The Israeli armed forces, for some reason called the "defense army", have twice made large-scale incursions into the small country of Lebanon ravaged by civil war.
The first time was in 1982, the second time was in 2006. Then modern samples of military equipment were used at that time. For example, in 1982, the Merkava Mk1 tanks went into battle for the first time. Israeli propaganda for a long time claimed that these combat vehicles showed themselves perfectly and had no losses at all, but decades later it turned out that there were losses.
Image source: Photo: "Bravery2004"
"Merkava Mk1" is burning in Beirut. 1982.
In total, thirty-four "Chariots" were shot down, and seven of them were irretrievably lost. These tanks turned into scrap metal after being hit by 115-mm shells fired from the guns of the Syrian T-62. That is, combat vehicles, for which Israeli tanks were specially designed to fight.
In 2006, during the new invasion, three generations of Merkavs were used, including the latest Mk4. According to various sources, this operation cost the Israelis 16 irretrievably lost tanks, five of which are of the latest model. Several dozen more (more than 50 pieces) received various damages.
Image source: Photo: "Bravery2004"
This Merkava Mk4 tank burned down on the border with the Gaza Strip in May 2021.
Especially effective were the Kornet-E anti-tank guided missiles transferred by Syria. There were not many of them, but for armored vehicles, meeting with them turned out to be fatal.
Currently, it is reported that Israeli tanks have been hit again on the Lebanese border. The confrontation between the "Cornet" and "Merkav" continues.
