Nimda Achzarit Heavy APC (HAPC)

     Notes:  The Israelis have captured a large number of T-54/T-55 tanks intact over the years, and have turned some of them into heavily-armored APCs.  One of these is the Achzarit; this vehicle is designed for assaults on positions where normal APCs would be too vulnerable.  The turret is removed, and the hull heavily modified, the engine replaced, armor improved, and other modifications are made.  The Achzarit has been in use since 1988.

     The Achzarit retains the standard driver’s position, though the controls are updated and the transmission is automatic.  The turret ring is replaced with a four-part hatch and armor plate; around these hatches are pintle mounts for weapons, and at the front right deck is a Rafael Overhead Weapons Station (OHWS), mounting a third machinegun.  (The use of a Rafael OHWS leaves room for the possibility of heavier armament in the future based on the OHWS; some have been seen with 30mm autocannons.) Most of these OHWS’s use 7.62mm machineguns, though the Israelis are beginning to replace them with OHWS’s mounting M-2HB .50-caliber machineguns.  The weapon can be aimed, fired and reloaded from under armor; the Second Intifada also taught the Israelis to mount a bulletproof glass turret over the commander’s station (AV5) to allow him to see out of the vehicle with some protection.  Most of the interior space is given over to room for troops and their weapons.  The engine is replaced with a smaller one that allows a small clamshell door to be added at the rear right, but the engine is still in the rear.  The Achzarit Mk 1 has a 650-horsepower engine, while the Mk 2 has an 850-horsepower engine; both are based on the engine of the M-109 SP howitzer.

     Some versions of the Achzarit have been refitted for use as armored ambulance, to pluck casualties out of heavy enemy fire; these versions have room for four stretcher casualties, two stretchers and four seated casualties, or eight seated casualties.  They have a defibrillator, two sets of oxygen administration equipment, a small refrigerator, a small heater for blankets, an air conditioner and heater, and the equivalent of four doctor’s medical bags and 20 personal medical kits.

     A command post carrier version is also made; this has 2 long range (one of which can accept data), 2 medium range, and one short range radios, a ruggedized laptop, GPS, and map boards and other supplies for plotting battlefield information.  They also have a hand-held thermal imager, image intensifier, and laser rangefinder for use by the passengers. This version has only the OHWS.

Vehicle

Price

Fuel Type

Load

Veh Wt

Crew

Mnt

Night Vision

Radiological

Achzarit Mk 1

$144,455

D, A

2 tons

44 tons

3+7

23

Passive IR (D, G), Image Intensification (G)

Shielded

Achzarit Mk 2

$146,112

D, A

2 tons

44.2 tons

3+7

17

Passive IR (D, G), Image Intensification (G)

Shielded

Achzarit Mk 1 CPV

$168,938

D, A

1 ton

44 tons

3+5

25

Passive IR (D, G), Image Intensification (G)

Shielded

Achzarit Mk 2 CPV

$172,252

D, A

1 ton

44.2 tons

3+5

19

Passive IR (D, G), Image Intensification (G)

Shielded

Achzarit Mk 1 Ambulance

$164,679

D, A

1.4 tons

44 tons

**

25

Passive IR (D)

Shielded

Achzarit Mk 2 Ambulance

$166,568

D, A

1.4 tons

44.2 tons

**

19

Passive IR (D)

Shielded

 

Vehicle

Tr Mov

Com Mov

Fuel Cap

Fuel Cons

Config

Susp

Armor

Achzarit Mk 1

120/84

30/19

812

339

Stnd

T6

HF88Sp  HS24Sp  HR12

Achzarit Mk 2

144/101

36/23

812

447

Stnd

T6

HF88Sp  HS24Sp  HR12

 

Vehicle

Fire Control*

Stabilization*

Armament

Ammunition

Achzarit

+2

Fair

MAG (C), MAG (R, L); MAG, M-2HB, or M-230 30mm (OHWS)

4000x7.62mm or 3000x7.62mm, and 600x.50 or 3000x7.62mm and 250x30mm

Achzarit CPV

+2

Fair

MAG or M-2HB (OHWS)

1500x7.62mm, or 900x.50

*Fire Control and Stabilization are only for the OHWS; the pintle-mounted weapons are None/None.

