Soviet tanks in the service of Israel (25 photos). Merkava main battle tank Layout: fundamental difference from analogues

Israel is considered a great tank power: the IDF tank fleet is one of the largest in the world - it is armed with from 4 to 5 thousand tanks, the Merkava tank built at Israeli tank factories, according to many experts, is the best main battle tank in the world, Israeli tank crews have invaluable combat experience gained in numerous wars and armed conflicts.

The Israeli combat example had a significant impact on the development of strategy and tactics of armored forces: Israeli tank generals Israel Tal and Moshe Peled are presented in the Hall of Great Tank Commanders at the General Patton Tank Forces Center, along with German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel and American General George Patton .

Emblem of the Israeli Armored Forces (Heil HaShiryon)

Creation of tank forces

Israeli tank forces, the main striking force of the IDF ground forces, were born in the battles of the War of Independence. In February 1948, the Armored Service was created under the command of Yitzhak Sadeh, but the tanks themselves did not yet exist - the main tank manufacturers - the USA, Great Britain and France - introduced a ban on the sale of weapons to the Jewish state.

Already during the battles of the War of Independence, it was possible to acquire 10 Hotchkiss N-39 tanks, which, together with the Sherman M4 tank and two Cromwell tanks stolen from the British, entered service with the first tank unit - the 82nd Tank Battalion. The battalion commander was former Polish Army major Felix Beatus, who served from Stalingrad to Berlin. The battalion's crews included tank crews - Jewish volunteers from around the world who fought against the Nazis in the ranks of the British Army and the Polish Army.

Israeli tank Sherman M4. War of Independence. 1948

Among them were several former Red Army tank officers. They were called "suicide bombers" - they deserted the Soviet occupation forces in Germany and reached Eretz Israel by different routes. In the USSR they were sentenced to death in absentia for “treason to the Motherland.” They went through mortal dangers to fight for the Jewish state.

By mid-1948, the 7th and 8th tank brigades were formed and took part in battles with the Arab aggressors.

Israeli tank general Moshe Peled. Portrait from the gallery of "Great Tank Commanders" in

In those years, the doctrine began to take shape tank war, adopted by the IDF. It is based on the following principles:
The first is “Totality of the Tank”. This means that tank formations, due to mobility, armor and firepower, are capable of independently solving the main tasks of a land war.
The second is “Armored Fist” as the main tank maneuver,” which consists of introducing large tank forces into the breakthrough, capable of attacking high speed, destroying enemy forces along the way.
The main combat unit of the Israeli armored forces is tank brigade. During combat operations, tank divisions and corps are formed from tank brigades.

Israeli tank general Israel Tal. Portrait from the gallery of "Great Tank Commanders" in
General Patton US Tank Forces Center

Analysis tank battles showed a high percentage of losses among tank commanders. This is due to the requirements of a kind of code of commander’s honor adopted in israeli army:
“Follow me!” - the main command in the IDF, the commander is obliged to lead his subordinates by personal example.
Tanks go into battle with open hatches - the commander, standing in the tank turret with the hatch folded back, controls the actions of the crew. This significantly expands the view and allows you to fight with " with open eyes", however, the commander becomes a prime target for enemy fire.

The formation of tank forces

The first battle test of this doctrine took place during Operation Kadesh in 1956. In three days, the 7th and 27th tank brigades, interacting with infantry and parachute units, broke through the enemy’s defenses and, having passed Sinai desert, reached the Suez Canal. During the fighting, up to 600 units of enemy armored vehicles were destroyed or captured, Israeli losses amounted to 30 tanks and armored personnel carriers.

Israeli tanks AMX-13. Operation Kadesh 1956

The IDF tank fleet began to be replenished with modern military equipment. During the battles, the AMX-13 tanks purchased in France performed well - the first modern tanks to enter service with the IDF. In total, about 200 of these tanks entered service with the IDF.
In the early 60s, hundreds of Super-Sherman M-50 and M-51 tanks entered service with the IDF.

Israeli Super Sherman tanks

In the early 1960s, the United States finally agreed to sell M48 tanks, called Magah in Israel. However, the Americans tried to hide this deal from their Arab friends. Therefore, a deal was concluded between Germany and the United States, and Israel formally purchased these tanks from Germany. In total, as part of this deal, more than 200 M48 tanks entered service with the IDF.

Israeli tanks Magah M48.

Around the same time, several hundred British tanks Centurion, which in Israel received the name Shot (translated from Hebrew as “whip”)

Israeli tank Shot Centurion.

With this updated tank fleet, Israel was to fight fierce tank battles in
Six Day War of 1967 and the Yom Kippur War of 1973.

In 1964, General Israel Tal became commander-in-chief of the tank forces. This most experienced tanker, based on combat experience, developed completely new tactical techniques for conducting tank warfare. These include conducting sniper fire from tank turret guns at long and ultra-long distances - up to 5-6 kilometers and even 10-11 kilometers. This immediately gave noticeable advantages in battle.

New tactics were tested in battle during the “Battle for Water” in 1964-1966. Then Syria tried to divert the water of the Jordan River, and thereby deprive Israel water resources. The Syrians began to build a diversion canal, which Israel could not allow.
It was decided to use tank gun fire to destroy the enemy’s earth-moving equipment, tanks and artillery batteries covering the construction.

For this purpose, the Israeli command equipped the Sherman and Centurion tank units with trained crews, with General Tal personally taking the place of the gunner in one of the tanks, and the loader - the commander of the 7th Tank Brigade, Colonel Shlomo Lahat

The Israelis sent a tractor into the no man's land as bait. The Syrians immediately bought into the ruse and opened fire. The targets were immediately detected. Sniper fire from Israeli tank crews destroyed all selected targets at a distance of up to 6 kilometers, and then tank fire was transferred to targets located at a distance of 11 kilometers.

Such tank fire strikes were carried out many times throughout the year. The Syrians suffered heavy losses and were forced to completely abandon their plans to divert the water.

Six Day War. 1967

The Six-Day War of 1967 was a true triumph for Israeli tank forces. For the first time, Israeli tank formations operated simultaneously on three fronts. They were opposed by many times superior forces of five Arab states, but this did not save the Arabs from total defeat.

Six Day War 1967 Israeli tank crews

On the southern front, the attack was carried out by the forces of three tank divisions of generals Tal, Sharon and Joffe. In the offensive operation, called the “March through Sinai,” Israeli tank formations, interacting with aviation, motorized infantry and paratroopers, made a lightning-fast breakthrough of the enemy’s defenses and moved through the desert, destroying the encircled Arab groups. On the northern front, General Peled's 36th Tank Division advanced along impassable mountain paths, and after three days of fierce fighting reached the outskirts of Damascus. On the eastern front, Israeli troops drove Jordanian units out of Jerusalem and liberated ancient Jewish shrines from foreign invaders.

During the fighting, more than 1,200 enemy tanks were destroyed and thousands of armored vehicles, mostly Russian-made, were captured. Captured Russian T-54/55 tanks underwent major modernization at Israeli tank factories and entered service with the tank forces under the name "Tiran-4/5".

