Israeli tanks purchased for the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) abroad, is not entirely satisfy the requirements of the military, their design does not take into account the specific characteristics of many of the Middle East war theater.In 1970, the country's leadership decided to create their own armor.For the first time in the history of the technical leader of the project was not an engineer and military man, General Tal, a veteran of Arab-Israeli conflict, who knew all about the problems arising from the tank on the battlefield.
From the outset, the designers made a start on an exclusively regional application of the new combat vehicle."Chariot" - as translated from the Hebrew name given Israeli tank "Merkava".He was supposed to be used only in the Middle East, and the requirements as far as possible its transportation by rail or air transport could be ignored.It is possible to increase the weight of the model, which was, after all, 65 tons.
second main criterion which operated Jewish tank builders, was the maximum safety of the crew.Do everything to defeat in the war machine fire weapons reduce the likelihood of detonation of ammunition and fuel ignition.To achieve this, the tank "Merkava" layout was different from the classical: its power plant moved forward from the stern (and your weight protects the tank from a frontal defeat armor-piercing projectiles).Everything has its price!Therefore, visibility deteriorated considerably, but the issue was solved in part by means of electronics and optics.The crew sits in the tank and leaves it through the door, located behind that, again, reduces the vulnerability of people in the event that you need to leave the burning car.
tank "Merkava" has serious weapons: gun 120mm caliber mortar from which to fire without exposing himself from the hulls, powerful machine guns.
uniqueness of this machine is that it is equipped with zabronevym compartment, allowing troops to carry or hide it wounded, picked up on the battlefield.This design solution is unique in the world tank manufacturing, it impairs the maneuverability and speed characteristics, but the specifics of the Middle East theater, and a special approach to possible combat losses caused its adoption.
Since 1979 tank "Merkava" modified four times, and each time the weaknesses identified in the course of hostilities.The last option (Mk 4), considered the most perfect in its design used many technical solutions, from the most simple and striking in its originality, like iron balls on the surface of the armor, activating premature initiation of cumulative projectiles to very complex technical devices.The latter include the seizure of the equipment warning purpose active anti-tank missiles guidance systems and the active protection system "Trophy", detects and eliminates ATGM.However, against the most common anti-tank grenade launchers it is powerless.
tank "Merkava" not entirely invulnerable such military equipment does not exist.The main thing that made Israeli designers - his defeat at the probability of death of crew members is reduced as much as possible.
