So… I know there’s a some kind of a new armor called SLERA, I know it’s being used in the Israeli Merkava Mk4 tanks. I created this topic to discuss about it in the chat here.
Does anybody know when was it made?
is there any other countries that use it too?
if it was added to the game, what armor modifiers for KE and CE should have been for it?
Feel free to share your ideas and information here, if you got a video or a photo that would be great.
2 Likes
Most, if not all credible information is classified, thus you can just guess, speculate and nerd over some hearsay and propaganda/marketing leaflets.
There are some photos showing “high explosive” markings on removed armor sections, so it likely would be refined ERA, probably mixed with other composite armor layers to maximize protection. ERA-NERA-ERA-NERA sandwich perhaps?
Merkava 4 relying on external composite array as its primary armor package is certainly unique in the world and definitely has merit of easy repairs or upgrades with room for expansion if needed, compared to more conventional internal inserts which usually are “upgradeable” but it usually isn’t job you can do on field depot with crane and socket wrench.
3 Likes
In all fairness the merkava isn’t completely unique on this this armor being an armor package. It’s the case for more modern designs (Leclerc onwards). Just look at a Leclerc or a type 10 with its armor modules removed.
As for SLERA, I have to say that aside from your informations, it being based on ERA, it’s quite vague at best. The same is true for all modern variation of composite/ERA/NERA. France has been cooking on NxRA, to which I don’t find more information either (aside from being somehow reactive but not explosive and yet different from NERA). Even more classical modern ERA tends to get difficult to describe since they use special layering to destabilize anti ERA tips of modern APFSDS, with said layouts being completely classified to prevent the enemies from changing their tip designs accordingly
The problem right now is that no publicly available documents confirm the Mk4 uses SLERA armor. Even though the armor plates have “explosive” written over them in Hebrew, and photos of the plates exist, and as a former Mk4 gunner I can confirm this myself (although my word alone is worthless to them) because I have photos of those plates myself but don’t want to get in trouble.
Gaijin accepts nothing except documents and books.
Thus even if Snail would model Merk composite armor as SLERA, it would end up probably as a survivability nerf, reducing existing (lack of) armor protection to Kontakt 1, maybe 5 levels. Even more so as we have no idea how SLERA would react to kinetic projectiles.
Looking at glacis plate, 50mm RHA as its somewhat easier to work with:
50mm at 75 degrees gives equivalent of ±192mm effective armor RHA. For upper plate to stop top tier grade dart with 600mm pen, SLERA package would have to be over 450mm effective. Relikt, one of the most potent ERA pieces in game has equivalent of 250mm kinetic protection and article already states SLERA is likely inferior in protection to ERA (which one?).
Then you have case of ZTZ99A - there is very elaborate, detailed forum post about whats wrong with 3d model. Gaijin eventually fixed that, in return they shaved 200mm effective armor off the upper hull and substantial weakening of the turret as well… so I have almost full confidence Snail will increase weight to rumored 80 tons and reduce armor in single revisit of the tank when they get around to it.
Other forum post, features snippet from Dev server suggesting current armor status is/was more of a knee jerk reaction from overpowered to underpowered protection in order to keep deadlines then left as “meh, good enough”. Glacis still retains its tile-like hitboxes implying it was meant to be basically ERA.
1 Like
The funniest thing is that Gaijin briefly provided LIC with performance equivalent to real protection, and then it was quickly confiscated.
Back to the point, the main problem of Mekava 4 is that Gaijin is unwilling to accept the fact that he owns SLERA. Even if Israel’s foreign trade sales of armour technology and the damaged photos of Mekava 4 armour clearly show this, Gaijin still stubbornly chooses to blind his eyes and not to think.
I have tried to use an article that even children can understand clearly to explain to them in detail why Mekava 4 used SLERA. Unfortunately, Gaijin can only stare at Israel because the principle of military confidentiality has not been disclosed in detail, so you can’t fully prove it and deny it.
1 Like