THE MERKAVA TANK [WEAPON OF THE FORTNIGHT ~ SUNDAY 3 MARCH 2013 TO SATURDAY 16 MARCH 2013]

            I chose the Merkava tank as the Weapon of the Fortnight, in order to pay respect to the Fogel Family whom five of the family members died on this date, 11 March 2011. It is also to show respect for the Israeli Defence Forces. I got the information from Wikipedia. 

Merkava Mark IV in Yad La-Shiryon, Latrun.

Type	Main battle tank
Place of origin	Israel
Service history
In service	1979-present
Used by	Israel Defense Forces
Wars	1982 Lebanon War, South Lebanon conflict, 2006 Lebanon War, First Intifada, Second Intifada, Gaza War
Production history
Designer	MANTAK
Manufacturer	MANTAK/IDF Ordnance Corps (assembly)
Unit cost	Est. $6 million
Produced	Since 1974
Number built	(As of March 2012) Mark I: 250 Mark II: 580 Mark III: 780 Mark IV: 360 (Another ~300 on order)
Specifications
Weight	65 tonnes (140,000 pounds)
Length	9.04 m/29.7 ft (incl. gun barrel) 7.60 m/24.9 ft (excl. gun barrel)
Width	3.72 m/12.2 ft (excl. skirts)
Height	2.66 m/8.7 ft (to turret roof)
Crew	4 (commander, driver, gunner, and loader)
Passengers	Maximum 6 passengers
Armor	Classified composite/sloped armour modular design.
Main armament	120 mm (4.7 in) MG253 smoothbore gun, capable of firing LAHAT ATGM
Secondary armament	1 × 12.7 mm (0.50 in) MG 2 × 7.62 mm (0.300 in) MG 1 × 60 mm (2.4 in) internal mortar 12 smoke grenades
Engine	1,500 hp (1,119 kW) turbocharged diesel engine
Power/weight	23 hp/tonne
Payload capacity	48 rounds
Transmission	Renk RK 325
Suspension	Helical spring
Ground clearance	0.45 m (1.5 ft)
Fuel capacity	1,400 litres
Operational range	500 km (310 mi)
Speed	64 km/h (40 mph) on road 55 km/h (34 mph) off road

Development

In 1965, Israel's military establishment began research and development on a domestically-produced tank, the "Sabra" (not the modern Sabra tank). Initially, Britain and Israel collaborated to adapt the United Kingdom's Chieftain tank that had entered British Army service in 1966. However, in 1969, Britain decided not to sell the tank to Israel for political reasons.

Israel Tal, who was serving as a brigade commander after the Suez Crisis, restarted plans to produce an Israeli-made tank, drawing on lessons from the 1973 Yom Kippur War, in which Israeli forces were outnumbered by those of the Middle East's Arab nations.

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. After the new facilities were completed, the Merkava was announced to the public in the International Defense Review periodical. The first official images of the tank were then released to the American periodical Armed Forces Journal on May 14, 1977. The IDF officially adopted the tank in December 1978. The first Merkava Mk. 1 tanks were supplied to the IDF in April 1979, nearly nine years after the decision to produce the Merkava Mk. 1 tank was taken.

Primary contractors

The lead organization for system integration of the Merkava's main components is Israel Military Industries (IMI). The Israeli Ordnance Corps are responsible for final Merkava assembly. Contributors to the vehicle include:

