A 60 mm mortar is also fitted for firing smoke rounds or suppressing dug-in infantry anti-tank teams. [60], Giora Katz, head of Rafael's land division, stated that it was a "breakthrough because it is the first time in military history where an active defense system has proven itself in intense fighting. [24][25], Removable modular armor, from the Merkava Mark IIID, is used on all sides, including the top and a V-shaped belly armor pack for the underside. In total, five Merkava tanks (two Merkava IIs, one Merkava III, and two Merkava IVs) were destroyed. The cabin area is converted for carrying injured personnel and includes two stretchers and life support medical station systems supplemented by a full medical team complement to operate under combat conditions with a Merkava battalion. IVm tanks) alone killed between 120–130 Hamas militants during the ground fighting phase of Operation Protective Edge, according to the IDF. The system enables the handling of all kinds of projectiles in use without any adaptation. [25], The tank has a high performance air conditioning system and can even be fitted with a toilet for long duration missions. Like the Merkava Mark IV, it is optimized for high level of crew survival on the battlefield. As a result of the attack, Israel decided to deploy its first Merkava Mark IV battalion equipped with the Trophy system along the Gaza border. The tank began development in 1973 and entered official service in 1979. Many other changes were made, including: The 1995 Mark III BAZ (Hebrew acronym for ברק זוהר, Barak Zoher, signifying Shining Lightning[23]) had a number of updates and additional systems including: The last generation of the Mark III class was the Mark IIID Dor-Dalet (Hebrew: Fourth Generation), which included several components as prototypes to be introduced in the Mark IV. With the system's ability to intercept threats at a stand-off distance, there was a review of the need for vehicles like the Merkava to have thick, heavy layers of armor. It was first used extensively in the 1982 Lebanon War. It also has a 7.62 mm MAG machine gun, 60 mm mortar and smoke grenades. [40], After the 2006 war, and as the IDF becomes increasingly involved in unconventional and guerrilla warfare, some analysts say the Merkava is too vulnerable to advanced anti-tank missiles, that in their man-portable types can be fielded by guerrilla warfare opponents. TGL SP Industries LTD develop and production of the Road Wheels. This modular system is designed to allow damaged tanks to be rapidly repaired and returned to the field. There are a total of [ 19 ] Yom Kippur War Tanks, Vehicles, and Artillery entries in the Military Factory. Hezbollah weaponry was believed to include advanced Russian RPG-29 'Vampir', AT-5 'Konkurs', AT-13 'Metis-M', and laser-guided AT-14 'Kornet'[42] HEAT missiles. All Merkava tanks are fitted with a remote-controlled M2 Browning .50 heavy machine gun, aligned with the main gun and controlled from within the turret. As such, the Sholef and Merkava series share a large percentage of common components. Namer (Hebrew: leopard, which is also an abbreviation of "Nagmash (APC) Merkava"), is an infantry fighting vehicle based on the Merkava Mark IV chassis. Sho't – The Sho't (meaning "Whip" in Hebrew) is the Israeli designation of the 105 mm L7 armed Centurion tank, which entered Israeli service in 1970.[75]. Four main variants of the tank have been deployed. [13] Contributors to the vehicle include: The Merkava Mark I and II were armed with a 105 mm M64 gun, a license built variant of the M68. The Trophy protection system provides complete coverage against anti-tank rockets and missiles. [24], In December 2010, Hamas fired an AT-14 Kornet anti-tank missile at a Merkava Mark III tank stationed on the Israel-Gaza border near Al-Bureij. Some Merkava tanks are fitted with full medical and ambulance capabilities while retaining their armament (but carrying less ammunition than the standard tank). Rubber whip pole-markers with LED tips and a driver's rear-facing camera have been installed to improve navigation and maneuverability in an urban environment by day or by night. The missile penetrated the tank's armour, but caused no injuries among its crew. The Mark IV has the Israeli-designed "TSAWS (Tracks, Springs, and Wheels System)" caterpillar track system, called "Mazkom" (Hebrew: מערכת זחלים קפיצים