Also Known As:
Merkava Mk1, Merkava Mk2, Merkava Mk3, Merkava Mk4
Origin:Israel
Contractor/s:
IMI Israel Military Industries
Description:
The Merkava is a Main Battle Tank (MBT) designed to meet the requirements of the Israel armed forces 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 Merkava MBT features a 120mm smoothbore gun, three 7.62 machine guns (one of them coaxial), a commander's 12.7mm gun, and an internal 60mm mortar. A commander's thermal sight and the gunner's sight provides hunter-killer capability. The Merkava Mk1 entered service in 1979, the Mk2 in 1983, the Mk3 in 1990 and the Mk4 in 2002. These variants feature armor, sensors, engine, and weapons improvements over previous models. The Mk4 variant features compatibility with kinetic energy ammunition through main gun improvements.
Specifications Accommodation: Crew 4, Passengers 5
Guns: Main Gun Caliber 120 mm
Number of Weapons: 50
Dimensions: Height 2.8 m, Length 8.8 m, Width 3.7 m
Weights: Max Weight 61,000 kg (134,480 lb)
Performance: Max Range 500 km (270 nm), Top Speed 15 mps (30 kt)
Israel / 1,000 