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Photo: Herzel Yosef

IDF tank shell wins Israel Defense Prize

Experts say Calanit shell used by Armored Corps has determined outcomes of many Gaza battles

The Defense Ministry on Wednesday awarded the prestigious Israel Defense Prize to a team charged with developing the new Calanit artillery shell, which has been praised extensively by Armored Corps troops stationed along the Gazan border, who have been using it for the past two months.

 

The award was given to the team byDefense Minister Ehud Barak and Defense Ministry Director-General Udi Shani. President Shimon Peres was also present.

 

 

Deputy Director General of the Military Industry's research and development division, Danny Peretz, said: "We are currently in a new state of warfare, where there is no confrontation between tanks.

 

"In this new reality we must hurt the people themselves, the enemy, who know where to hide. By understanding the changes in the battlefield over six years ago, we have been able to develop new means to provide proper response against the antitank units hiding in urban locations and national parks."

 

An IDF expert further explained that the Calanit operates by being shot over the heads of antitank units in hiding and exploding shrapnel directly above them, causing them great damage and paralyzing their operations.

 

"There is no doubt that without the effectiveness of this shell, the outcomes would have been different," said an IDF official.

 

 

The shell's advanced capabilities allow military forces to be prepared to fire at any given moment and minimize the chances for human error. Once this shell has been loaded into the tank, the crew then only has to mark its target and let the Calanit do the work.

 

This new shell is able to receive information about the target automatically, without human intervention, and allow the tank to continue moving while the Calanit is ready and loaded for any scenario. The tank crew is also able to change the requested target at will, even after the shell has been loaded.

 

Earlier this year the Israeli Armored Corps positioned along the Gaza Strip were equipped with the Calanit shells and used them against a number of terrorist units in the area.

 

"The results were just as we'd hoped, including hitting the terror units," said Lieutenant Colonel M.

 

 


פרסום ראשון: 07.07.11, 00:04
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