Captured Russian armored vehicles captured in the Six-Day War, at a parade in Jerusalem.

On September 9, 1969, an armored group consisting of 6 captured Russian T-55 tanks and three BTR-50 armored personnel carriers captured in the Six-Day War was secretly transported on landing ships to the Egyptian shore of the Suez Canal. The main goal was the destruction of the Russian air defense system, which was interfering with the actions of Israeli aviation. During this brilliantly conceived and executed operation, called Raviv, Israeli tank crews for 9 hours walked through the enemy’s rear with a fiery wave, mercilessly destroying radar stations and positions missile forces and artillery, headquarters, warehouses and army bases. Having successfully completed the raid without losses, the Israeli armored group returned safely on landing ships to its base.

Yom Kippur War. 1973

The most ordeal for Israel was the Yom Kippur War, which began on October 6, 1973, on the day of one of the most important Jewish holidays, when most military personnel were on leave. Israel was suddenly attacked on all fronts by vastly superior aggressor forces, including the armies of Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Morocco, Jordan, Libya, Algeria, Lebanon, Sudan, thousands of Russian “military advisers,” Cuban and North Korean “volunteers.” In the vastness from Sinai to the Golan Heights, one of the largest tank battles in the world military unfolded - up to six thousand tanks took part in it on both sides.

Especially dangerous situation took shape on the Golan Heights - there, only 200 tanks of the 7th and 188th tank brigades confronted almost 1,400 Syrian tanks on a 40-kilometer stretch. Israeli tank crews fought to the death, demonstrating mass heroism.

The names of the tank heroes who stopped the enemy went down in the history of Israel. Among them are platoon commander Lieutenant Zvi Gringold, company commander Captain Meir Zamir, nicknamed “Tiger,” and battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel Kahalani.

Lieutenant (already a captain in the photo) Zvi Gringold is a tanker who accomplished an unprecedented feat: during a battle that lasted about a day, he destroyed up to 60 Russian tanks

The tankers fought until the last shell; from the tankers who survived the battle, who had just left the burning tanks, new crews were immediately formed, which again went into battle on repaired combat vehicles. Lieutenant Gringold went into battle three times in new vehicles. Being shell-shocked and wounded, he did not leave the battlefield and destroyed up to 60 Russian tanks. The Israeli tankers survived and won; the 210th Tank Division, under the command of General Dan Laner, arrived in time and completed the defeat of the enemy.

Israeli Centurion tanks. Yom Kippur War 1973 Sinai desert

Israeli Centurion tank. Yom Kippur War 1973. Golan Heights

During the fighting, the Iraqi tank corps, which was sent to help the Syrians, was also destroyed. Israeli troops launched a counteroffensive and on October 14 were already in the suburbs of Damascus.

Destroyed and captured Russian armored vehicles - T-62 tanks. October 1973 Golan Heights

An equally fierce tank battle took place in the sands of Sinai, where the Arabs initially managed to push back units of the 252nd tank division General Mendler. General Mendler died in battle, but stopped the enemy's further advance. On October 7, the 162nd Panzer Division under the command of General Bren and the 143rd Panzer Division under the command of General Ariel Sharon entered the battle. During heavy tank battles, the main Arab forces were destroyed.

Commander of the 162nd Tank Division, General Abraham Adan (Bren)

On October 14, the largest counter battle of tank formations since World War II took place, “tanks against tanks,” in which 260 enemy tanks were destroyed. Israeli tank crews lost 20 of their combat vehicles.

On October 16, Israeli tank forces launched a counteroffensive. General Sharon's tankers broke through the front, established a pontoon crossing across the Suez Canal, and Israeli tanks poured onto the African coast. In the ensuing battles, the Egyptian army was surrounded, all its reserves were destroyed, and a direct road was opened for an attack on Cairo.

Video of the 14th Tank Brigade fighting during the Yom Kippur War in Sinai


War of Yom Kippur. October 1973

During the fierce tank battles of the Yom Kippur War, Israeli tank forces again proved their superiority: more than 2,500 enemy tanks (T-62, T-55, T-54) and thousands of other armored vehicles were destroyed in the battles. However, a high price had to be paid for the victory - more than a thousand Israeli tank crews who heroically fought died in the battles.

Tank Merkava

One of the results of past wars was the creation of our own tank, in which the requirements of Israeli tank crews for a combat vehicle were most fully realized and their combat experience was taken into account. Another reason that prompted the creation of the Israeli tank was the embargo on the supply of military equipment, imposed by foreign manufacturers every time wars began. This situation was intolerable, since there was always a continuous flow of Russian weapons coming to the Arabs.

The Israeli tank project was headed by General Israel Tal, a combat tank officer who had gone through all the wars. Under his leadership, in just a few years, the project of the first Israeli tank, Merkava-1, was created, which already in 1976 was put into mass production at Israeli tank factories. The history of world tank building has never seen such a rate of creation of a tank industry.

The commander of the parachute brigade, Colonel Rafael Eitan, and the commander of the tank division, General Israel Tal. 1967 Six Day War

General Tal gave the new tank the name “Merkava”, which means “war chariot” in Hebrew. This word comes from the TANAKH; it is mentioned in the first chapter of the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel as a symbol of movement, power and a stable foundation.

First generation tank Merkava Mk1

Second generation tank Merkava Mk2

Third generation tank Merkava Mk3

Fourth generation tank Merkava Mk4

The first Merkava tanks were equipped with a tank battalion commanded by the son of General Tal. The Merkava tank is recognized as the world's best tank for the Middle Eastern theater of operations. Israeli designers were the first in the world to develop dynamic armor, the use of which greatly reduced the likelihood of a tank being hit by shells and guided missiles. Blazer dynamic protection units were installed on Merkava tanks, and on most of the Centurions, M48 and M60, which remained in service with the IDF
The fourth generation of Merkava tanks is now being produced, and the Israeli tank industry has become one of the largest in the world - tens of thousands of engineers and workers work at more than 200 enterprises.

War in Lebanon. 1982

“Shlom HaGalil” (Peace to Galilee) is how the IDF General Staff called the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, which began on June 6, 1982. in response to attacks by Palestinian terrorists operating from Lebanese territory.

On the Lebanese border, Israel concentrated 11 divisions, united into three army corps. Each corps was assigned its own area of ​​responsibility or direction: the Western direction was commanded by Lieutenant General Yekutiel Adam, the Central direction - by Lieutenant General Uri Simhoni, and the Eastern direction - by Lieutenant General Janusz Ben-Gal. In addition, two divisions under the command of Lieutenant General Moshe Bar Kokhb were deployed to the Golan Heights, in the immediate vicinity of Damascus. The armored divisions included 1,200 tanks. The overall command of the operation was entrusted to the Chief of the General Staff, Colonel General R. Eitan and the commander of the Northern Military District, Lieutenant General A. Drori.

