex of Israel, it cannot be said that it is one hundred percent Israeli project, since many components are made by the national company Rafael together with the American corporation General Dynamics.
Another question, this does not negate the fact that the Namer is a very effective military tool capable of solving many tasks in the conditions of modern maneuverable combat, so it is not surprising that a number of experts compare the Israeli machine in its qualities with the promising Russian heavy BMP T-15.
Military expert Alexei Leonkov in a conversation with the FBA "Economics Today" noted that it is impossible to compare the Namer with the T-15 "Armata", since these are in no way parallel projects.
Here you can recall that the Namer, unlike the "Armata", which was originally created as a modular platform for a tank and a heavy infantry fighting vehicle, is a consequence of the old Israeli program of converting tanks into heavy infantry fighting vehicles.
The first such vehicle was created on the basis of the T-54/55 BMP "Akhzarit" captured from the Arabs, whose line was continued by the heavy BMP "Puma", "Nagmashot" and "Nakpadon", which were already made on the basis of the British medium tank A41 " Centurion"
It is noteworthy that this experiment turned out to be so successful that alteration of the A41 was recently undertaken in neighboring Jordan, but, in any case, such a machine is, unlike the Armata, an ersatz and, in fact, is an example of the effective use of old armored vehicles.
Equipment "Ratnik" will draw the line under
the concept of the heavy BMP T-15 "Armata"
“The Armata platform is a purely Russian idea, as evidenced by the principle of its layout, as well as the very principle of placing ammunition, combat modules and propulsion systems. The versatility of this platform lies in the fact that, depending on the situation, it can be either a tank or a heavy infantry fighting vehicle, and when developing it, we did not focus on the Israelis,”concludes Leonkov.
According to Leonkov, the decision to develop a heavy BMP T-15 based on the Armata platform was made after the tasks of our infantry, as well as motorized rifle units, which should accompany tank units, changed.
“Today, the fire resistance of the tank column, which is deployed in battle formation and advances along the front line, is very large, therefore, the protection of the infantry in this regard comes to the fore today. As a result, the BMP T-15 appeared, which maximally protects not only the crew, but also the landing force, consisting of motorized riflemen armed with the most modern assault weapons, which can now land not in the field, but directly on the enemy's trenches,”says Leonkov.
Leonkov notes that in symbiosis with the latest equipment of the Russian army soldier "Warrior", the heavy BMP T-15 "Armata" will be able to solve the most serious tasks on the battlefield.
"Israeli developers, of course, are also in the trend of creating a heavy infantry fighting vehicle, but their approach is fundamentally different from the Russian one, although compared to what Israel had, the Namer BMP is an unconditional and significant step forward," sums up Leonkov.
