Then you have to read this( See below article),only AT3 Sagger
or TOW as well as RPG29 confirmed, no other fancy things you
mentioned discovered in the battle, or, could you provide some
sources to validate what you mentioned AT13 sort of stuff?
Hezbollah's Creative Tactical Use of Anti-Tank
Weaponry
By Andrew McGregor
The Russian-made, Syrian-supplied Kornet missile.
As the world waits to see if the UN-brokered ceasefire in Lebanon
holds, the Israeli army will begin assessing its disappointing
performance against Hezbollah guerrillas. Among the many aspects to
be investigated is the vulnerability of Israel's powerful armored
corps to small, hand-held, wire-guided anti-tank weapons. Indeed,
Hezbollah's innovative use of anti-tank missiles was the cause of
most Israeli casualties and has given the small but powerful
weapons a new importance in battlefield tactics.
In a recent statement, Hezbollah's armed wing, al-Moqawama
al-Islamia (Islamic Resistance), described Israel's main
battle-tank as "a toy for the rockets of the resistance" (al-Manar
TV, August 11). Hezbollah's anti-tank weapons consist of a variety
of wire-guided missiles (usually of Russian design and manufactured
and/or supplied by Iran and Syria) and rocket-propelled grenade
launchers (RPGs). The missiles include the European-made Milan, the
Russian-designed Metis-M, Sagger AT-3, Spigot AT-4 and the
Russian-made Kornet AT-14. The latter is a Syrian supplied missile
capable of targeting low-flying helicopters. Iraqi Fedayeen
irregulars used the Kornet against U.S. forces in 2003. The most
portable versions of these weapons are carried in a fiberglass case
with a launching rail attached to the lid.
On July 30, the Israeli army published photos of various anti-tank
missiles they claim to have found in a Hezbollah bunker (see:
http://www.hnn.co.il/index.php?modul...sk=view;id=967). The weapons
include Saggers and TOW missiles. The TOW (Tube-launched,
Optically-tracked, Wire-guided) missile is a formidable weapon
first produced by the United States in the 1970s. These missiles
were of interest as their packing crates were marked 2001,
suggesting that these were relatively new additions to Hezbollah's
arsenal and not part of the shipment of TOW missiles from Israel to
Iran that was part of the Iran-Contra scandal of 1986 (the
shelf-life of the TOW is roughly 20 years). On August 6, Israeli
Major-General Benny Gantz showed film of BGM-71 TOW and Sagger AT-3
missiles he reported were captured at one of Hezbollah's field
headquarters (Haaretz, August 6).
The primary target of Hezbollah's battlefield missiles is the
Israeli-made Merkava tank. The Merkava was designed for the maximum
protection of its crews, with heavy armor and a rear escape hatch.
The emphasis on crew survival is not simply a humanitarian gesture;
the small country of Israel cannot provide an endless number of
trained, combat-ready tank crews if casualties begin to mount. The
tank is also designed to be easily and quickly repaired, a
specialty of the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). The modular armor
plating can be easily replaced if damaged, or replaced entirely
with upgraded materials when available. The first generation of
Merkavas was built in the 1970s and was soon deployed in Lebanon in
1982. The much-improved Merkava Mk 4 has been Israel's main
battle-tank since its introduction in 2004.
Current battlefield reports suggest that Hezbollah fighters are
well-trained in aiming at the Merkava's most vulnerable points,
resulting in as many as one-quarter of their missiles successfully
piercing the armor (Yediot Aharonot, August 10). Hezbollah attacks
on Merkava tanks during the November 2005 raid on the border town
of Ghajar were videotaped and closely examined to find points where
the armor was susceptible to missile attack. While some of their
missiles have impressive ranges (up to three kilometers), the
guerrillas prefer to fire from close range to maximize their
chances of hitting weak points on the Merkava. Operating in two- or
three-man teams, the insurgents typically try to gain the high
ground in the hilly terrain before selecting targets, using
well-concealed missile stockpiles that allow them to operate behind
Israeli lines (Jerusalem Post, August 3).
Without artillery, Hezbollah has adapted its use of anti-tank
missiles for mobile fire support against Israeli troops taking
cover in buildings. There are numerous reports of such use, the
most devastating being on August 9, when an anti-tank missile
collapsed an entire building, claiming the lives of nine Israeli
reservists (Y-net, August 10). Four soldiers from Israel's Egoz (an
elite reconnaissance unit) were killed in a Bint Jbail house when
it was struck by a Sagger missile (Haaretz, August 6). TOW missiles
were used effectively in 2000 against IDF outposts in south Lebanon
before the Israeli withdrawal. There are also recent instances of
anti-tank weapons being used against Israeli infantry in the field,
a costly means of warfare but one that meets two important
Hezbollah criteria: the creation of Israeli casualties and the
preservation of highly-outnumbered Hezbollah guerrillas who can
fire the weapons from a relatively safe distance.
It was suggested that the IDF helicopter brought down by Hezbollah
fire on August 12 was hit by an anti-tank missile. Hezbollah
claimed to have used a new missile called the Wa'ad (Promise),
although the organization occasionally renames existing missiles
(Jerusalem Post, August 12). At least one of Israel's ubiquitous
armored bulldozers has also fallen prey to Hezbollah's
missiles.
The Syrian-made RPG-29 was previously used with some success
against Israeli tanks in Gaza. Hezbollah also uses this weapon,
with a dual-warhead that allows it to penetrate armor. On August 6,
the Israeli press reported that IDF intelligence sources claimed
that an improved Russian-made version of the RPG-29 was being sold
to Syria before transfer to the Islamic Resistance (Haaretz, August
6). In response, Russia's Foreign Ministry denied any involvement
in supplying anti-tank weapons to Hezbollah (RIA Novosti, August
10). The IDF reports that anti-tank missiles and rockets continue
to cross the border into Lebanon from Syria, despite the
destruction of roads and bridges in the area (Haaretz, August
13).
The Merkava tank has assumed an important role as a symbol of
Israeli military might. Their destruction in combat has an
important symbolic value for Hezbollah. Hezbollah's tactical
innovations and reliance on anti-tank missiles over more
traditional infantry weapons will undoubtedly prompt serious
introspection on the part of the IDF in anticipation of renewed
conflict along the border.
