Ugly Duckling

What the heck is this?

I know Israel has long converted old tanks into armored personnel carriers. During the Hizbollah War I noted that the Israelis were using some old T-54/55s as APCs. This picture looks like an old M-48 (I think I see a curved front) given a new life as ... something.

I do give credit to whoever wrote the caption for the photo for not just calling it a "tank." Usually, the press calls anything big and green a "tank." But what is it?

It doesn't look like an APC. It is too tall, really, to be an APC; and with firing slots all around the structure it looks more defensive.

It has a small superstructure, so how many infantry could it really hold? Could there really be room to have a rifleman at each port or is it for a couple guys to move around and have multiple firing slots?

But it doesn't have antennas sprouting out so it probably isn't some type of command vehicle. Usually, comman vehicles will have lots of room and this vehicle doesn't have it. There appears to be some type of antenna on the rear but it might be behind the vehicle.

There appears to be a bulldozer behind it so it part of an engineer unit? Or is it just passing by and so has nothing to do with the engineer vehicle?

Perhaps it is really just a mobile bunker. Is that why it is so high up? For providing some protected observation capabilities? Is it designed to park with engineers to provide some protected position to defend engineers?

But why isn't there an apparent machine gun mounted on it? Or is it just removed for some reason?

Whatever it is, it is designed to do something under the protection of heavy armor.

It is always interesting to see how old front line vehicles get a new lease on life as some special purpose vehicle.