**See Notes above.

 

IMI Nagmasho’t Heavy APC

     Notes: Though the Achzarit was the first Israeli HAPC to gain the large-scale attention of the world, it was preceded by another tank-turned-into an-APC – the Nagmasho’t.  As the name suggests, the Nagmasho’t is a heavily modification of the Israeli model of the Centurion (the Sho’t).  These HAPCs were born out of lessons learned by the Israelis in the 1982 invasion of Lebanon; the Israelis felt they needed a sort of “mobile pillbox” to crack some enemy strongpoints, and the first was used on the battlefield in 1984.  It was, at the time, a revolutionary and controversial development in APC design, and the concept remains so to this day.  The Nagmasho’t has since been improved upon and superseded by later developments.

    

The Nagmasho’t

     The turret of the parent Sho’t tank is removed and replaced by a raised armored superstructure.  This, in turn, is further raised by the addition of more armor plate, pierced by firing ports, and with the four sides of these plates having open areas allowing for the firing of heavier weapons on pintle mounts.  The entire structure is topped by an armored roof. It does, as one might imagine, look sort of thrown together, but the desired effect was achieved (to a point; as seen below, it was improved upon).  Inside the superstructure are radio mounts, periscopes, racks for ammunition and radios, and some rudimentary troop seats. To the rear of this raised superstructure are two hatches on each side (on some, they are merely hinged armored panels) that allow troops to stand and fight from them.  The driver’s section is in the same place as on the Sho’t, and there is no real defined commander’s position other than the front of the superstructure. The lack of a turret, the raised superstructure, and rearrangement of the power pack gave the room to carry troops.  Armor protection is basically the armor of the Sho’t except on the superstructure, and the raised superstructure is not as protected as the hull.  Nonetheless, the Nagmasho’t did the job well enough to warrant further development, though it was essentially an improvised vehicle, and has long since been replaced.

 

The Nagmachon

     The Nagmachon uses the updated Sho’t Kal tank as its basis. The Nagmachon has improvements in armor protection and is an altogether refined design, particularly in its central superstructure. Improvements in protection were the central design feature, in fact, especially in mine protection and side protection, as well as fixing the thrown-together nature of the Nagmasho’t’s superstructure.  It was first used to transport combat engineer teams, to assault built-up fortifications, and to destroy minefields (when equipped with anti-mine devices), but is now primarily a troop carrier.  The Nagmachon came into use in the mid-1980s.  The ugly superstructure of the Nagmachon (and Nakpadon) lead them to be called by many Israelis the Mifletset (Monster).

     The superstructure of the Nagamachon looks like a turret, but does not rotate.  It is ringed vision ports, and has four firing ports, with vision ports made of bulletproof glass.  These are typically, in Israeli practice, occupied with 7.62mm machineguns. On the roof, there are two cupola-type hatches – and these have two pintle mounts by them for more weapons (usually two machineguns, or a 7.62mm machinegun and a 40mm AGL, in Israeli practice). This is mounted above a built-up section that gives the superstructure a high profile.  Though this makes the superstructure a target, it also makes the superstructure an effective command and control platform that still affords the occupants good protection – in effect, the sort of mobile pillbox the designers of the Nagmasho’t were looking for.  (The superstructure is popularly called in Israel the “doghouse.” – though the word does not carry the same connotation as it does in the US.) In addition, the hull itself has been given more protection, and the Nagmachon has ERA lugs on the hull front, sides, and root of the superstructure (all around).  The superstructure of the roof has three spaced armor panels. The superstructure also has mounted on it a pair of IS-10 smoke grenade launcher clusters of 10 – though these are capable of launching other types of grenades as well.

