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For the religious/mystical connotations of the word, see Merkabah.
The Merkava (Hebrew: It is optimized for crew survival and rapid repair of battle damage. Through the use of spaced-armor techniques and quick-replacement modular designs, the design team was able to incorporate composite armour, a derivative of rolled homogeneous armour (RHA) and Chobham armour. Additionally, the space between the inner and outer hulls is filled with diesel—an economical storage method and a means of defeating HEAT rounds. Following the model of contemporary self-propelled howitzers, the turret assembly is located nearer the rear than in most main battle tanks. This gives the crew additional protection against a frontal attack by putting the engine between them and the attack. This arrangement also creates more space in the rear of the tank that allows increased storage capacity, as well as a rear entrance to the main crew compartment allowing easy access even under enemy fire. This allows the tank to be used as a platform for medical disembarkation, a forward command and control station, and an armoured personnel carrier. The rear entrance's clamshell-style doors provide overhead protection when off- and on-loading cargo and personnel. It was reportedly decided shortly before the beginning of the 2006 Lebanon War that the Merkava line would be discontinued within four years.[3] However, on 7 November 2006, Haaretz reported that an Israeli General Staff assessment had ruled of the Merkava Mark IV that "if properly deployed, the tank can provide its crew with better protection than in the past," and deferred the decision on discontinuing the line.[4]
[edit] DevelopmentThe legacy of the Merkava series of tanks dates back to the 1960s. Plans were drawn up to isolate Israel's military-industrial complex from foreign reliance. Israel's economy and national reserves, backed by U.S. military grant aid[5], allowed it to purchase nearly any land, sea, or air platform and weapon from friendly nations, but Israel's infrastructure was not capable of producing those items domestically. In 1965, Israel's military establishment initiated research and development for a domestically-produced tank, the Sabra[citation needed] (Hebrew slang: "Native". Do not confuse with modern Sabra tank). Initially, Britain and Israel collaborated on a development of the United Kingdom's Chieftain tank that had entered British Army service in 1966.[citation needed]. However in 1969 Britain decided not to sell the tank to Israel for political reasons.[6]. Israel Tal—serving as a brigade commander after the Suez Crisis—restarted plans to produce an Israeli-made tank. Tal's mission was furthered by lessons learned in the 1973 Yom Kippur War, where the Middle East's Arab nations held significant numerical superiority. Realizing that they could not win wars of attrition, the new tank platform would have heavy requirements for crew survivability and safety[6]. By 1974, initial designs were completed and prototypes were built. After a brief set of trials, work began to retool the Tel HaShomer ordnance depot for full-time development and construction of the infant platform. After the new facilities were completed, the Merkava was officially released to the public in the International Defense Review periodical. Additionally, the first official images of the tank were then released to other publications, specifically the American periodical Armed Forces Journal on May 14, 1977. The IDF's official adoption would not occur until December 1978 when the first full battalion of thirty tanks was delivered for initial unit training. [edit] Merkava Mark I The Mark I is the original design created as a result of Israel Tal's decision, and was fabricated and designed for mass production. The Mark I weighed 63 tonnes and had a 900 horsepower (670 kW) diesel engine, with a power to weight ratio of 14 hp/ton. It was armed with the 105 millimeter M68 main gun (a licensed copy of the British Royal Ordnance L7), two 7.62 mm machine guns for anti-infantry defense[7], and a 60 mm mortar mounted externally, with its operator not completely protected by the tank's hull. The general design borrows the tracks from the British Centurion tank, which had seen extensive use during the Yom Kippur war. The Merkava was first used in combat during the 1982 Lebanon War where Israel deployed 180 units. After the war many adjustments and additions were noted and designed, the most important being that the 60 mm mortar needed to be installed within the hull and engineered for remote firing - a valuable feature the Israelis had initially encountered on their Centurion Mk3s with their 2" mortar MkIII[8]. A shot trap was found beneath the rear of the turret bustle where a well-placed shot could jam the turret completely. Installation of chain netting to disperse and destroy rocket propelled grenades and anti-tank rockets before impacting the primary armor increased survivability. [edit] Merkava Mark II The Mark II was first introduced into general service in April 1983 and incorporated several upgrades as a result of the previous incursion into Lebanon. The new tank was optimized for urban warfare and low intensity conflicts, with a weight and engine no greater than the Mark I[9]. The Mark II used the same 105 millimeter main gun and 7.62 millimeter machine guns as the Mark I, but the 60 millimeter mortar was redesigned during construction to be located within the hull and configured for remote firing to remove the need to expose the operator to enemy small-arms fire. An Israeli-designed automatic transmission and increased fuel storage for increased range was installed on all further Mark IIs. Anti-rocket netting was fitted for increased survivability against infantry equipped with anti-tank rockets. Many minor improvements were made to the fire-control system. Updated meteorological sensors, crosswind analyzers, and thermographic optics and image intensifiers gave greater visibility and battlefield awareness. Incrementally improved versions of the original Mark II were designated:
[edit] Merkava Mark III  The Merkava Mark III was introduced in December 1989, and had many major upgrades to the drivetrain, powertrain, armament, and safety systems. The most prominent addition was the incorporation of the locally-developed[10] IMI 120 mm gun based on German Rheinmetall 120mm Gun. This gun and a larger 1,200 horsepower (890 kW) diesel engine increased the total weight of the tank to 65 tonnes, but the larger engine increased the maximum cruising speed to 60 km/h[11]. The turret was re-engineered for movement independent of the tank chassis, allowing it to track a target regardless of the tank's movement. Many other improvements were made, including:
[edit] BAZ SystemThe 1995 Mark III BAZ (Hebrew Acronym signifying Barak Zoher) had many improved and additional systems including:
[edit] Dor-DaletThe 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.
