7 Super Weapons of the Israeli Army

From the F-16I "Sufa" fighter jet to the advanced Iron Dome missile defense system, they all make it onto this list.

The American news site National Interest (NI) has just updated its list of 7 top-tier weapons of the Israeli military. According to NI, these are superior pieces of equipment, both in technology and performance, making many countries wary and hesitant to confront them.

7. F-16I "Sufa" fighter jet

"Sufa" in Hebrew means "storm," and the "I" following F-16 stands for Israel. This is a two-seat fighter jet, a half-sibling to the F-16 Block 52 multirole fighter.

Like the F-16 Block 52 fighter jet, the F-16I is designed using Israeli technology, incorporating many advanced features such as an head-up display, satellite communication, and the Litening II navigation and target designation system. The F-16I's armament includes the Python 5 short-range air-to-air missile, laser-guided bombs, and JDAM satellite-guided bombs.

According to NI, Israel currently has nearly 100 Sufa aircraft and intends to order an additional 243 F-16A/B/C aircraft to create the world's largest F-16 fleet, second only to the US Air Force, in order to crush enemy air defenses and support F-15I aircraft in attacking ground targets.

6. Sa'ar-class frigate 5

Israel has a unique coastline on both the Mediterranean and Red Seas, but its maritime borders are shared with many traditional enemies, so the country has had to build a sufficiently strong navy to cope with these threats, and this navy is extremely important for Israel's national defense.

The Sa'ar 5-class frigates are the flagship of the Israel Defense Forces (SCI). They were developed at the SCI's suggestion to replace the outdated frigates built during World War II. The project to develop this new class of frigates was approved by the Israeli government in early 1980 and designated the Sa'ar 5 class. The main contractor for the project was Northop Grumman, USA, with the Israel Defense Industries Group and Huntington Ingalls Industries (Mississippi) participating. Since 1993, three ships (INS Eilat, INS Lahav, and INS Hanit) have been launched and commissioned into the SCI.

• Main technical specifications of the Sa'ar 5-class frigate: Displacement 1,065 tons (standard); 1,275 tons (full load), length 85.64m, beam 11.9m, draft 3.45m, combined diesel or gas engine 2MTU V12 1163 TB82, General Electric LM2500 gas turbine, speed 35 km/h (diesel engine) and 61 km/h (gas engine); operational range 6,500 km, crew 74. Armament: 2x4 launchers for Harpoon anti-ship missile system; 2x32 launchers for Barack anti-aircraft missile system; 1 x 76mm Oto Melara gun or 1 x 57mm Bofors gun or 1 x 20mm Vulcan/Falancs six-barreled gun; Two 25mm Sea Vulcan cannons; two 3x3 324mm torpedo launchers..., carrying one Eurocopter Panther helicopter.

5. Unmanned surface surveillance vehicles of the Navy

The Israel Defense Forces were the first military in the world to use unmanned surface vehicles for naval operations, undertaking surveillance tasks at sea, in the air, and on land.

These are remotely controlled by two operators, using a Typhoon remote-controlled weapon system attached to machine guns and grenade launchers. Israeli unmanned surface vehicles are also equipped with the SPIKE "fire-and-forget" horizontal-fire missile system.

4. Tavor-21 Gun

The Israeli army uses a number of small arms developed by various countries, including the American M4 carbine. Notably, Israel also has a formidable domestically produced weapon: the Tavor-21 automatic assault rifle, which comes in many variants.

The TAR-21 (Tavor Assault Rifle - 21st Century) is a bullpup-designed rifle (with the bolt and magazine mounted behind the trigger, or right next to the shooter's face when aiming) developed by Israel in 1991, using 5.56×45mm NATO ammunition. The TAR-21 replaced the M16, CAR-15, and IMI Galil rifles, and especially the M4A1, as the standard rifle for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) since 2018.

3. Increase Merkava IV

The Israeli Merkava tanks have undergone continuous improvements in recent generations. The Merkava IV's main armament includes a 124 mm cannon capable of firing Lahat anti-tank missiles, three heavy machine guns, a smoke grenade launcher, and a 60 mm mortar.

Furthermore, the Merkava IV is equipped with a system for intercepting shoulder-fired anti-tank missiles, and a Trophy radar that quickly detects the enemy thanks to its 360-degree rotation around the hull. Moreover, the Merkava IV has been upgraded with a modern fire control system to counter enemy attack helicopters.

2. Trophy Active Tank Protection System

The guided anti-tank missiles from World War II have become obsolete. Today, the Israeli military uses inexpensive, readily available anti-tank missiles as replacements, including the Trophy Active Tank Defense System (TATDF).

The TATDF system consists of three parts: a monitoring and measurement system; a system for tracking and correcting the target's flight path; and an automated launch system for interceptor missiles using a collision-and-destruct mechanism.

The TATDF aims to create a complete sensor shield that detects approaching missiles and then launches its own interceptor missiles, everything automatically, accurately, and efficiently, capable of quickly and effectively neutralizing enemy firepower.

1. Iron Dome air defense system

To mitigate the "persistent and unexpected" threat, the Israeli military developed an air defense system called Iron Dome, which officially entered service in 2011.

The Iron Dome uses radar to quickly detect enemy missiles immediately after they are launched. The positioning data is then transmitted to the Weapons Control and Warfare Operations Center (BMC) on the ground for processing. The threat is rapidly analyzed and the point of impact is determined, after which two powerful Tamir missiles are launched to intercept them. The Iron Dome's success rate is remarkably high, with a certainty of over 90%.

Recently, the Israeli company Rafael posted a video showing that the Iron Dome air defense system can even shoot down unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). It is known that Israel is also developing a new version of the Iron Dome for SCI, called C-Dome, which can rotate 360 ​​degrees and react quickly, launching missiles in less than a few seconds.

According to Baodatviet