The Merkava - Israeli Main battle tank (MBT).

Israel made the decision in August of 1970 to develop and build a new MBT. Until that time, Israel could not equip its armored corps with new tanks due to the continuous refusal of all nations to sell modern tanks to them including the USA.

The need to introduce modern tanks to the Israeli Army became acute when Israel faced a tremendous build-up of hostile military formations beyond its borders, equipped with the best weapon systems of that era including modern tanks and anti - tank systems. The decision to develop the Israeli tank named MERKAVA ecame inevitable.

The Israeli development team led by General Israel Tal, integrated state-of-the-art technology with lessons of war in the concept and the design of the Merkava and all its future generations:

The first Merkava tanks, Merkava Mk1, were fielded in April 1979. Those tanks took part in actual operations during the Peace for Galilee War and proved themselves to be more effective than all other tanks in the theatre.

The second generation, Merkava Mk. 2, was first delivered in 1984.

The Third generation, Merkava Mk.3, was introduced in 1990 and became the backbone of the Israeli Armor Corp. An advanced version of Merkava Mk. 3, with an improved Fire-Control System was fielded in 1995.
As of mid-2000, the next generation, Merkava Mk. 4, is on the way and was undergoing field tests.

During the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Israeli armor suffered heavy losses from Egyptian and Syrian wire-guided anti-tank missiles. The high casualty rate spurred the IDF, which had previously depended on US-made Patton and Sherman tanks and British Centurion tanks, to develop the Merkava (Heb., chariot), considered one of the world's most effective and safest battle tanks.

Development of the Merkava was headed by Gen. Israel Tal, a former Armored Corps commander. Tal's team sought to design a tank that provided maximum protection to the tanks crew. One element of that defense is the placement of the tank's engine at the front of the vehicle, where it serves as a shield for the personnel compartment. This in turn provided more space in the vehicle's rear, which can be used to carry up to six extra soldiers. In addition, a special "canopy" protects the commander from indirect fire; the turret and the hull are fitted with a modular armor system that can be changed in the field; and the forward section of the turret is fitted with additional blocks of armor that provide extra protection against the latest generation of anti-tank missiles. A "skirt" of chains with ball weights is attached to the lower half of the turret, causing incoming projectiles to detonate on impact with the chains instead of penetrating the turret ring.

The tank became operative in 1979, and was first employed in the 1982 Operation "Peace for Galilee". The Mark I model was succeeded by the Mark II in 1983, which was replaced by the Mark III in 1990. Among the features of the Mark III are a new suspension system, a 1200-horsepower engine and new transmission, a more powerful main gun, and ballistic protection provided by special armor modules. The main 120-mm gun, developed by Israel Military Industries, is enclosed in a thermal sleeve that increases accuracy by preventing heat distortion.

Mark II and Mark III tanks are currently in service in the IDF; a Mark IV model, with additional safety and fire-control features, is currently being developed. It will include a new compressed-gas recoil system and thermal sleeve for the 120-mm gun, to enable the firing of enhanced kinetic energy ammunition. With the exception of the engine, all systems and assemblies of the Merkava tanks are of Israeli design and manufacture.

The Merkava is the innovative Israeli design of Major General Israel Tal. The primary design criteria was crew survivability. Every part of the overall design is expected to contribute to helping the crew survive. The engine is in the front to provide protection to the crew. There is a special protective umbrella for the tank commander to enable protection from indirect fire with the hatches open. Special "spaced armor" is in use along with protected fuel and ammo compartments. Rear ammunition stowage is combined with a rear entrance and exit. Since the rounds are stowed in containers that can be removed from the vehicle whenever necessary, this space can accommodate tank crewmen who have been forced to abandon their vehicles, or, if thought to be appropriate, even infantrymen. Rear ammunition stowage allows replenishment much more easily than if rounds have to be replaced in a carousel in the hull center, as in typical Russian vehicles.

Tank soldiers have long admired Merkava's rear entrance and exit, recognizing that it would allow them to mount and dismount unobserved by the enemy and would provide an excellent alternative escape route.

The Merkava can also carry a small Infantry squad internally under complete armored protection.

What a machine!

killing people is cool
tanks are cool
bombs are cool
jesus would love this stuff
let's kill all the #ing peaceniks first

Wasn't quite sure where to put this actually as its a piece of equipment and not really a program but is still a gov program(if that makes sense).

Oh well, i still like the Merkava but the Sabra is also a formidable foe.

but that's beside the fact that this is basically an advertisement for carlyle and other people who depend on the cash that is made on the situation between palestine and their intifada with israel.

not trying to give you a guilt trip. hell no.
just trying to open your eyes a bit. this is propaganda. plain and simple.

"russian t-90's could tear these apart"

That is true..

T-90 has better main gun..

And is smaller target..

And is more agile..



But as you can see from the photos..

SABRA also has good gun, and it armor is way supperior..
(From the looks of it it has well spaced armor.. unlike T-90..)



Btw,

Nerdling..

'Weapons 101'?

Whats that?

....which turns armor plate into a self catylyzing acidic dissolution.
Now that would be useful hey.
Just melt all of the politicians toys,and see how much # they have to talk then..

russian t-90's could tear these apart

Hard to get one of these bad boys started without FUEL.

Russian Army? A joke.Intelligence found out that during the cold war they didn't even have enough fuel to move their tanks 10 meters.

And 3 squares a day for soldiers? Better forget it.

Pay? Wishful at best.

Morale? You do the math.

Deny Ignorace!



If it would be up to me..

You would have already gotten a BAN to ATS..

Posting shyte and lies like that..



Cold war was very different than you claim here..

If Soviets would have attacked US and NATO..

Only way to US and NATO to survive would have been a massive use of nukes..

Tactical nukes..

Cause in the terms of conventional capability and power west was not anykind of match against USSR..

West would have been quickly overrun and freedom lost..

However..

This and your frocked up lies arent the topic of discussion here..

It is ISRAELI armor and Merkava series..

In one wargame simulation, it was found (using a very accurate model) that NATO forces eventually defeated the Warsaw Pact armies... after having been pushed back through France and having suffered 80% casualties. The model was good, they just ran the simulation leaving out morale effects. No NATO commander could continue fighting with 80% casualties.

FULCRUM, you talk about using tactical nukes. Yeah, that's true, but just think what else NATO had up its sleeve that we still don't know about (and Warsaw Pact, too). Also, another problem was that human commanders in all the wargames refused to use strategic nukes - they had to replace them with computer players to get a nuclear war running. I don't know about tactical nukes, though.