Tank divisions advanced in the coastal direction and already on June 10 entered the suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut. Beirut was later completely captured by Israeli troops. During the offensive, the largest amphibious landing operation was carried out, when behind enemy lines from landing ships The Israeli Navy landed tank and motorized infantry units.

Particularly fierce fighting took place in east direction, where the target of the offensive was the strategically important Beirut-Damascus highway. Under the terms of the ceasefire agreement, Israeli tanks were stopped about 30 kilometers from the Syrian capital Damascus.

Israeli tanks and infantry are engaged in street fighting in Beirut. 1982

Operation in Lebanon. 2006

During the operation in Lebanon in July-August 2006. The IDF was practicing completely new methods of waging war against terrorist groups.

Terrorist organization Hezbollah created a deeply echeloned system of fortified areas in southern Lebanon, including many camouflaged underground bunkers, connected by tens of kilometers of tunnels. and the equipment accumulated by the militants, according to their plans, should have been enough for a multi-month defense, during which they expected to inflict heavy losses on the Israeli army.

The terrorists paid special attention to anti-tank warfare - they carried out continuous mining in tank-hazardous areas, including laying dozens of landmines with hundreds of kilograms of TNT in each. The terrorists were armed with the most modern Russian anti-tank weapons: ATGMs “Malyutka”, “Fagot”, “Konkurs”, “Metis-M”, “Kornet-E”, as well as RPG-7 and RPG-29 “Vampire” grenade launchers.

Despite such impressive training of the militants, the IDF successfully completed all assigned tasks with minimal losses and completely eliminated the terrorist presence in the border areas.

According to Israeli data, during the battles the militants carried out hundreds of launches of anti-tank missiles, but their effectiveness was quite low: there were only 22 cases of penetration of tank armor; damaged tanks returned to service after repairs during the battles in Lebanon. Irreversible losses amounted to only 5 tanks, two of which were blown up by landmines. During the fighting, 30 Israeli tank crews were killed.

Israeli Armored Forces

All military experts note the high survivability of Israeli tanks, especially the most modern Merkava 4 tank.
The experience of fighting in Lebanon has shown that despite the minimal losses of armored vehicles during the fighting, the solution to the problem of the survivability of the main battle tank and its crew on a battlefield saturated with anti-tank weapons is the use of high-tech active defense means that ensure a change in trajectory or destruction of all types of incoming cumulative ammunition.

In Israel, the development of funds active protection armored vehicles are being developed by the military-industrial concern RAFAEL; among the numerous projects, the Iron Fist and Trophy active protection systems should be noted. Israel is leading in this direction - the Trophy active protection system was the first in the world to be installed on mass-produced Merkava Mk4 tanks.

Israeli tank forces have gone through a glorious battle path and are rightfully considered one of the strongest in the world - according to open data, it is known that the IDF now has up to 5,000 tanks in service. This is more than, for example, countries such as the UK, France and Germany. But the main strength of the Israeli tank forces lies in people whose invaluable combat experience and courage are the guarantor of Israel's security.

The deployment of IDF armored forces began during the War of Independence of 1947–1949. The event that became the starting point of this war was the vote of the UN General Assembly on November 29, 1947 on the issue of the division of Palestine, which was under British rule after the First World War. At 5:31 p.m. New York time, the decision was passed by a majority of 33 votes to 13, with 10 abstentions.

In anticipation of the UN decision on the Palestinian issue, a delegation of the Yishuv (the Jewish population of Palestine) met with the leadership of the League of Arab States (LAS) to try to work out a compromise solution on the division of spheres of influence in Palestine. This attempt was met with refusal. The Chairman of the Arab League, the Egyptian diplomat Azzam Pasha, made it clear to the Jewish envoys that there would be no peaceful division of Palestine and they would have to defend their right to any part of its territory with arms in hand.

According to resolution No. 181 of the UN General Assembly of November 29, 1947 on the division of Palestine, two independent states were to be created on its territory - Jewish and Arab, as well as Greater Jerusalem - a territory controlled by the UN. Each state was to consist of three territories bordering each other only at corners. The Jews agreed to the partition, but the Arabs refused to recognize it and demanded the creation of a single state entity in Palestine. The very next day after the vote, November 30, Arabs fired at a bus carrying Jews heading from Netanya to Tel Aviv, killing five and wounding seven. The war has begun.

At the first stage of the war, from November 29, 1947 to May 15, 1948, low-intensity armed clashes that had occurred since the mid-1930s escalated into full-scale hostilities in almost all areas of contact between Jews and Arabs. This stage of the war was characterized by confrontation between Jewish and Arab irregular forces. British troops were preparing for the upcoming evacuation and showed little interest in what was happening. Jewish and Arab paramilitary forces sought to maximize the seizure of territory and control over communications, occupying key points immediately after the departure of British troops.

On May 14, 1948, the independence of the State of Israel was proclaimed, and on the night of May 15, troops of five Arab states invaded Palestine. However, describing the events of the Revolutionary War is not the purpose of this book. We are, in fact, interested in tanks.

Light tank H39 "Hotchkiss" on display at the Israeli Tank Museum in Latrun. Judging by the shape of the commander's cupola, this vehicle was in the hands of the Germans during World War II

The “Russian” company of the 82nd Tank Battalion of the Israel Defense Forces is in service. 1948 The vehicle with the number "612" has a French-style commander's cupola. Soviet-style tank helmets are noteworthy. Such Czechoslovak-made helmets were used by the IDF until the end of the 1950s

So, the first tanks were captured by detachments of the Jewish paramilitary organization Haganah on May 20, 1948. These were 2-3 Syrian R35 light tanks. On May 31, 1948, the Haganah was transformed into the IDF - regular Army Israel Defense Forces (IDF). In June, it formed the 82nd Tank Battalion, which became the IDF's only tank unit during the War of Independence. It received 10 Hotchkiss H39 tanks, purchased from France in March and arriving in Israel in June 1948. However, the technical condition of these machines left much to be desired, and already in October 1948 it was decided to withdraw them from service. combat personnel. Instead, 30 medium Sherman tanks without weapons were purchased from a landfill in Italy at the price of scrap metal. However, we will talk about the Shermans separately.

In addition to the Hotchkisses, the 82nd battalion also had two Cromwell tanks (according to various sources, modifications Mk III or Mk IV), stolen from a British military base near the city of Haifa on the night of June 30, 1948.

"Cromwell" and "Sherman" from the "English" company of the 82nd tank battalion

In December 1948 - January 1949, during battles with Egyptian troops, nine M22 Locust tanks were shot down and captured, three of which entered service with the 82nd battalion. True, this happened after the end of the war. As of March 1, 1949, one tank of this type was listed as serviceable, and two were under repair.

All of the above tanks did not receive any special designations in Israel, but were simply called “Renault”, “Hotchkiss”, “Cromwell” and “Locast”, without specifying models or modifications. All these combat vehicles were withdrawn from service in 1952.

