Israel unveils next-generation AI-enabled Barak battle tank

Middle East, News September 22, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

Israel’s Ministry of Defense and Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) unveiled the latest variant of its Merkava 4 main battle tank called the Barak. The tank is equipped with advanced sensors, radar, and camera systems, and uses artificial intelligence (AI) for real-time data processing.

The Ministry of Defense announced that the Barak tank is the 5th generation Merkava battle tank. It would be delivered to the 52nd Armored Battalion of the 401st Brigade. The tank has been jointly developed by the Armored Vehicles Directorate of Israel’s Defense Ministry and the IDF’s Ground Forces and Armored Corps.

The tank features a plethora of modern battle systems developed by several Israeli defense firms, including Elbit Systems, Rafael, and the Israel Aerospace Industries, among other companies.

“The Barak tank was designed based on a concept of anti-fragility, with the aim of providing the IDF soldiers a weapon system with built-in flexibility, which will allow them to win in all combat situations,” said Brig. Gen. Oren Giber, who leads the ministry’s Merkava and armored vehicles directorate.

A statement released by the Israeli Defense Ministry said that “The Barak tank will strengthen the capabilities of detecting enemies and will enable fighting against an enemy with a reduced signature and in all combat scenarios, on the current and future battlefield, against the entirety of threats that exist for the maneuvering force.”

The Israeli Defense Ministry started working on the project to develop a next-generation tank for the Armored Corps in 2015. The development for the Barak tank began in 2018 while in 2020 the first prototype was tested.

*^{This handout photo released September 19. 2023, shows Israel Defense Forces Barak tanks. (Image Credit: Defense Ministry and Israel Defense Forces)}*

So far, the ministry has not specified the number of tanks, the cost of each unit, or their delivery timeline. Typically, a Merkava 4 tank for the Israel Defense Forces costs about $3.5 million. The Barak is expected to replace all Merkava 4 tanks in the 401st Brigade by the end of 2025.

High-tech features and specifications

The Barak tank includes a touch screen and an operational application store to help plan and carry out a mission. The tank system uses sensors and cameras to generate an AI-based information process that would help transfer intelligence in real time between military branches.

Israeli defense technology firm, Elbit, is responsible for developing the high-tech internal mechanics of the tank. The company has developed an AI-powered helmet, dubbed IronVision, which generates a 360-degree view of the tank’s surroundings using the enteral sensors and camera.

The imagery “enables the crew to ‘see through’ the vehicle’s armor” and will help the soldiers “overcome inherent visibility limitations, while improving mission efficiency and safety.”

“The system will allow 360-degree scanning by moving the head and locating targets in real-time with the help of artificial intelligence capabilities,” the ministry said in its statement.