• IMI manufactures the 105 mm and 120 mm main guns and their ammunition;
• Urdan Industries assembles and constructs the hull, drive- and powertrains, and turret assemblies;
• Soltam manufactures the 60 mm internal mortar;
• Elta designs and manufactures the electronic sensors and infrared optics;
• Elbit delivers the ballistics computer and digital fire-control system (FCS);
• Tadiran provides cabin air conditioning, crew cabin intercom and radio equipment;
• El-Op, Elisra and Astronautics implement the optics and laser warning systems;
• Rafael Advanced Defense Systems builds and installs the Rafael Overhead Weapon Station and Trophy active protection system;
• L-3 Communication Combat Propulsion Systems produces licensed copies of Germany's MTU MT883 1500 hp diesel engine powerplant and RENK RK325 transmissions;
• Motorola supplies Tadiran communication encryption systems;
• DuPont supplies the Nomex, ballistic, and fire-retardant materials used by Hagor;
• Russia Military Industries helped to design the KMT-4 & -5 anti-mine rollers and the ABK-3 dozer blade, now built by Urdan;
• FN Herstal supplies 7.62 mm (MAG 58) and 12.7 mm (M2) coaxial and pintle-mounted machine guns;
• Caterpillar assisted with an Israeli-designed track system.
• Bental Industries, a TAT Technologies subsidiary, produced the brushless motors used in the Mark IV's turret and gun control system.

General characteristics

Firepower

The Merkava Mark I and II were armed with a 105 mm M68 gun. The Mark III, Mark III Dor Dalet BAZ kassag, and the Mark IV are armed with an IMI 120 mm smoothbore gun.

Each model of the Merkava has two 7.62 machine guns for anti-infantry defense and a 60 mm mortar that can be loaded and fired internally.

Mobility

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). The Mark IV's top road speed is 64 km/h.

Variants

Merkava Mark I at Yad La-Shiryon.

Merkava Mark I

The Mark I, operational since 1979, 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, 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. Although they were a success, the M113 APCs that accompanied them were found to have several defects and were withdrawn. Merkavas were converted into makeshift APCs or armored ambulances by taking out the palleted ammunition racks in storage. Ten soldiers or walking wounded could enter and exit through the rear door.

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" Mk.III mortar. 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.

Israeli Merkava Mk II MBT in Yad la-Shiryon Museum, Israel. 2005.

The Merkava Mark II. Chain netting is installed behind the turret.

Merkava Mark II

The Mark II was first introduced into general service in April 1983 and incorporated numerous small upgrades as a result of the previous year's 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.

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, with many of these tanks still in service today:

·         Mark IIB, with thermal optics and unspecified updates to the fire control system.

·         Mark IIC, with more armor on the top of the turret to improve protection against attack from the air.

·         Mark IID, with modular composite armor on the chassis and turret, allowing rapid replacement of damaged armor.

The Merkava Mark III

The more advanced, Merkava Mark III Baz model, with weaponry highlighted

Merkava Mark III Dor Dalet BAZ Kasag, the most advanced Merkava III variant

Merkava Mark III

The Merkava Mark III was introduced in December 1989, and had upgrades to the drivetrain, powertrain, armament, and electronic systems. The most prominent addition was the incorporation of the locally developed IMI 120 mm gun. This gun and a larger 1,200 horsepower (890 kW) diesel engine increased the total weight of the tank to 65 tonnes (140,000 lb), but the larger engine increased the maximum cruising speed to 60 km/h (37 mph).

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:

·         External two-way telephone for secure communications between the tank crew and dismounted infantry,

·         Upgraded ammunition storage containers to minimize ammunition cook-off,

·         Addition of laser designators,

·         Incorporation of the Kasag modular armor system, designed for rapid replacement and repair in the battlefield and for quick upgrading as new designs and sophisticated materials become available,

·         Creation of the Mark IIIB, with unspecified armor upgrades.

Merkava IIId Baz fires - the Baz Fire-control system increases the Merkava's accuracy and lethality

BAZ System

The 1995 Mark III BAZ (Hebrew Acronym signifying Barak Zoher) had many improved and additional systems including:

·         Upgraded fire-control system components, from Electro Optics Industries (EL-OP) and Elbit Ltd, provides the tank with the ability to engage moving targets while on the move (an automatic target tracker),

·         NBC protection systems,

·         Locally developed central air-conditioning system,

·         Added improvements in ballistic protection,

·         The Mark IIID has removable modular composite armor on the chassis and turret.