It should be noted that other types of tanks are also mentioned in connection with the Revolutionary War. For example, in 1948, several English-made Mk VI light tanks were captured from Egyptian troops, but they were not accepted for service. In July 1950, one Valentine tank was under repair. Its origin is unknown, but it may have been discovered in a scrap metal dump at one of the abandoned British military bases. It was also not accepted for service.

Israeli soldiers inspect a captured Syrian Renault R35 tank. 1948

In March - April 1948, 35 (according to other sources - 38) M5A1 Stuart light tanks were purchased in the United States. However, in July 1948 they were confiscated by the FBI and did not arrive in Israel. During 1948, negotiations were conducted with Czechoslovakia on the purchase of 32 light tanks of two types, referred to in documents as “9-ton” and “16-ton”. We were talking about Pz.38(t) tanks and Hetzer tank destroyers, or more precisely, LT-38/37 and ST-1. The deal did not take place because the parties did not agree on the price.

"Sherman" and AMX-13

The first Sherman tank was handed over to representatives of the Haganah organization on May 14, 1948. This was done by British soldiers who sympathized with Jews and were engaged in the destruction of armored vehicles that could not be removed from Palestine. It was an M4A2 modification vehicle with a faulty gun and a chassis in need of repair. Until June 3, 1948, this tank was listed as out of order and did not participate in hostilities. The second M4A2 tank was discovered at a scrap metal dump in the summer of 1948 and repaired by October.

"Sherman" M4A2 from the 7th Tank Brigade of the IDF at the parade in Tel Aviv. April 1953

In September 1948, 41 Sherman tanks were purchased from Italy. Some sources report that these were M4A1 tanks with a Continental engine and 105 mm howitzers. However, the M4A1(105) modification did not exist. In the fire support version, only M4 and M4A3 tanks with welded hulls were produced. At the same time, only the first one was equipped with a Continental radial engine. So, most likely, tanks of the M4 (105) modification were purchased in Italy, or rather, scrap metal, and not tanks. All the vehicles had a faulty chassis, there were no machine guns, optics, communications equipment, etc. But most importantly, they had practically no main weapons. Formally, there were guns, but without bolts and with barrels cut in several places by autogenous guns. But only 30 units of these vehicles were shipped, and the rest were confiscated by the Italian authorities. Of the vehicles that arrived from November 1948 to January 1949, only 4 Shermans were fully restored until the end of the war; another 5 were operational, but did not have guns and were used as training and tractors.

If the first combat aircraft that were at the disposal of the Israeli army were Messerschmitts of the Czech post-war assembly (S-199), then their first tanks were the English Cromwells. At the same time, the first two Cromwell medium tanks were literally stolen right from under the noses of the British. Two sergeants were involved in this detective story: Irish mechanic Michael Flanagan and Scotsman Harry MacDonald. One of the tanks they stole can still be seen in Latournay, where the Israeli armored forces museum Yad Le-Shiryon is located.

In 1947, Britain decided to abandon its colonial mandate to govern Palestine. The British were frankly tired of looking for any solution to the Arab-Jewish conflict, so they decided to get rid of this problem. The official end of their mandate was supposed to occur on May 14, 1948. On the same day the creation was announced independent state Israel, after which the second stage of the Arab-Israeli war of 1947-49 began, which in the Jewish state itself, as in most countries of the world, is called the “War of Independence” (while states that sympathized with the anti-Israeli coalition call it in another way - “Nakba”, that is, “catastrophe”).

In fact, the war in Palestine began even before representatives of the British administration left it. However, at the first stage of this conflict, the fighting was exclusively positional in nature, and the parties to the conflict were mainly engaged in obtaining weapons, building fortifications and strengthening their positions. At the same time, by the beginning of the war, the Jews managed to create two large semi-clandestine military organizations - the Hagana and the Irgun. Both organizations were dissolved in 1948, joining the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) formed in May of the same year.

At the same time, the Israel Defense Forces were armed with weapons of a wide variety of origins. The collection of various weapons began long before May 1948. The arsenals collected by the Jews were incredibly diverse in models, calibers, origin and age. For example, even before the start of World War II, the Hagana had smuggled submachine guns at its disposal; these were the Finnish Suomi and the American Thompson, which were very convenient for fighting in the city and settlements. The flow of arms smuggling did not stop even after the end of the great war in Europe. From 1946 to 1948, more than 1,300 different submachine guns were transferred to Israel, and approximately another 870 submachine guns, mainly British Stans, were obtained directly “on site” during the period 1941-1947. They were stolen from British warehouses, bought from Arab smugglers, etc. Repeated rifles and even light mortars were obtained in the same way.

As a result, the territory of Palestine was literally filled with weapons. Cache caches were found all over the country. So in 1946 in Tel Aviv, in just one building of the Tahemoni school, representatives of the British administration discovered more than 50 mortars, 50 rifles and several thousand cartridges and mines for them. And in Kibbutz Dorot two dozen submachine guns and light machine guns. Weapons were even bought from the British themselves. At the same time, this was explained quite simply: discipline in the troops, who were already counting the days until their departure from Palestine, was lame, to put it mildly. For example, already in 1951, an officer was convicted in Great Britain who in 1948 sold a shipment of weapons to Jews. Initially, he was going to sell the entire lot to the Arabs for 25,000 pounds sterling, but representatives of the Haganah offered 30 thousand for it and won. As a result of this transaction, they received an armored car, a jeep, 180 Browning machine guns, rifles and thousands of cartridges for them. At the same time, the Haganah bought weapons not only from the British, but also from the Arabs themselves in Palestine, as well as neighboring Egypt and Syria.

There was also a hunt for serial armored vehicles; they were obtained from the same British. In some cases, armored vehicles were simply stolen. The Jews acted according to all the rules: they took the armored vehicle under their supervision and waited for the moment until the crew went for a swim or a snack. However, this was not about tanks. The first tanks, which became the ancestors of the Israeli tank forces, were stolen from the British contingent by the British soldiers of the Hussar Regiment located in Haifa. These were two Cromwell medium tanks armed with 75 mm cannons.

Before the cancellation of the British Mandate in Palestine, the Haganah managed to obtain the two Cromwell tanks listed above, one Daimler armored car, two disarmed Sherman tanks (they were purchased) and the GMS Otter reconnaissance vehicle. Already in May 1948, the formation of the Israeli armored service began, but on May 15, of all the tanks of the newly proclaimed Israeli state there was only one on the move. In June of the same year, 10 Hotchkiss N-39 light tanks arrived in Israel, which at that time were hopelessly outdated vehicles; they were bought in France. And in July, Hotchkiss, Cromwell and Sherman already took part in battles with the Arabs as part of the 82nd Tank Battalion of the Israel Defense Forces. Moreover, out of 30 faulty Sherman tanks that were hastily purchased from Italy, only two vehicles were put into operation during the war.