ומרכובים, מזקו"ם‎) by troops. One of the largest tank engagements since the Second World War, the Battle of Chawinda was fought between India and Pakistan from September 14 to September 19, 1965. The addition "Kal" refers to the abbreviation of the engine manufacturer "Continental", originally notated in Hebrew as שוטקל, which reads "Sho'tCal". On the Israeli front line was a combination of Centurion and M-48 Patton tanks. The tank's 1,500 horsepower turbocharged diesel engine was designed by MTU and is manufactured under license by L-3 Communication Combat Propulsion Systems (formerly General Dynamics). [51][52], The Merkava IV was used more extensively during the Gaza War, as it had been received by the IDF in increasing numbers since 2006, replacing more of the Merkava II and III versions of the tank that were in service. Steel frame with modular composite armor. [41] The penetrations were caused by tandem warhead missiles. In 2012, the Defense Ministry drafted a program for development of a new family of light armored vehicles called Rakiya (Horizon), a Hebrew acronym for "future manned combat vehicle" (FMCV). The turret was re-engineered for movement independent of the tank chassis, allowing it to track a target regardless of the tank's movement. Newer versions of the original Mark II were designated: In 2015 the IDF had begun a plan to take the old models out of storage and repurpose them as heavy armored personnel carriers. One possibility is the replacement of the traditional main gun with a laser cannon or an electromagnetic cannon. It also includes a much larger 12.7 mm machine gun for anti-vehicle operations (most commonly used against technicals).[28]. [68] The Merkava Tank Planning Directorate set up a team to study principles for a future tank and present ideas for an armored fighting vehicle to provide mobile firepower on a future battlefield. The high rate of fire can be achieved using the onboard ammunition supply or from ground-piled ammunition. [40] In total, 15 tank crewmen were killed by these ATGM penetrations. The Mark IIID has removable modular composite armor on the chassis and turret. It was armed with the 105 millimeter M64 L71A main gun (a licensed copy of the British Royal Ordnance L7), two 7.62 mm machine guns for anti-infantry defense,[16] and a 60 mm mortar mounted externally, with the mortar operator not completely protected by the tank's hull. Tank rounds are stored in individual fire-proof canisters, which reduce the chance of cookoffs in a fire inside the tank. [48][49] Other post-war analysts, including David Eshel, disagree, arguing that reports of losses to Merkavas were overstated and that "summing up the performance of Merkava tanks, especially the latest version Merkava Mark IV, most tank crews agree that, in spite of the losses sustained and some major flaws in tactical conduct, the tank proved its mettle in its first high-saturation combat. [26] Electromagnetic warning against radar illumination is also installed.[26]. [69] By July 2012, details began to emerge of considerations for developing technologies for the new design. It was first used extensively in the 1982 Lebanon War. [9] However, it was eventually decided not to sell the marque to the Israelis (since, at that period of time in the late 1960s, the UK was more friendly towards the Arab states and Jordan than to Israel),[10] which prompted them to follow their own development programme. With future battlefield condition developments affecting design features, the vehicle may not be considered a "tank" in the traditional sense. Ten soldiers or walking wounded could enter and exit through the rear door. The tank carries the Israeli Elbit Systems BMS (Battle Management System; Hebrew: צי"ד), a centralised system that takes data from tracked units and UAVs in theater, displays it on color screens, and distributes it in encrypted form to all other units equipped with BMS in a given theater. [40] Of these two Merkava Mark IVs, one was by powerful IEDs, and the other by Russian AT-14 'Kornet' missiles. [30], The IDF was to begin trials of Elbit's Iron Vision, the world's first helmet-mounted display for tanks, in mid-2017. In 1973, while the entire country of Israel fasted for Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), one hundred thousand Egyptians invaded Israel from the …

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