[Sewter]

Here are some interesting figures, my friends.

* 33 days of fighting
* Israeli casualties: 119 servicemen, 41 civilians
* Lebanese casualties: At least 900 civilians and 500 Hizbullah fighters
* Rockets fired on Israel: 3,970
* Israel Air Force sorties: 15,500
* Targets struck in Lebanon: 7,000
* Hizbullah rocket launchers destroyed: 126
* Israeli MBTs destroyed: 20 (6 to mines and 14 to ATGMs - they were all Merkava Mk 2,3 or 4s)
* IAF aircraft shot down: 1
* IAF aircraft lost in accidents: 4
* Israel Navy operational hours: 8,000
* IDF Artillery shells fired: more than 100,000

"The anti-tank threat emerged as the most serious challenge to the IDF. Operating Kornet-E and Metis-M anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs), Hizbullah successfully destroyed 14 Israeli Merkava Mk 2, 3 and 4 main battle tanks (MBTs). In response, the Israeli MoD has ordered Rafael Armament Development Authority to accelerate preparations for production of its Trophy active protection system (APS) for future IDF procurement. Israel Military Industries (IMI) has also been asked to complete development of its APS, dubbed Iron Fist, for IDF evaluation."

info:
'JANE'S DEFENCE WEEKLY - AUGUST 23, 2006'

These are somber statistics. We shall be met with more information as the time passes. Hizbullah has been using what are often called 'tank-sniper' units for sometime with lethal success. The United States has been met with such tactics in Iraq, often with late model coldwar era RPG.s. Remember, it was a 1.6lb he warhead (bazooka/M6) that brought down the venerable Tiger tank. War is burning hot and freezing cold...and all suffer...tragically.