Returning to the British medium tank "Cromwell", which in English terminology was a cruising tank, it can be noted that during the Second World War this tank was rightfully considered one of the best British combat vehicles. This tank was created in Great Britain already during the war years and, thanks to its relatively light armor and powerful Rolls-Royce engine, was distinguished by its high speed of movement. Armed with a 75-mm cannon, the tank found worthy use during the Second World War, fighting against German troops. The history of the appearance of these tanks in the IDF begins with an idea that came to the mind of Isaac Sada, the founder of the first tank brigade of the Jewish state. In the spring of 1948, he decided to take advantage of the British evacuation of his army in order to simply steal several of these vehicles, joining them with the Haganah forces.

The first attempt to steal tanks from the British during their transfer from a military base in the Jezreel Valley to Haifa was planned for the end of May 1948. Previously, a “purchasing” department specially created under the Hagan was able to agree with several British soldiers that during the move the last tanks would lag behind the column and turn onto a side road, where the organization’s fighters would be waiting for them. For each of the stolen tanks, the soldiers were promised 3 thousand pounds sterling. However, this plan failed, as the security of the convoy was strengthened, which frightened the soldiers who took part in the deal. But Isaac Sade was not going to give up and ordered a search for new opportunities to take possession of the tanks. So at the beginning of the summer of the same year, the Haganah was able to contact two British sergeants - Irish mechanic Michael Flanagan and Scotsman Harry MacDonald, who served as commander of one of the tanks.

The operation to steal armored vehicles was planned for the night of June 29-30, 1948, on the eve of the departure of the last units of the British army from Palestine. The four remaining Cromwell tanks were planned to be stolen from the base located at the Haifa airfield, with the help of the two above-mentioned sergeants and a couple of Jewish soldiers who managed to take a crash course in operating a Cromwell tank. In the absence of other opportunities for this, British sergeants taught their partners how to control a combat vehicle, conducting only theoretical classes in one of the cafes in Haifa - with the help of drawings and drawings.

On the evening before “Day X,” trained Haganah fighters infiltrated a British airfield, where they hid inside a light aircraft that belonged to one of the wealthy Jews. At the appointed time night hour all four hijackers took their places in tanks prepared in advance by the sergeants for the hijacking, which were loaded with spare parts and ammunition. However, this is where the first problems began. One of the newly minted Israeli driver mechanics was unable to start the tank and, abandoning the combat vehicle, fled from the base. Three other tanks, breaking through the gates of the base, rushed towards Kibbutz Yagur, located in the Jezreel Valley, several tens of kilometers east of Haifa. Here it finally became clear that the theoretical training that was received in the cafe was clearly not enough to control tanks. Another Cromwell, driven by a Jewish driver, went off the road and literally got stuck in the sand. Trying to free the tank from the trap, the inexperienced driver only damaged the gearbox. As a result, the combat vehicle had to be abandoned. Subsequently, it became clear that the two abandoned tanks helped the others escape. In the atmosphere of terrible confusion that arose at the British base after the daring hijacking, officers spent at least 30 minutes clarifying the situation and inspecting the two abandoned tanks, which allowed the other two Cromwells to successfully break away from the pursuit.

Directly at Kibbutz Yagur, the tanks were supposed to meet trailers designed to transport them, but there were no trucks on site. It was dangerous to wait for their arrival, since by that time the British had launched aircraft into the air, which were supposed to find and destroy the fugitives. Therefore, the Cromwells rushed to Tel Aviv, but under their own power. Ahead, showing the tankers the way, was the Hagan jeep. And old trucks, purchased in advance during preparation for the operation, loaded with rubble and with punctured tires, blocked junctions after the passing tanks, cutting them off from possible pursuers. The combat vehicles that reached Tel Aviv were hidden directly in the courtyard of a residential building in one of the eastern suburbs of the city - Givatayim.

Tank stolen by Mike Flanagan

Upon learning of the successful theft of tanks, the British command was furious. The officers refused to participate in the farewell banquet organized by the mayor of Haifa and, hoping to somehow hush up this shameful story for the British army, unofficially proposed an exchange, giving the Haganah three tanks of a different type in exchange for the two stolen Cromwells. Apparently, the proposal turned out to be not so interesting and the British officers were refused.

And a week later, both stolen Cromwell tanks ended up at the location of the 82nd tank battalion of the 8th tank brigade of Yitzhak Sade. Actually, they, together with the Sherman tank, which at that time did not have a gun, made up the first and only heavy tank company of the Israeli army at that time. In addition to them, the tank brigade had only a few light French tanks, which were recaptured from the Syrians during the fighting in May 1948.

In July of the same year, an Israeli tank unit took part in a daring and successful operation"Dani", which resulted in the subsequent capture of Lydda Airport (today Ben Gurion Airport) and other strategic positions located in the center of the country. In October 1948, the brigade was transferred to the southern front, where, during Operation Joab, it was able to capture the Iraqi Suwaydan police fort. And during the winter Operation Horev, Israeli tanks managed to defeat parts of the Egyptians and reached the border with Sinai.

The memory of the first Israeli Cromwells lives on to this day; the silhouette of this tank adorned the emblem that can be found on the berets of Israeli tank crews. The tanks themselves were able to get into the Museum of Tank Forces, located on the site of the British Fort Latrun, which was never captured during the War of Independence (the Israelis captured the fort only during the Six-Day War). British sergeants Harry MacDonald and Michael Flanagan remained in Israel, enlisting in Sadeh's brigade. Over time, MacDonald left the service and left Israel, and Flanagan converted, married Ruth Levy, who served in the same unit, and settled with her on Kibbutz Sha'ar Ha'Amakim.

It is still quite difficult to judge what exactly made two British Army sergeants desert in the summer of 1948, taking their tanks with them. Over time this story, as often happens, has become overgrown with a large number of legends - about the girls with which the Haganah seduced the sergeants, and about the huge monetary reward, and about the fact that Israeli underground fighters threatened the sergeant with weapons. Perhaps the fact that both hijackers were Irish and Scottish by nationality and did not feel entirely comfortable in the British army also played a role.

However, Amnon Doumani, who personally knew Flangan for many years while he lived in Kibbutz Shaar HaAmakim, is convinced that the Irishman was not pushed to steal the tank by lyrical or commercial reasons. His choice was influenced by something completely different. Michael Flangan graduated from military school at the age of 16, and at the age of 19 he took part in the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Europe. In the concentration camp, he saw something that greatly shocked him and changed his life forever. However, he never spoke in detail about the camp he saw, trying to avoid these conversations. During his service in Palestine after the end of World War II, he became openly sympathetic to the Jews, eventually deciding to stay in the country to help the young state survive the fight against the Arabs. Sergeant Harry MacDonald was like-minded and supported his choice.

Sources of information:

The Israeli "Chariot" was left far behind.
Comparing tanks from different manufacturers in combat conditions and everyday use leaves no choice either to potential buyers or independent experts.

In the last decade of the last century, and especially now, all kinds of ratings have come into fashion, the purpose of which is to identify the best product for its successful promotion to a potential buyer. The global arms market was no exception. Comparative characteristics aircraft, ships, guns, small arms, etc., etc., filled the pages of special military publications. The comparable figures amount to hundreds and even thousands.

