Israel's secret tank destroyer revealed after decades of mystery

The Israeli armed forces have developed many unique weapon models used exclusively by this country. One of these is a tank destroyer disguised as a tank. This solution was so effective that the powerful weapon remained a secret for many decades.

The numerical advantage that Israel's enemies had in armored weaponry for decades forced Israel to develop a weapon capable of effectively destroying tanks. An example is the Pereh tank destroyer, armed with a 12-rail Spike anti-tank guided missile launcher.

At first glance, the vehicle does not resemble an anti-tank rocket launcher. It was built on the Magach tank chassis, an Israeli variant of the American M60 tank, hundreds of which have served in the Israeli army since the 1960s.

The Pereh resembles a tank, but its main gun is a decoy. Instead, the machine is equipped with a guided anti-tank missile launcher mounted in the turret. This way, the launcher, and its contents are camouflaged and well-protected by tank armor.

Before firing, the launcher is raised above the turret, and the Spike NLOS missiles fired from it can destroy a target up to 15 miles away.

Thanks to the features of the Spike NLOS missiles, it is possible to fire at targets both in line of sight and out of sight – such as those behind terrain obstacles, buildings, or other covers.

The Spike NLOS (Non Line Of Sight) missile transmits real-time images to the launcher, allowing the target to be attacked knowing only its approximate location. This allows for firing without risk to the shooter – both along the line of contact and on the enemy's shallow rear.

Pereh tank destroyers were introduced into service in the 1980s and participated in combat operations conducted by the Israeli army, but their existence remained a secret for a long time.

The first photos of the vehicle were made public only in 2014, and in 2017 Pereh was withdrawn from service. The reason for this decision was not disclosed, but according to some experts, Pereh may return to service integrated with the Merkava tank chassis.