The Merkava main battle tank of Israeli army defence forces IDF 33 years of excellence 2402121
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Military Defense Technology News - Israel |
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| Friday, February 24, 2012, 09:31 AM | |||
| The Merkava main battle tank of Israeli army defence forces IDF 33 years of excellence. | |||
The
Merkava is the standard main battle tank of the Israel Defense Forces.
It is widely considered to be one of the best tanks in the world, and
is perfectly suited for the needs of the IDF (Israeli Defence Forces).
The initial planning for the Merkava began in the 1960s at a time when
Israel wanted to become less reliant on foreign factories. The IDF began
research and development together with the British army, but due to political
reasons the project was soon abandoned. (Israeli Defence Forces) |
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Years
later, drawing on lessons from the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Israel Tal led
a development team to begin work on the Merkava
MK-I project. By 1974 the first designs and prototypes were
ready and by the end of 1978 the IDF began to train its forces in the
new tank. The design team took into consideration the special Israeli
battlefield characteristics and designed the Merkava
MK-I accordingly. |
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The
designers of the Merkava envisioned the Merkava platform to be continuously
developed based on lessons and feedback from the crews using it, rather
than a slow and linear operational testing process; so just a few years
after the Merkava
MK-II saw the light of day the next upgrade in form of the
Merkava MK-III was released. |
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The
Merkava MK-III went through a series of more dramatic
updates such as a redesign of the turret system, allowing it to move independently
from the chassis, so it can track targets regardless of the tank’s
movement. The armor system was redesigned for rapid repair and replacement
in the field, and for easy upgrading as newer materials become available.
Many of these improvements were based on lessons learned through combat
experience in Lebanon and Gaza, and as a result the IDF decided to gradually
switch to an armored force entirely based on Merkavas. The Merkava MK-III underwent several generations of upgrades adding more and more features to this great tank. Many of the features that were added over time were actually prototypes that would later be used in the latest model of the Merkava family – the Merkava MK-IV. |
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The
Merkava
MK-IV, introduced in 2004, is the most modern update to the
Merkava platform and includes an upgraded fire control system with the
ability to defend against attack helicopters, a digital battlefield management
system and an unprecedented suspension and track system that allows it
to move in even the harshest terrains that would force any other tank
to its knees. All Merkava MK-IVs are equipped with the Trophy missile-defense
system, making this incredible tank a nearly indestructible battle platform. In 2005, the IDF achieved its initial goal to have an armored corps entirely composed of Merkava battle tanks. The Merkava main battle tank proved its outstanding abilities in countless missions and battles and claimed its rightful place among the best tanks of the world. |
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