But as military personnel who have taken part in armed conflicts in recent years say, there are comparative statistics that on paper demonstrate the superiority of a particular model over its counterpart, and there is a battlefield - the real one, where technology manifests itself in different ways. It is here, and not in the virtual space of computer exercises, that victory or defeat, the obvious advantage of one combat vehicle over another, is determined.

Rating get-together

At the end of the first five years of this century, Forecast International analysts prepared another tank rating. In their opinion, the best in the world at that time was the American M1A2 SEP Abrams (manufactured by General Dynamics Corporation). He proved himself during the Iraq War. In second place was the Israeli Merkava Mark IV tank (manufacturer: Israel Ordnance Corps). In combat he seemed to demonstrate good capabilities. The third position was taken by the Japanese Type 90 (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries). The tank was created on the basis of the German Leopard 2 and was positioned as the most high-tech. However, this vehicle has not been tested in combat, so it can only be assessed theoretically. The German Leopard 2A6 (Krauss-Maffei Wegmann) also did not experience the fire of battle, and therefore ended up in fourth place. Fifth place went to the British Challenger 2 (Vickers Defense Systems Division), which also swallowed fire and dust in Iraq, but did not meet some NATO standards.

Five years later, the Military Ordnance magazine (USA) disseminated its view of best tanks world, taking as a basis the main combat properties - mobility, firepower, armor protection. In this ranking, places in the top five were distributed as follows: Leopard-2A5 (Germany), M1A2 (USA), Type 90 (Japan), Leclerc (France), Challenger 2 (Great Britain). The Russian T-90S took seventh position, and the Israeli Merkava Mk3 closed the top ten, leaving behind the legendary Soviet-era vehicle, the T-72 tank.

A few years later, the same American magazine published a new rating. As before, the first position was occupied by the German Leopard-2A6. The American M1A2 SEP fell from second to third place, letting the Japanese go ahead, and the Leclerc and Challenger 2 swapped positions. The Russian main battle tank (MBT) T-90S failed to break into the top five. But it was he who became the most sought-after vehicle on the international arms market during these years. And this is not a rating, but a specific fact confirmed by real contracts. Following the Russian tank were the Leopard-2, Leclerc and M1A2.

Let us take for comparison not only the tactical and technical characteristics, but also such parameters as the novelty of tank equipment, the conceptual features of combat vehicles, “price-quality”, and most importantly, participation in real combat operations. Based on these criteria, you will have to compare only two vehicles - the Russian T-90S and the Israeli “Chariot” (this is how “Merkava” is translated), or more precisely, the “Merkava Mk4”. Some experts consider this tank to be the best in the world.

The rest either did not participate in battles (German Leopard 2A6, Japanese Type 90, Chinese Type 99, South Korean K1A1 and K2), or were conceptually created back in the 70-80s of the last century. In addition, the price characteristics of the M1A2, Leclerc and Leopard tanks are simply off the charts and are beyond the means of the vast majority of buyers of military equipment.

The tank took part in the second Lebanese war in 2006. About 400 tanks were involved then. They were mainly used to support infantry and evacuate wounded from the battlefield. This is the conceptual difference between the Merkava and the T-90S MBT, which, like all Soviet/Russian tanks, was created for offensive combat and the destruction of enemy tanks, artillery and fortifications. An indestructible armored fist, sweeping away everything in its path with powerful fire - that’s what the Russian T-90S is.

There is no exact information about the losses of Israeli tanks in 2006. But even based on the clearly underestimated data that was published in the Israeli newspaper Globes, serious damage can be judged. Of the 400 tanks of three modifications that participated in the operation (Mk2, Mk3, Mk4), 52 were hit. Fifty vehicles were hit by anti-tank missiles, two were blown up by landmines. But according to Lebanese military estimates, the Israel Defense Forces lost more than twice as many tanks.

The “Black Shabbat” for armored vehicles fell on Saturday, August 12, 2006. During the offensive of the IDF's best 401st brigade, Iqvot HaBarzel, equipped with the latest Merkava Mk4, 11 of the 24 vehicles that took part in the fighting were hit by anti-tank missiles. The enemy did not have heavy weapons, and Israel ensured its complete air supremacy. Under such conditions, even the losses officially published by the Israeli media can be considered very large.

Of the 50 Chariots hit by missiles, 22 (44%) had their armor pierced, resulting in 30 of the 208 crew members killed and 25 injured. For comparison: in the first Lebanon campaign of 1982, 47 percent of Israeli tanks were penetrated through; in the Yom Kippur War, 60 percent of vehicles received such damage. Thus, the 2006 conflict showed that it is not at all necessary to penetrate the Merkava’s armor in order to neutralize the vehicle. To destroy a tank, you just need to hit it. Statistics of deaths by type of tank: 10 people died in three Merkava Mk2s, 9 in four Mk3s, 11 in six Mk4s. Hence the extremely disappointing conclusion: most of the crew members died in the most modern Israeli Merkava Mk4 tanks.

Export prospects

However, in recent years The Israeli leadership began to aggressively promote its “Chariot” to the world market, including the dynamically developing countries of Southeast Asia (SEA). However, higher military leadership These states, which have experience in combat operations, are very cautious about such proposals. They understand perfectly well that the Merkava Mk4 was created exclusively for use by the IDF and can be effectively used in the Middle East theater of operations (TVD). There is a hot and dry climate, sandy and rocky soils, limited territories, no impassable forests or water barriers, and tanks are delivered to the place of combat use on trailers.

How will this car behave in the tropical jungle, on soft and swampy soils, in the absence of an extensive road network with hard surfaces, long distances, an abundance of rivers, swamps and rice plantations? There are no answers to these questions, since the Merkava Mk4 has not been tested in such climatic zones, and there is no experience in using the Israeli tank in the difficult physical and geographical conditions of the Southeast Asian region.

However, you don’t need to be a major analyst to understand the obvious: the Merkava Mk4 heavy tank, which weighs 67 tons, will get stuck up to the turret, becoming a helpless target. Moreover, there are very few stone bridges in this region that can support the weight of an armored monster. But the Merkava Mk4 will not be able to overcome water obstacles along the bottom, since it does not have equipment for underwater driving.

It was created on the basis of experience in the operation and combat use of the T-72 tank and is its further development. The T-72 is one of the most popular in the world and is in service with many countries. In addition, this particular vehicle has unsurpassed experience in combat use in many local wars and armed conflicts in various climatic and physical-geographical conditions. MBT T-90S retained everything best features his predecessor, embodied new achievements of Russian military-technical thought and modern developments in domestic tank building. Therefore, the vehicle has received recognition in the global arms and military equipment market. Before making large-scale purchases, potential customers subjected the Russian tank to severe survival tests in the harshest climatic conditions and training situations as close as possible to combat ones. It was the T-90S that turned out to be the most reliable and durable in the Indian Thar desert (Rajasthan). After successfully passing the exams, Jaswant Singh, who at that time held the post of Minister of Defense and Foreign Affairs of India, said that the T-90S is the second factor in deterring potential military threats after nuclear weapons.