     Troops sit in the space vacated by the turret as well as in the space vacated by main gun ammo racks, though they must still enter and exit by jumping over the sides though hatches on the roof behind the superstructure.

 

The Nakpadon

     The latest iteration of the Sho’t-based HAPC is the Nakapon (also referred to in some sources as the “Nikpadon”), first used in 1993. This takes the Nagmachon a level further, improving armor and improving the superstructure.  The interior is also rearranged, allowing for the carriage of more troops.  The lugs for ERA on the Nakapadon can takje 1st, 2nd, or 3rd-generation ERA, and the Nakpadon has more appliqué, largely in the form of the same sort of appliqué applied to the USMC AAVP-7.  The side skirts are particularly targeted for extra armor, helping to prevent mobility kills.  The rear sections of the side skirts can be hinged 180-degrees upwards and locked, further protecting troops fighting from inside the Nakpadon. The belly armor is further reinforced. Further appliqué modules are also added to the glacis, lower front hull, and the superstructure.  Though the armor is heavier, the armor sections are more advanced, and therefore the weight of the Nakapadon is not unduly increased over the Nagmachon. Another weapon has been added: a 60mm C-06 mortar, mounted in the rear and firing over the rear of the vehicle.  The pintle mounts atop the superstructure can be fitted with an M-2HB in lieu of other weapons.  The engine of the Nakapadon is the same 900-horsepower AVDS 1790-9A as that of the Merkava 1 tank; the suspension was at first beefed up, and then later replaced with a Merkava-type suspension and steel roadwheels. Some Nakapadons are in fact updated Nagmachons.

 

Vehicle

Price

Fuel Type

Load

Veh Wt

Crew

Mnt

Night Vision

Radiological

Nagmasho’t

$80,439

G, A

1.5 tons

51 tons

2+8

18

Headlights

Enclosed

Nagmachon

$120,779

D, A

1.5 tons

53 tons

2+8

17

Passive IR (D)

Enclosed

Nakapadon

$128,168

D, A

1.5 tons

55 tons

2+10

21

Passive IR (D)

Enclosed

 

Vehicle

Tr Mov

Com Mov

Fuel Cap

Fuel Cons

Config

Susp

Armor

Nagmasho’t

100/70

25/16

1190

376

Stnd

T6

HF67Sp  HS14Sp  HR10*

Nagmachon

108/76

27/17

1190

409

Trtd**

T6

TF30Sp  TS18Sp  TR12Sp  HF74Sp  HS20Sp  HR12**

Nakapadon

121/84

30/19

1190

493

Trtd***

T6

TF36Sp  TS22Sp  TR15Sp  HF81Sp  HS24Sp  HR14***

 

Vehicle

Fire Control

Stabilization

Armament

Ammunition

Nagmasho’t

None

None

4xMAG (Superstructure corners)

4000x7.62mm

Nagmachon

None

None

4xMAG (Superstructure corners), 2xMAG or 1xMAG and 1xMk 19 40mm AGL (Roof)

4000x7.62mm or 3500x7.62mm and 150x40mm

Nakpadon

None

None

4xMAG (Superstructure corners); 2 of any mix of the following: MAG, Mk 19, M-2HB; C-06 Mortar

4000x7.62mm; plus up to 800x7.62mm, 475x.50, and/or 150x40mm; 30x60mm mortar shells

*The armor of the superstructure is a little complicated.  The superstructure armor is HF20Sp, HS12Sp, HR8Sp. The superstructure roof has an AV of 4.  At each corner of the superstructure near the top is an open area which is 1 meter high and has no armor.

**Belly armor for the hull is 9Sp.  The superstructure roof has an AV of 8Sp.  Though the Nagamachon has no turret, fire against it is resolved as if it did have a turret.

***Belly armor is 10Sp, hull deck armor is 8Sp.  The superstructure roof has an AV of 9Sp.  Though the Nakpadon has no turret, fire against it is resolved as if it did have a turret.