Merkava main battle tank (Israel): specifications, armament

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Merkava is a tank that was designed specifically for the Israeli army. The first sample of the car rolled off the assembly line in 1979. Since then, four generations have been created, the last of which is still in production today. In this article, you will get acquainted with the characteristics of the Merkava tank and its differences from competitors.

Development

The Israeli tank development program was approved in the late summer of 1970, shortly after the UK refused to supply its Chieftain tanks to Israel. The design was led by Major General Israel Tal. It is noteworthy that he was not an engineer, but a combat officer who went through all the Arab-Israeli wars. For the world practice of tank building, such an appointment was very unusual.

Already in April 1971, a steel model of the main battle tank (MBT) was made. Throughout 1972, the designers were working on the concept of the front location of the engine compartment on the converted Centurion tank. By the end of 1974, twothe first instance of the machine. In April 1979, the Israeli military received the first four models of the tank, and in October of the same year, the first generation of the Merkava was officially put into service. In the summer of 1982, tanks of this model were first used in a real battle.

The uniqueness of the project

After the demonstration of the Merkava project to the public, it became the subject of controversy. The biggest surprise was the layout of the tank, which, according to many experts, was unjustified for a modern MBT. When developing the machine, the designers took into account mainly defensive battle tactics and the need to protect the crew at the highest possible level, which ultimately led to a change in priorities. Most MBTs are built on the principle of "firepower - mobility - protection", while for the Merkava, protection has become a priority.

The Israelis wanted to create a tank that would be used only on their territory and not delivered abroad. As a result, it happened - the Merkava fully satisfies the specific requirements of the Israeli military forces, but, according to representatives of the armies of other countries, it has a number of shortcomings.

The designation of the tank was originally used as a temporary one, but later it was assigned to it. The translation of "Merkava" from Hebrew sounds like "Fiery chariot".

Design

The chief designer of the project, Israel Tal, was not a professional engineer, so military experience was a key argument in choosing his candidacy. During the Suez Crisis, Tal ledan armored brigade, and during the Six Day War - a division. He, like no one else, knew the features of tank combat and had a significant impact on the armored doctrine of all of Israel.

According to the aforementioned doctrine, the main number of hostilities should be conducted from prepared defensive positions in natural shelters due to elevation changes. This approach allows you to hide the tank hull from the enemy as much as possible, leaving only the turret open. Based on this, when developing the Merkava tank, they tried to reduce the frontal silhouette of its turret as much as possible, moving the fighting compartment as much as possible into the hull.

The second task that the designers set themselves was the maximum protection of the crew. In this regard, the car again managed to stand out. Its layout is unlike any other modern MBT, as the engine, transmission and fuel system are moved forward, and are also separated by armored partitions from each other and from the habitable compartment.

The interior space of the vehicle has also been significantly increased compared to other tanks. As a result, the vehicle can accommodate 6 soldiers and 4 stretchers with the wounded, or additional ammunition of similar dimensions, which is another unique feature.

Protection

The armor of the tank is unique and has no analogues so far. Thanks to the specific layout of the partitions between the engine and transmission, tankers are additionally protected. The hull and turret are made by casting and have a strong slope. The upper armor plate can be dismantled. He hasa special protrusion that closes the junction of the tower with the hull. Screens are installed along the sides of the hull to protect the undercarriage.

The frontal projection of the turret of the Merkava tank is small, which was achieved by using a wedge-shaped shape. This also allows you to increase the likelihood of a ricochet. The design of the turret is unique not only for its shape, but also for its protection - cartridge boxes for machine guns are installed between two layers of spaced armor. The experience of the Lebanese military operations showed that such protection for the tank was not enough, so subsequent modifications received additional turret armor. In general, with each new version of the tank, the thickness of its armor grew.

Another interesting design feature of the Merkava tank is the headlights, which are hidden in the hull under a layer of armor and open only for the period of use.

Armaments

Initially, the tank was armed with the American 105-millimeter M68 cannon, which is a licensed version of the British L7A1, but the turret design immediately provided for the possibility of installing larger-caliber guns. The vehicle's ammunition load was 62 rounds, but it can always be increased due to the large fighting compartment. Starting with the third modification, the tank began to be equipped with a 120 mm Israeli gun model MG251.

The Merkava's auxiliary armament includes a 7.62 mm machine gun coaxial with a cannon and two additional removable FN MAG machine guns mounted on the turret roof. Total ammunitionis 2 thousand rounds. As an option, a 12.7 mm M2N8 machine gun can be mounted on the gun mantlet. A mortar is responsible for laying smoke screens, allowing you to fire while under cover of the armor of the second and subsequent versions of the tank.

The fire control system (FCS) of the "Matador" as a whole is made at a high level and is updated with the release of each new modification of the machine. However, the rate of fire and accuracy leave much to be desired. This is primarily due to the specific layout of the tank.