Another important detail that potential buyers pay attention to. In the production of the Israeli Merkava Mk4 tank, 28 percent of components are imported from abroad, including such critical units as the engine and transmission. The MT883 engine components are manufactured by MTU (Germany), assembled under license by General Dynamics Land Systems in the USA and then exported to Israel as the GD883 powerplant. The RK325 transmission is manufactured by Renk (Germany).

This makes the production and export of Israeli tanks strictly dependent on several foreign suppliers from different countries, which creates additional problems for buyers. For example, repairs to an engine or transmission must be carried out at the factory that produces these components, which increases the repair time and its cost. In addition, any change in the political vector could lead to a ban on the supply of spare parts, equipment, and ammunition. As a result, the tank becomes a pile of scrap metal.

Compare and think

An unbiased look at military equipment allows us to draw objective conclusions. Let's compare the main characteristics of the two tanks.

A characteristic feature of the Merkava Mk4 tank is its layout with the engine-transmission compartment (MTO) located in the front part of the hull, offset to the starboard side. To the left of it is the control compartment. According to the developers, this design solution provides additional protection for the crew. But the control compartment is not covered by the engine and transmission on the left side. In addition, due to the displacement of the driver's workplace to the left side and the slight angle of inclination of the upper armor plate of the MTO, the view to the right is very limited. This makes it difficult to control the machine, for example when maneuvering between obstacles.

Placing a compartment for infantrymen, stretchers with the wounded, or an additional set of ammunition in the rear of the Merkava Mk4 tank significantly increased the internal reserved volume. It is twice the reserved capacity of the Russian T-90S. Such an internal volume is very difficult to protect from modern anti-tank weapons, even with a weight of almost 70 tons. An attempt to bring the protection of the Chariot to the level of the T-90S will lead to an even greater increase in the weight of the Israeli vehicle.

In turn, the T-90S has a classic layout with a rear-mounted engine and transmission compartment. Thanks to optimal layout solutions and the use of an automatic loader, the tank has a minimum reserved volume, which made it possible to provide protection at the level of modern requirements with a vehicle weight of 47.5 tons.

Placing the driver of the T-90S tank in the center gives him a good overview and the ability to accurately control the tank in difficult driving conditions. The Russian tank has a crew of three, not four, as in Chariot. Boarding and disembarking of the entire T-90S crew is carried out in 8–12 seconds. On the Merkava Mk4, this requires much more time, since the loader does not have its own hatch, and the commander’s hatch is so heavy and massive that an electric drive is used to open it.

The firepower of the Merkava Mk4 is provided by an armament complex, including a 120 mm cannon launcher, 7.62 mm and 12.7 mm machine guns. The latter can be replaced with a 40 mm automatic grenade launcher. The installation of a 40-mm grenade launcher confirms the main purpose of the tank - combating enemy personnel.

The T-90S tank is armed with a 125-mm high-precision cannon-launcher, coaxial 7.62-mm and 12.7-mm anti-aircraft machine guns.

Loading the gun of the Merkava Mk4 tank is manual. In this case, 10 shells are placed in an electric drum mechanism that supplies shells to the loader, the remaining 36 rounds are in fireproof containers in the rear of the hull. The absence of an automatic loader reduces the rate of fire and also increases the internal armor volume, which again significantly increases the weight of the tank.

Loading the gun of the T-90S tank is automatic. The presence of an automatic loader increases the tank's combat rate of fire to eight rounds per minute, which exceeds the capabilities of the Merkava Mk4. The main thing is that this rate of fire does not depend on fatigue, injury and the psychological state of the loader.

The fire control systems of both tanks are similar in composition and combat properties and include combined (day/night) sights with line-of-sight stabilization, a two-plane weapon stabilizer, automatic target tracking, a digital ballistic computer, and a guided weapon system.

The security of the Merkava Mk4, like the T-90S, is multi-level. It is provided with armor, an automated smoke screen system, and active protection.

For a vehicle with an internal volume like the Merkava Mk4, it is impossible to provide all-round protection against modern anti-tank ammunition by passive means alone. This was confirmed by combat experience. As a result, an active protection system was installed on the tank.

Increased protection against damage from above led to an increase in the size of the Merkava Mk4. As a result, the tank became significantly taller, which significantly reduced its camouflage properties and increased the area of ​​the front and side projections.

The smaller dimensions of the T-90S tank, its height and frontal projection area make it difficult to detect the vehicle on the battlefield due to better use of the protective properties of the terrain and significantly reduce the likelihood of it being hit by an opposing weapon. A camouflage kit “Cape” has been developed for the T-90S, which significantly reduces the visibility of the vehicle in the optical, thermal and radar ranges, and its camouflage properties are accordingly increased.

Another plus of the T-90S is the bulldozer blade, thanks to which the tank is capable of digging a full-size trench in 20–30 minutes without any assistance. There is no such thing on the Merkava Mk4.

Analysis of the armor protection of the two tanks allows us to conclude that the T-90S tank is superior to the Merkava Mk4 in terms of ballistic resistance of the hull and turret due to spaced armor and the quality of manufacturing of the armor plates, as well as the presence of dynamic protection. The dynamic protection that the T-90S tank is equipped with is the best in the world today. Its peculiarity is its high efficiency against both cumulative and armor-piercing sub-caliber ammunition.

The protection of the Merkava Mk4 tank is aimed primarily at reducing the damaging effect of cumulative ammunition. This once again confirms the fact that the Israeli “Chariot” was designed for use in specific conditions and against a specific enemy - manpower armed with ATGMs and RPGs. When conducting combat operations against tanks armed with powerful armor-piercing sub-caliber shells, the protection of the Merkava Mk4 is ineffective.

As for the automated system for setting up smoke screens, which warns of laser guidance and ensures automatic firing of a smoke bomb towards the beam source, both vehicles are equipped with it.

Dimensions and heavy weight Merkava Mk4 significantly limits both operational-tactical and strategic mobility. The Israeli tank is equipped with a 1,500 horsepower engine. The T-90S has an engine power of 1000 horsepower. But if you decompose the horsepower into the weight of the tanks, then their capabilities are comparable. Increased power leads to increased fuel consumption. The cruising range of both tanks on asphalt is about 500 kilometers. But the Chariot will consume 1,400 liters of fuel, and the T-90S will only consume 1,200. The military understands that in combat conditions the difference is significant. In addition, the Merkava Mk4 only runs on diesel fuel. The engine of the T-90S tank is multi-fuel, which provides obvious advantages in wartime.

Not everyone knows that the Merkava Mk4 is equipped with a spring suspension. When driving over rough terrain, it limits the speed of the vehicle and the accuracy of shooting on the move, since body vibrations seriously affect the stabilization error when aiming the weapon. This type of suspension is practically not used on armored vehicles of the main armies of the world.

The T-90S tank is equipped with a torsion bar suspension, which ensures a smooth ride, the ability to move over rough terrain at high speeds and increased shooting accuracy on the move. Automatic gear shifting increases ease of operation and reduces physical activity and fatigue of the driver, especially on long marches when moving in a convoy.