[edit] Merkava Mark IV
The Mark IV is the latest generation of the Merkava and has been in development since 1999. Its development was first announced in an October 1999 edition of the Bamachaneh (at The Camp) military publication. [edit] Design featuresThe new model has a more robust fire-control system, the Knight Mark 4, produced by El-Op. The Mark IV has improved armor on all sides, including the top and underbelly, and is optimized for urban combat. The underside of the tank is reinforced with a modular, removable V-shaped "belly armor pack." Ammunition is stored in individual fire-proof canisters, which reduce the chance of tank rounds cooking-off in the case of a fire inside the tank. As a result, the turret is classified as "dry", meaning that no active rounds are stored above the turret line. Some features, such as hull shaping, exterior non-reflective paints, and shielding for engine heat plumes mixing with air particles to confuse enemy thermal imagers, were carried over from the IAI Lavi program of the Israeli Air Force to reduce the battlefield signature of the Merkava series tanks. The Mark IV includes the larger 120 mm main gun of the previous versions but is capable of firing a wider variety of ammunition, including HEAT and sabot rounds like the APFSDS kinetic energy penetrator, using an electrical semi-automatic revolving magazine for 10 rounds. It also includes the incorporation of a much larger 12.7 mm machine gun for anti-vehicle operations (most commonly used against technicals)[12]. [edit] Upgraded fire control systemThe new fire-control system enables the Merkava to operate as an anti-helicopter platform and is capable of detecting and destroying armored attack helicopters such as the French Gazelle and the ubiquitous Russian Mil Mi-24, both used by Israel's neighbors. [edit] Upgraded tracksThe Mark IV has incorporated the Israeli-designed "TSAWS (Tracks, Springs, and Wheels System)" caterpillar track system, called "Mazkom" (Hebrew: מערכת זחלים קפיצים ומרכובים) by troops. This system is designed to endure the harsh basalt rock conditions of Lebanon and the Golan Heights with minimal "track-shedding". [edit] Digital battlefield management systemA new and very sophisticated Israeli Elbit Systems BMS (Battle Management System; Hebrew: צי"ד) has been designed, constructed, and tested. It is a centralised system which displays battlefield data on color screens. It collects data from tracked units and UAVs deployed in theater, and immediately distributes it in encrypted form to all other units equipped with BMS in a given theater. [edit] Combat historyControversy surrounds the Merkava Mark IV's performance during the 2006 Lebanon War, as a significant proportion of Israeli casualties was among tank crews.[13] Hezbollah fired antitank missiles during the course of the conflict, penetrating armor in five Merkava Mark IV tanks and killing 10. The penetrations were caused by Hezbollah tandem warhead missiles, possibly including Russian-made RPG-29 'Vampir', AT-5 'Konkurs', AT-13 'Metis-M', and AT-14 'Kornet' missiles. Another tank crewman was killed when a Merkava Mark IV ran over an improvised explosive device (IED). This tank was equipped with additional V-shaped underside armor, limiting casualties to just one of the seven personnel (four crewmen and three infantrymen) onboard. Overall, 18 of the 52 damaged tanks were Merkava Mark IVs, eight of which remained serviceable on the battlefield. Two Merkava Mark IVs were completely destroyed, one by powerful IEDs, and another supposedly by a Russian AT-14 'Kornet' missile. All but two Merkava Mark IV tanks damaged during the war were repaired and returned to the IDF. The Israeli military said that it was satisfied with the Merkava Mark IV's performance, and attributed problems to insufficient training before the war.[14][15] After the 2006 war in Lebanon, and as the IDF becomes increasingly involved in unconventional and guerrilla warfare, the Merkava's role in the Israeli military has been questioned by some analysts who argue that the Merkava is too vulnerable to missiles.[16][17] 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."[18] On a comparison done by the armor corps newsletter it was shown that the average number of crewmen killed per tank penetrated was reduced from 2 during the Yom Kippur War to 1.5 during the 1982 Lebanon War to 1 during the 2006 Lebanon War proving how, even in the face of the improvement in anti-tank weaponry, the Merkava Mark IV provides better protection to its crew. The IDF wants to increase orders of new Merkava Mark IV tanks, and has plans to add the Trophy active protection system to Merkava Mark IV tanks, and to increase joint training between crews and Israeli antitank soldiers.[19][20] [edit] Specifications of models