Dor-Dalet

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.

·         Upgraded and strengthened tracks (built by Caterpillar, designed in Israel),

·         Installation of the R-OWS.

Merkava Mark IV is first publicly introduced and seen in Yad La-Shiryon during Israeli Independence Day celebrations in 2002.

Merkava Mark IV (foreground)

Merkava Mark IV of the 401st Brigade during a training exercise.

Merkava Mark IV

The Mark IV is the most recent upgrade of the Merkava tank and has been in development since 1999. The upgrade's development was announced in an October 1999 edition of the Bamachaneh ("At the Camp") military publication. However, new Merkava Mark IIIs continued to be produced until 2003. The first Merkava IVs were in production in limited numbers by the end of 2004.

Features

The model has a new fire-control system, the El-Op Knight Mark 4. 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. This modular system is designed to allow for damaged tanks to be rapidly repaired and returned to the field.

Tank rounds are stored in individual fire-proof canisters, which reduce the chance of cookoffs in a fire inside the tank. The turret is "dry"; no active rounds are stored in it.

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 make the tank harder to spot by heat sensors and radar.

The Mark IV includes the larger 120 mm main gun of the previous versions but can fire 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 a much larger 12.7 mm machine gun for anti-vehicle operations (most commonly used against technicals).

Upgraded fire control system

The new fire-control system enables the Merkava to shoot down helicopters such as the Russian Mil Mi-24 and the French Gazelle, both of which are used by Israel's neighbors.

Upgraded tracks

The Mark IV has 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".

Digital battlefield management system

The tank carries the Israeli Elbit Systems BMS (Battle Management System; Hebrew: צי"ד), a centralised system that 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.

Rapid repair and cost effectiveness

The Merkava IV has been designed for rapid repair and fast replacement of damaged armour, with the implementation of sections of modular armour that can be easily removed and replaced. It is also designed to be cost-effective in production and maintenance, and as a result its unit-cost is lower than for a number of other tanks used by Western armies.

The AT-14 Kornet anti-tank laser-guided missile

Merkava IV with Trophy active protection system

Combat history

The Merkava was used widely during the 1982 Lebanon War. The tank outperformed Syrian tanks (mostly T-62s) and proved largely immune to anti-tank weapons of the time (the AT-3 Sagger and RPG-7) that were used against it. It was judged to be a significant improvement over Israel's previously most effective main battle tank at that time, the Centurion tank.

In February 2002 a Merkava III was destroyed by roadside bomb near Netzarim settlement in the Gaza Strip. The tank was lured into intervening in an attack on a settler convoy. When the tank went over a heavy mine it was detonated and the tank was totally destroyed. Four soldiers were killed in the blast. This was the first heavy tank to be destroyed during the Second Intifada. A second Israeli tank, Merkava II or probably a Merkava III, was destroyed a month later in the same area and a further three soldiers were killed. A third Merkava II or III tank was destroyed near the Kissufim Crossing, when one soldier was killed and two wounded.