The T-90S is distinguished by the highest reliability. This is one of the principles that guides Russian engineers when creating tanks. Our tanks have a huge reserve for modernization and are distinguished by ease of training for crew and technical personnel, high performance characteristics, which significantly reduces the requirements for the level of training of operators.

And finally, in terms of price-quality, the Russian T-90S left far behind not only the Merkava Mk4, but also tanks from other leading manufacturers. That's why it became the best-selling product in foreign markets.

The Merkava-4 tank, the photo of which is presented below, was first shown to the general public on June 24, 2002. A year later, mass production of this model began. As of today, according to the authoritative American military analytical agency Forecast International, it is one of the best battle tanks on the planet and surpasses the German Leopard and the Russian T-90 in its main characteristics. The word “Merkava” translated into our language means a war chariot.

Model Creator

Merkava-4, like its three previous modifications, was born thanks to the legendary Israeli tank general Israel Tal. Throughout his career he fought as part of different parts and headed officer courses. Analyzing the battles during the Six Day War and the Sinai Campaign, in which he was directly involved, he realized that not a single tank in service with his country met the requirements of Israeli tank doctrine. In this regard, Tal came to the conclusion that it was necessary to build a fundamentally new combat vehicle. The main requirement for it was full compliance with the wishes and military experience of Israeli tank crews, as well as the theater of military operations. As a result, he later managed to bring his plan into reality. In addition, he became the founder of the IDF - the armored forces, which, under the leadership of this man, achieved the most significant victories in all the wars in which Israel took part. It is not surprising that the portrait of General Tal is hung in the Center of American Tank Forces (Hall of Great Tank Commanders) in Fort Knox (USA).

Design

The history of the Merkava-4 tank began with the modification of the Merkava-1. Initially, only 35 specialists took part in the creation of the project. Thanks to his great authority, General Tal was able to minimize all sorts of bureaucratic nuances. When developing a machine special attention The focus was not so much on maneuverability and firepower, but rather on ensuring the best possible protection for the crew. As planned, the lives of the soldiers were to be preserved even if the tank was completely disabled. Because, according to statistics, main reason the death of personnel was the detonation of ammunition, crew members and ammunition had to be reliably covered. In August 1970, the final design of the Merakva-1 tank was approved, after which mass production of the model began.

Improvement

In each new generation of Merkava, Israeli engineers embodied the latest ideas in world tank building. In particular, over time, the hull began to be made from a single casting, and the armor was attached to bolted joints specially designed for this purpose. The latest version of the machine is equipped with a fully computerized control system. It was developed using the technologies of Israeli designers and has no analogues throughout the world. It should be noted that the principle of active armor was implemented for the first time on the planet on this model. Four generations of it have already rolled off the production lines. The Merkava-4 tank, the characteristics of which are described in more detail below, was adopted by the Israeli army after a series of tests in 2004.

Layout: fundamental difference from analogues

The layout of the machine is fundamentally different from all those built according to classic scheme American and European analogues. In the front part is the management compartment, in the center is the combat compartment, and at the rear is the engine-transmission section. The engine of the Merkava-4 model is located in the front, thereby playing the role of additional protection for crew members, because it is the frontal part that takes on the majority of projectiles.

Tower

The vehicle received an updated turret, which is equipped with completely new armor modules on all sides (forehead, sides and roof). In this regard, the designers had to make the commander's hatch more massive and provide it with an electronic mechanism for opening and closing. The loader's hatch has been completely removed. Due to this design, the tower is distinguished by its stepped outline. On its right side there is a machine gun, from which the crew commander can fire remotely at 360 degrees. On top are smoke grenade launcher cassettes.

Gun

The Israeli Merkava-4 tank is equipped with a 120-mm smoothbore gun. Thanks to a number of improvements, it is now able to withstand increased pressure, which allows the use of powerful high-explosive fragmentation shells. Their peculiarity lies in the fact that already in the charging gun of the barrel programming takes place depending on the required task. Firing efficiency is significantly enhanced by the integral heat-insulating casing, which, among other things, reduces barrel wear. A machine gun (7.62 mm) is paired with the cannon. A 60-mm mortar of a new design is standard.

Behind the armored partition there is a semi-automatic gun loader with an electric drum for ten shots, which it automatically transfers to the loading tankman. The remaining 38 shells are packed in a protective container, which helps prevent an explosion inside the hull or turret of the Merkava-4 tank.

The fire control system boasts the ability to automatically track a target. This includes improved television as well as thermal imaging channels. The crew commander and gunner have independent stabilizing sights.

Engine and transmission

Now a few words about the engine installed on the Israeli Merkava-4 tank. Characteristics power plant, which is used here, differ significantly from the motors of other such machines. Engine power is 1500 horsepower. The designers have improved the mass and dimensions of the unit, power parameters, as well as fuel efficiency. The developers have improved the turbocharging system and increased the intensity of oil and liquid cooling of the pistons. The power supply system uses individual fuel pumps with controlled fuel supply. The motor operates smoothly under any roll conditions. This was achieved largely due to the use of a new design oil pan and an additional flat oil tank in the car. The engine is controlled by a computer, which provides the driver with all necessary information through the monitor. It is impossible not to note the five-speed automatic, hydromechanical transmission of the model with a hydrostatic rotary mechanism. It is supplied by the German company Renk.

Active protection

Israeli engineers consider their real pride to be the active protection system of the Merkava-4 tank, the characteristics of which many world experts, after the appearance of the model, called a revolution in the protection of armored vehicles. This is not surprising, since the vehicle is capable of detecting, tracking and destroying most modern anti-tank missiles at a considerable distance without causing any damage to itself. This system produced by two Israeli companies and called "Trophy". To be fair, it should be noted that something similar was used in Soviet tanks in the 1980s. Some sources claim that Trophy is an improved version of those systems.

Other characteristics and systems

The weight of the Merkava-4 model is 65 tons. The dimensions of the machine in length, width and height are respectively 7970x3720x2660 mm. The crew consists of four people. The tank is capable of reaching a speed of 65 km/h, and a full tank will last it about 500 kilometers.

To prevent the crew commander from being defeated during combat operations, the developers have provided a special turret for him inside. Four video cameras are installed on the body, which display images on the driver’s screen, thereby helping him in driving. Excellent visibility is ensured both in daylight and in the dark. The Merkava-4 tank, among other things, is equipped with an automatic fire extinguishing system. The turret is equipped with chains with balls, which serve as protection for its lower part from RPG grenades. In order to make it easier for the driver to maneuver in narrow places, marker pins are mounted on the body.

Completion

Models from the Merkava series performed excellently during Israel’s combat operation in Lebanon. Then only five tanks were irretrievably lost, and almost all of the damaged vehicles returned to service after repairs. This is further proof of their high efficiency. The latest generation of the model is able to cope perfectly with the missile threat. In conclusion, one cannot help but focus on the fact that the concept of round-the-clock use of the tank is embodied here, for which space is provided to accommodate two crews, one of which can rest while the other works.