The “Panther” armored vehicle is a fully armored Israeli troop carrier, made to transport infantry soldiers from the Israeli army to the battlefield. Its cost is about 3 million US dollars, and according to its features and accessories, it is classified as one of the safest armored personnel carriers in the world.
At the end of October 2023, it was destroyed Al-Qassam Brigades The military arm of the Islamic Resistance Movement (agitation) One of the Tiger armored vehicles using a “Cornet” missile, during Israel’s attempts to invade Gaza, and the destruction of the armored vehicle led to the death of 11 occupation soldiers.
The Israeli invasion attempts came after Operation “Al-Aqsa floodWhich was launched by the Al-Qassam Brigades on October 7, 2023, when it stormed the settlements around the Gaza Strip and took control of Israeli military centers and bases for several hours, killing hundreds of soldiers and capturing about 250 Israelis.
Development history
Sources in the Israeli press indicate that the idea of making the “Tiger” armored personnel carrier was born out of a harsh day that the Walla website described as the most difficult for the occupation army.
On May 12, 2004, while the occupation army was searching for the remains of 6 of its soldiers who were killed after the Palestinian resistance targeted an M113 armored personnel carrier, Hamas fighters were able to hit another QM113 armored personnel carrier. “It was loaded with explosives.
The five occupation soldiers who were on board were killed, and a photo published of some occupation soldiers crawling near the burning armored vehicle in search of the remains of their colleagues reinforced the debate about the feasibility of the occupation’s presence in Gaza. It also renewed the discussion at the time about the plan to disengage from the Gaza Strip.
Accordingly, the occupation army realized the need for an alternative troop carrier to the M113, whose development plans had not succeeded in providing better protection.
The beginning of development
The “Tiger” armored vehicle was developed by Oshkosh Company, an American company specialized in designing and manufacturing trucks, military vehicles, truck bodies, and cranes. The armored vehicle was designed with four-wheel drive that enables it to overcome rough roads and large rocks.
The American company sold the armored vehicles to several parties, including Israel. In 2017, the Israeli Ministry of Defense announced on its official website that it had purchased 200 of them, which it received the following year.
The Israeli Technology and Logistics Department worked to develop the chassis of the armored vehicle, to increase the protection of its soldiers during attacks on the Palestinian territories. The Israeli defense industries also sought to develop the engine of the armored vehicle, jumping it to an engine with a power of 900 horsepower.
The Israeli armored vehicle entered service in 2021, to replace the “Cheetah” tanker armored vehicles, which were recommended to be replaced following the war on Gaza in 2014.
The replacement decision was a result of the losses incurred by the occupation army in its war on Gaza, after which it obtained “Tiger” armored personnel carriers, sufficient for a crew of 3 commanders, including the driver, and a capacity sufficient to carry 8 infantry soldiers.
The armored vehicle weighs approximately ten tons, and its speed does not exceed 60 kilometers per hour for safety reasons, and its cabin capacity does not exceed 14 soldiers.
The engines of the “Tiger” armored vehicle operate on diesel to avoid rapid combustion, and its structure is completely coated with special thermal insulation materials that delay combustion, and its walls are covered with 3 strong sheets that protect it from missiles.
The armored vehicle has protection systems against floods and bad weather conditions such as wind and rain.
Tiger armor accessories
The “Nimr” armored vehicle is equipped with surveillance cameras that enable it to monitor its entire surroundings, in addition to “window” openings that allow soldiers to reconnaissance and snipe from inside the armored vehicle. At the same time, light weapons bullets cannot harm the armored vehicle.
It is also equipped with a special shielding system to confront small and light weapons, and is armed with two 12 mm machine guns, a 30 mm cannon, and a 40 mm grenade launcher, as well as five emergency exits, in case it is penetrated by precision missiles.
The armored vehicle carries missiles that can be launched with remote controls, touch-screen machine guns, in addition to systems for automatically re-inflating tires, and other modern military technologies.
The armored cabin has advanced air conditioning and heating systems, wide windows with a direct line of sight ideal for seeing outside, in addition to openings in the corners and protection bars to repel threats.
The final design of the armored vehicle includes an ergonomically designed driver’s cabin, similar to that found in a Merkava tank, and equipped with advanced vision devices.
The infantry soldiers are located at the rear of the armored hull, which is equipped with a hydraulic ramp that allows them to enter and exit it with maximum protection.
Al-Qassam destroys the “Tiger” armored vehicle
The Al-Qassam Brigades published a clip of an Israeli “Tiger” armored vehicle being hit by a “Cornet” guided missile in the eastern neighborhood of Al-Shujaiya, east of Gaza, at the end of October 2023.
On Wednesday, November 1, 2023, the occupation army announced the killing of seven soldiers from the “Al-Sabar” Battalion, affiliated with the “Givati” Brigade, following the destruction of the armored vehicle.
This is not the first armored vehicle to be destroyed by Qassam missiles. Rather, the occupation forces previously lost an armored vehicle in June 2023, after the Qassam hit it with an explosive device during its attempt to storm Jenin, and that operation led to the injury of seven occupation soldiers.
The destruction of the Tiger armored vehicle during its incursion into the Gaza Strip in 2023 led to a shock within the Israeli army, which invested huge sums of money in that armored vehicle.
Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari announced the opening of an investigation to examine the reasons for the destruction of the armored vehicle and the death of all the soldiers on board.
Hagari said, “This is a very difficult and painful incident, but it is not like other previous military incidents, and it must be studied before giving a final conclusion about it.”
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