What model of the main battle tank is used by Israel now?

Merkava From 1998 to 1999 "Merkava" 3 ranked 10th, to 2000 "Merkava" 3 "Falcon" ranked 6th, and then to 2001 and 2002 "Merkava" 4 jumped to 4th place, the "Merkava" tank soared to impressive height. The Merkava main battle tank has a combat weight of 60 tons and a crew of 4 people (commander, gunner, driver, loader). The interior of the car body from front to rear is:

Power-transmission compartment (front left), cab (front right), fighting compartment and compartment. As a rule, the rear compartment was loaded only with ammunition, which is why the Merkava tank has an astonishingly large ammunition base. If necessary, the rear compartment can carry 8 heavily armed infantrymen or 4 stretchers.

The structure of the rear door of the car body is very interesting, it actually has 3 rear doors, the left side is the battery loading and unloading hatch, the right side is the three-proof device maintenance hatch, the main rear door in the middle is divided into two upper and lower doors, the upper door opens up, the lower door opens downward, it can be opened from outside the car, but there is a locking device in the car, like an anti-theft door, the middle rear door is mainly used for loading and unloading ammunition, the occupants get on and off the car and transport the wounded, and there is a 60-liter drinking water bucket on the door. In the fighting room, the commander is on the right side of the gun, the gun commander is in the front and lower position of the commander, and the loader is in the rear of the left side of the gun.

Merkava main battle tanks, available in various models (Merkava 1, Merkava 2, Merkava 3, Merkava, 4).

Merkava series of tanks... Various models.

In the early years, Britain banned the sale of the "Chieftain" tank, which Israel relied on deeply, and after nearly 20 years of lying on the salary, the Israelis successfully developed it in 1970 and delivered it to the troops in 1979. "Merkava" refers to the horse-drawn chariot ridden by the ancient Jews, and the Israelis wanted the "Merkava" to reproduce the majestic posture of those years.

Merkava "can be called the world's most powerful tank, one of the outstanding protection features is the use of engine, transmission, fuel tank and other front-mounted arrangement, from the front of the vehicle to the fighting compartment a total of five layers of armor protection, the rear end of the hull has two doors, on both sides of the battery and three defense devices. The second protection feature is that almost all around the hull and around the turret are two or three layers of spaced armor, which has a good defensive effect against hollow charge armor-piercing bullets and kinetic energy bullets. The third protective feature is to store all ammunition in a fireproof box made of special materials located at the rear of the hull, so that the ammunition box lasts for 1 hour at a high temperature of 1000 meters to protect the ammunition from being detonated.

In addition, in order to ensure the safety of the occupants, it is equipped with automatic fire extinguishing and explosion-proof devices.

Merkava" withstood the test of the 1982 Lebanese war and showed great survivability. Of the 300 tanks put into operation during the war, only 10 were damaged, none of the occupants died, and one tank was hit with 37 shells in a row. The 10 tanks were repaired in less than 2 days.

Generally speaking, on the battlefield, the destruction rate of tank engines accounts for 70 percent of damaged tanks, and none of the engines of "Merkava" tanks with thick armor protection are damaged. Usually 30 tanks are hit, and 85 to 90 tanks will all burn out. The "Merkava" tank was hit only 15 **, and none of them burned out completely.

Due to the use of compartments, self-sealing fuel tanks and fireproof ammunition boxes with armor protection minimize the probability of secondary damage effects.

In addition to this, Merkava destroyed 9 Soviet-made T-72 tanks with 105-mm guns. Through the example of Israel's self-made 105 mm shelling and armor-piercing shells penetrating the T-72 composite armor, people have a deeper understanding of why the Israelis, who are outnumbered and outnumbered, are called cacti in the desert.

The "Merkava" 3 developed by integrating 5 actual combat experiences (4 Middle East wars and Lebanese wars) was equipped with troops in the 90s, the main gun uses a 120 mm smoothbore gun, the front and sides of the tank are hung with modular special armor, and the "Elbit" digital fire control system includes laser rangefinder, gyratory stabilized sight, ballistic computer, electric hydraulic gun body fixing device and other first-class products.

The Merkava main battle tank designed by the Israelis can be regarded as the most dynamic and distinctive main battle tank in the world today. Since 1978, when the Merkava tank was equipped with the Israeli army, it has experienced many conflicts between Palestine and Israel, and during this period, it has developed four generations from the Merkava 1 to the Merkava 4.

Israel's main battle tanks in service are mainly Merkava 3 and Merkava 4.

The new fashion of the tank became famous, and many countries such as the United States, Britain, the Soviet Union, and France were very interested in it, and not only conducted detailed research, but also organized personnel to imitate it to equip their own tanks. The United States soon dressed some of its Marine Corps M60A1 main battle tanks in this new fashion. The Soviet Union, on the other hand, moved even more quickly, covering 7,000 T 72 and T 80 tanks in this iron box in just over a year.

Since the successful development of the "Merkava" tank in 1978, Israel's main battle tanks have basically eliminated the British, American, and a small number of Russian-made tanks, and during this period, four generations have developed from the "Merkava" 1 to the "Merkava" 4.

Merkava MK I

With a total weight of 63 tons, it was the heaviest main battle tank in the world at the time, and it was also the most protective main battle tank in the world at that time, and was subsequently mass-produced, with the MK I armed with a 105 mm M68 rifled gun (a legally produced Royal Arsenal L Hp diesel engine (14 hp tons), two mm machine guns, and a 60 mm mortar that could be stowed into the hull.

Merkava MK II

It was a modification of the MKI that began production in 1983 with a 105-mm gun, a modified fire control system and armor, and a transmission system changed from the semi-automatic of the MK I to a 4-speed automatic transmission box designed by Israel. The MK II was produced until the end of 1989.

Merkava MK III

Delivered to the Israeli military in December 1989, it was mainly based on the body of the MK II, and was replaced with a 120 mm smoothbore gun produced by the Israeli Military Industrial Group, developed on the basis of the German 120 mm RH-120 smoothbore gun, but without a muzzle calibrator, using nitrogen as a recoil buffer and a new thermal sheath. The turret control was changed from the hydraulic method of the MK I and MK II to electronic control to avoid the hydraulic oil ignition after being hit in battle. It was powered by a 1,200 hp diesel engine with a top speed of 60 km/h, an upgraded fire control system, and a modular armor design to facilitate quick replacement of damaged parts during battle, with a total weight of 65 tons.

Merkava MK IV

Production began in 1999, and the main improvements were the change of the engine to a 1,500 hp MTU engine and the change of the drivetrain to a 5-speed automatic gearbox. Because the engine was changed from air to liquid cooling, the engine was larger.

In 2010, the Israeli army had a total of 320 Type IV vehicles, and the number is still being increased at a rate of 60 per year.

Merkava 4, M60, Centurion in stock, a total of 3900 units.