As in other modern battle tanks, aiming at the target is done with the help of sights. The problem is that the motor, which is located in front, reduces the capabilities of these devices, creating a constant thermal field around them. In part, this difficulty can be avoided by firing from positions prepared in advance with a cooled engine, but in practice this possibility is far from always available. In addition, due to the unusual layout, the front of the tank is heavily overloaded, so when firing, significant longitudinal oscillations occur, which reduce the accuracy of a repeated shot. To avoid these deviations, you need to pause between shots, which reduces the rate of fire of the gun several times.

According to the Israeli military, the described shortcomings are not critical, and the use of corrective ammunition allows them to be completely leveled.

Chassis

Creating the undercarriage of the Merkava tank, the Israeli military decidedtake as a basis a similar element of the tank "Centurion". The suspension of the British car is distinguished by good resistance to explosive devices and mines. It uses coil springs and separate attachment of each hardpoint to the hull with four bolts. The latter feature makes it easy to replace damaged parts, as well as make the bottom of the hull V-shaped, thereby increasing its resistance to explosions from below. On each side, the tank has 6 rubber-coated track rollers, 5 supporting rollers, a steering wheel at the rear and a drive wheel at the front. The track design was also borrowed from the British Centurion.

Power plant and transmission

Merkava tanks were equipped with American 900-horsepower AVDS-1790 diesel engines and slightly modified American Allison CD-850-6B semi-automatic transmissions. Due to the unusual arrangement of these elements, almost any projectile that pierced the frontal armor could immobilize the car. However, due to the fact that the engine and transmission are assembled in one module, they can be quickly replaced in the field. In other MBTs, with a similar hit, the main blow falls on the crew, and the machine can continue its work.

Let's consider the modifications of the Israeli tank.

Merkava 1

Production of the first version of the tank began in 1979. In total, about 250 copies were produced. During the use of the tank in the Lebanese war of 1982, a number of vehicle shortcomings were identified. Then it wasa decision was made to create an updated version of the Merkava. Later, all tanks of the first modification were upgraded and brought to the level of new versions.

Merkava 2

This version received increased firepower, increased cross-country ability and improved protection. The turret protection was reinforced with additional screens, and the side screens were completely replaced with thicker ones. Baskets for property and metal chains with balls were hung on the back of the turret, increasing the vehicle's security against HEAT rounds.

The internal equipment of the tank has also been improved. He received an Israeli Ashot transmission, a thermal imager and a Matador-2 fire control system. The capacity of the fuel tank of the upgraded vehicle has been increased by 25%. In total, about 600 copies of the Merkava 2 tank were produced.

Merkava 3

Modular armor protection of the turret and hull was used on the third generation of the tank. It consists of a set of modules that are fastened with bolts. This design allows you to quickly and easily replace parts of the armor in case of damage and increase the protection of the tank by installing even more advanced components.

The updated tank received the LWS-2 laser radiation system, which warns the crew about pointing all sorts of weapons at the vehicle. The fire control system was replaced with a newer one. The hydraulic drives for turning the tank turret were replaced with electric ones, with the possibility of manual duplication.

The firepower of the tank was increased by installing an Israeli 120mm smoothboreguns MG251, and mobility - by forcing the power plant to 1200 horsepower. In addition, the tank received an improved suspension and an Israeli transmission. In total, about 640 units of such equipment rolled off the assembly line.

Merkava 4

This is the latest and most advanced modification of the Merkava tank. The security of the machine was increased even more, as a result of which its mass increased to 70 tons. To maintain the mobility of such a heavy tank, it was equipped with a new 1500-horsepower GD 883 engine. The Trophy complex installed on the vehicle provides effective active protection against guided missiles and grenades.

The fourth generation of the Israeli Merkava tank received an enlarged turret, which, like in the previous model, has modular armor. This tank was the last in the series. It should be replaced by fundamentally new machines that will receive a different designation.

Combat use

The First Lebanese War. About 1000 Merkava tanks took part in the 1982 Lebanon War. Many experts believe that these machines coped with the tasks quite effectively. During the entire war, only 34 tanks were disabled. At the same time, some of them broke due to engine overheating and clogging of filters with sand.

Second Lebanese War. In the hostilities of 2006, Merkava tanks of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th versions were used. In total, about 400 vehicles were involved in the battles. In most cases, they were used to evacuate the injured.and infantry support. In combat conditions, tanks of the fourth version proved to be the most steadfast.

After 2006. In 2007, a Merkava 4 tank was hit by an RPG, as a result of which two of the crew members received minor shrapnel wounds. At the end of 2010, the tank of the third version was hit by an At-14 Kornet missile. The crew survived completely. In the spring of 2011, a tank equipped with the Trophy active defense system came under fire from a hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher. Due to the fact that the complex detected the threat in time and neutralized it at a safe distance from the vehicle, the tank was not damaged.

Conclusion

Summarizing the above, it can be noted that the Merkava tank is a worthy vehicle, but only for the Israeli army, under the specific requirements of which it was created. Unlike other modern MBTs, this machine was not originally tried to be universal and adapted to any climatic conditions. Therefore, it will not be correct to compare it with the tanks of other countries.