Group : Large Caliber Cannons
Status : Active
Also Known As : MG251, MG253
Origin : Israel
Contractor : IMI Israel Military Industries
Initial Operational Capability (IOC) : 1990
Total Production : 1,570

The IMI 120 is a 120mm 44-caliber smoothbore gun developed in the 1980s for the Israel Defence Forces Merkava Mk3 and Mk4 main battle tanks (MBTs). The gun is very similar to the Rheinmetall L44 tank gun widely used by German, US Army, Korean and Japanese tanks. The recoil system is quite different than the one used on the German gun resulting in a more compact weapon system for better integration on the Merkava tank. The MG251 version entered service in 1990 on the Merkava Mk3 tank and the MG253 model with a new recoil system entered service in 2003 along the Merkava Mk4 tank. The gun can fire all NATO 120mm ammunition as well as the LAHAT anti-tank guided missile (ATGM). In addition to the Armed Forces of Israel the M253 gun was provided to the Turkish Army M60T Sabra MBT.