[edit] Merkava variantsFollowing the Second Intifada the Israel Defense Forces modified some of their Merkava's to satisfy the needs of urban warfare. This adaptation can be done by field engineers and does not interfere with the tank's combat handling. [edit] Merkava LICThese are Merkava Mark III BAZ or Mark IV tanks, converted for urban warfare. The LIC designation stands for "Low intensity conflict", underlining its emphasis on counter-insurgency, street-to-street inner-city asymmetrical type warfare of the 21st century[21]. The Merkava is equipped with a turret 12.7 mm caliber coaxial machine gun which enables the crew to lay down fairly heavy cover fire without the use of the main gun, which is relatively ineffective against individual enemy combatants. Like the new remote-operated weapon station, the coaxial machine-gun is fired from inside the tank without exposing the crew to small-arms fire and snipers. The most sensitive areas of a tank, its optics, exhaust ports and ventilators, are all protected by a newly-developed high-strength metal mesh, to prevent the possibility of explosives charges being planted there [21]. 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. [edit] Merkava TankbulanceSome Merkava tanks have been fitted with full medical and ambulance capabilities while retaining their armament (but carrying less ammunition than the standard tank). The cabin area has been converted for carrying injured personnel and has had two stretchers and life support medical station systems added with a full medical team complement to operate under combat conditions with a Merkava battalion. The vehicle has a rear door to facilitate evacuation under fire, and can provide covering fire. The "tankbulance" is not an unarmed ambulance and as such is not protected by the Geneva Conventions provisions regarding ambulances, but it is far less vulnerable to accidental or deliberate fire than an ambulance or armored personnel carrier. [edit] Merkava IFV Namer See also: IDF Namer Namer (Hebrew: leopard, which is also an abbreviating of "Nagmash (APC) Merkava") is a heavy infantry fighting vehicle based on Merkava Mark IV chassis. In service since 2008. The vehicle was initially called Nemmera (Hebrew: leopardess), but later renamed to Namer. Namer is armed with either M2 Browning machine gun or Mk 19 grenade launcher that mounted on a Samson Remote Controlled Weapon Station, another 7.62 mm MAG machine gun, 60 mm mortar and smoke grenades. Like Merkava Mark IV it is optimized for high level of crew survival on the battlefield. Namer may carry up to 12 crewmen and infantrymen and a stretcher, or two stretchers and medical equipment. On July 20, 2007, StrategyPage reported that the first fifteen Namers will be delivered in 2008, and over a hundred more will finally equip two combat brigades. Golani Brigade used two Namer IFVs during Cast Lead operation. [edit] Merkava ARV NemmeraThe Merkava Armored Recovery Vehicle initially called Namer (Hebrew: leopard), but subsequently renamed to Nemmera (Hebrew: leopardess). It is an armored recovery vehicle based on a Merkava Mark III or IV chassis. It can tow disabled tanks and carries a complete Merkava back-up power pack that can be changed in the field in under 90 minutes. There are two versions of Nemmera. The heavier equipped with a 42 ton-meter crane and a 35 ton-meter winch, and the smaller equipped with a smaller crane.  [edit] Merkava Howitzer SholefTwo prototypes of Sholef ("Gunslinger" or "Slammer") 155 mm self-propelled howitzer with automatic loading system were built by Soltam in 1984–1986. The 45-ton vehicle had a long 155 mm calibre gun barrel giving a range of 45+ km. Using GPS, inertial navigation, and an internal fire control computer, it was also capable of direct fire while on the move. It never entered production[22]. [edit] References
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