Israel's Incredible New Combat Vehicle; The Mantis and What it Will Mean for the IDF

Israel's Carmor Integrated Vehicle Solutions has revealed a prototype of a new lightweight combat vehicle which is set to revolutionise the ability of the Israeli military (Israeli Defence Force/ IDF) to deploy personnel in highly contested combat areas. The new vehicle, known as the Mantis, represents the latest in a long line of highly formidable armoured vehicles produced by Israel developed based on the small state's extensive combat experience - a result of regular conflict with neighbouring states and insurgent groups which has allowed the country's defence industries to tailor new weapons systems specifically to the IDF's battlefield requirements. Eitan Zait, chief executive officer at Carmor Integrated Vehicle Solutions (CIVS), stated regarding the Mantis' role and unique design: "These new vehicles provide a range of solutions and capabilities together with a unique ergonomic design that do not exist in any other lightweight armored vehicle."

With Israel's armed forces renowned for their aversion to even light casualties, ensuring maximum protection for personnel remains essential for a new combat vehicle and light transport. This is clear from the Mantis' design, which much like its larger and heavier counterpart the Merkava IV battle tank appears to prioritise survivability above all else. The Mantis is reportedly capable of shielding its occupants from kinetic, explosive, nuclear and biochemical threats, boasting several layers of lightweight protection.

The Mantis can carry up to eight individuals, and is highly modular and deployable in a number of configurations with varying troop carriage and firepower. The armoured vehicles can deploy night fighting equipment, additional surveillance systems and a sizeable turret which can at the expense of troop carriage house either a missile launcher, a mortar or heavy machine gun. CIVS has as a result marketed the vehicle as a having "multi mission readiness for any field requirements." The combat vehicle's futuristic lightweight design was reportedly intentional, which from the Mantis' earliest blueprints sought to provide it with "an element of surprise with a unique design that's different from the rest of the clunky, squared armored vehicles."

The Mantis is the latest of many Israeli armoured vehicles designed and produced almost entirely indigenously, a result of the failure of the serious shortcomings of Western made platforms on the battlefield. While the poor performance of the U.S. M60 Patton during the 1973 Yom Kippur War against the Soviet T-62 operated by a number of Arab states spurred the beginnings of the Merkava program, the vulnerability of American armoured personnel carriers during the Lebanon War in the 1980s led Israel to develop its own armoured transport vehicles to reduce casualties among its ground forces. Though the Merkava I was initially modified into a transport and a mobile medical station, sacrificing firepower for internal carriage space to provided Israeli troops with much needed survivability during the Lebanon War, the country has since invested in developing a number of other armoured battlefield vehicles which will be more capable and reliable than their American and European counterparts. The Mantis represents the latest of these, and should it be successful will be fielded alongside the Merkava IV in a complementary role for many years to come.