Many of Israel's casualties in the 2006 Lebanon War were Merkava tank crews and soldiers travelling inside the tanks. Only the minority of the tanks used during the war were Merkava Mark IVs, as by 2006 they had still only entered service in limited numbers. Hezbollah fired over 1000 anti-tank missiles during the conflict against both tanks and dismounted infantry. Some 45 percent of all tanks and armoured vehicles hit with antitank missiles during the conflict suffered some form of armour penetration. In total, 15 tank crewmen were killed by these ATGM penetrations. The penetrations were caused by tandem warhead missiles. Hezbollah weaponry was believed to include advanced Russian RPG-29 'Vampir', AT-5 'Konkurs', AT-13 'Metis-M', and laser-guided AT-14 'Kornet' HEAT missiles. The IDF reported finding the state-of-the-art Kornet ATGMs on Hezbollah positions in the village of Ghandouriyeh. Several months after the cease-fire, reports have provided detailed photographic evidence that Kornet ATGMs were indeed both in possession of, and used by, Hezbollah in this area. Another Merkava IV tank crewman was killed when a tank ran over an improvised explosive device (IED). This tank had additional V-shaped underside armor, limiting casualties to just one of the seven personnel (four crewmen and three infantrymen) on board. In total, 5 Merkava tanks (2 Merkava IIs, 1 Merkava III, and 2 Merkava IVs) were destroyed. Of these two Merkava Mark IVs, one was by powerful IEDs, and the other, by Russian AT-14 'Kornet' missiles. The Israeli military said that it was satisfied with the Merkava Mark IV's performance, and attributed problems to insufficient training before the war. In total, 50 Merkava tanks (predominantly Merkava IIs and IIIs) were damaged, eight of which remained serviceable on the battlefield. 21 tanks suffered armour penetrations (15 from missiles, and 6 from IEDs and anti-tank mines).

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. 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." 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 (although only a limited number of the Israeli tanks used in 2006 were Merkava Mark IVs). The IDF wanted to increase orders of new Merkava Mark IV tanks, and planned to add the Trophy active protection system to Merkava Mark IV tanks, and to increase joint training between crews and Israeli antitank soldiers.

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 which were in service. One brigade of Merkava IVs managed to bisect the Gaza strip in five hours without casualties. The commander of the brigade stated that battlefield tactics had been greatly revised since 2006. Tactics had also been modified to focus on asymmetric or guerilla war threats, in addition to the conventional war scenarios that the Merkava had primarily been designed to combat. By October 2010, the IDF had begun to equip the first Merkava IVs with the Trophy active protection system, to improve the tanks' protection against advanced anti-tank missiles which use tandem-charge HEAT warheads. Added protection systems included an Elbit laser-warning system and IMI in-built smoke-screen grenades.

In December 2010, Hamas in Gaza fired an AT-14 Kornet anti-tank missile at a Merkava Mark III tank stationed on the Israel-Gaza border near Al-Bureij. It had hitherto not been suspected that Hamas possessed such a sophisticated missile. The missile penetrated the tank's armour, but in this instance it caused no injuries among its crew . As a result of the attack, Israel decided to deploy, along the Gaza border, its first Merkava Mark IV battalion equipped with the Trophy active protection system.

On 1 March 2011, a Merkava MK IV stationed near the Gaza border, equipped with the Trophy active protection system, successfully foiled a missile attack aimed towards it and became the first operational success of the system.

Namer in Yad LaShiryon 62nd Independence Day exhibition.

Merkava IFV Namer

Main article: Namer

Namer (Hebrew: leopard, which is also an abbreviating of "Nagmash (APC) Merkava") is an 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 a .50 M2 Browning Heavy Machinegun or Mk 19 Automatic Grenade Launcher mounted on a Samson Remote Controlled Weapon Station (RCWS), 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. The Namer has a complement of 3 crewmen (commander, driver, and RCWS gunner) and may carry up to 9 infantrymen and a stretcher. An ambulance variant can carry two casualties on stretchers and medical equipment.

The Golani Brigade used two Namer IFVs during Cast Lead operation.

Sholef in Beit ha-Totchan, Zikhron Ya'aqov, Israel.

Merkava Howitzer Sholef

Two 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.

Replacement

On July 14, 2011, The Jerusalem Post reported that the IDF was beginning to develop a successor for the Merkava series of tanks. The development was started in part by the arrival of the Trophy active protection system. With the system's abiliy 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. By July 2012, details began to emerge of considerations for developing technologies for the new design. One possibility is the replacement of the traditional main gun with a laser cannon or an electromagnetic pulse cannon. Other improvements could include a hybrid-electric engine and a reduced crew of two. The goals of the new tank are to make it faster, better protected, more interoperable, and more lethal than the current Merkava. The IDF is hoping for it to be operational by 2020.