Posted on 12/01/25
| News Source: Arutz-7
The head of the Merkava and Armored Vehicles Directorate at the Defense Ministry, Brig. Gen. Oren Giber, unveiled a series of advanced developments in ground-combat technology during the DefenseTech Conference held today (Monday) at Tel Aviv University.
Brig. Gen. Giber presented the ministry’s vision for the future of land warfare and the latest breakthroughs: "We are reinventing the central role of ground-combat platforms in preparation for future conflicts, which are expected to be complex and deadly."
According to Giber, the ministry is working to integrate robotic systems into tanks, enabling real-time data-sharing between combat vehicles:
"This will allow for a complete operational cycle. We will continue to develop and push forward until we reach these capabilities."
He explained that the vision will be realized through a combination of off-the-shelf systems, manned and unmanned tools, and cutting-edge civilian-military technologies: "All within an advanced combat structure that maximizes operational output at the tactical edge. This is exactly what I aim to implement in the MANTAK (Merkava and Armored Vehicles Directorate)."
Giber also addressed the growing challenges of urban combat: "We’re talking about systems weighing dozens of tons, and operating them in dense, complex urban terrain is a significant challenge. Our crews found themselves fighting under extremely difficult conditions, with terror tunnels beneath them. Operating an active-protection system at full efficiency in an urban environment is extraordinarily complex."
He noted that the Trophy active-protection system, developed over many years, proved itself in the most recent fighting and succeeded in protecting IDF forces.
"We realized we must develop flexible systems capable of rapid adaptation. This is exactly what we mean when we talk about reinventing our armored vehicles. Our challenge is to ensure that in the future it will still be possible to procure advanced tools-in large quantities, with higher performance, and at a lower cost."