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Merkava
From ARRSEpedia
| |
| Merkava Main-Battle Tank | |
|---|---|
| Country Of origin | Israel |
| Designation | Main-Battle Tank |
| Configuration | Tracked |
| Manufacturer: | Israeli Ordnance Corp |
| Crew: | 4 |
| Length | 8.63 m |
| Width | 3.70 m |
| Height | 2.75 m |
| Weight | 66.100 t |
| Speed | 46 km/h (road) 27 km/h (off-road) |
| Range | 400 km |
| Primary armament | 1x 105-mm gun |
| Secondary armament | 1×7.62 mm co-ax MG 2×7.62mm MG 1×60mm mortar |
| Armour | 38 mm |
| Power plant | 900 HP Diesel |
| NBC | Yes |
| Night | Yes |
The first MBT entirely built in Israel. Merkava means chariot in Hebrew. It was intended to replace the venerable Centurion (much upgraded since acquired in the 1950s) but the Merkava been on the drawing board since the 1960s. The first true Merkavas were in prototype form by 1974, where they included much of what the IDF learned during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. The Mk 1 finally entered service in 1978. The current version of the Merkava (the Mk 4) has been in production since 1999.
The engine of the Merkava is located in the front of the vehicle so placing a higher premium on the survivability of the crew than continued mobility. All versions have access doors at the rear. These rear doors facilitate evacuation under fire as well as reportedly being used to place snipers and two-man reconnaissance teams into dead ground at night as the armour roars through an area.
Some Merkavas have been fitted with full medical/ambulance capabilities, but retaining their armament. These "tankbulances" are fully armed and are not protected by the Geneva Convention regarding ambulances.
