Merkava

The Merkava is a Main Battle Tank (MBT) designed in the 1970s to meet the requirements of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for a MBT with improved crew survivability. The engine has been placed in the front of the hull to provide protection for the crew. Ammunition and fuel are protected inside special compartments. There is a rear entrance and exit to abandon the vehicle in the case of a catastrophic event and to carry infantry inside the tank like an infantry fighting vehicle does. The first batch of Merkavas entered service with the IDF in December 1978. Since then 2,230 Merkavas have been produced or will be produced by MANTAK and IDF Ordnance. The Merkava MBT features a 120mm MG253 smoothbore gun (Mk3 and Mk4) capable of firing LAHAT anti-tank missiles or a 105mm gun (MK1 and Mk2), two 7.62 machine guns (one of them coaxial), a commander's 12.7mm gun, and an internal 60mm mortar (except Mk1). A commander's thermal sight and the gunner's sight provides hunter-killer capability. The Merkava Mk1 entered service in 1979 with 250 tanks produced for the IDF seeing combat in 1982 during the Lebanon War. Deliveries of the Mk2 variant started in 1983 with 580 units produced. Both, the Mk1 and Mk2, were powered by 900-hp diesel engines and armed with a 105mm gun. The Mk3 variant was introduced in 1990 with 780 units produced until the Mk4 was adopted in 2002. The Mk3 variant was powered by a 1,200-hp turbocharged diesel engine and armed with a 120mm smoothbore gun.

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