The Merkava tank is the revolutionary chariot of God. Mikhail Baryatinsky Israeli tanks in battle Compare and think

Israeli industry has a long history of modifying various tanks purchased from the Big Five countries and adapting armored vehicles for its own needs.

This was due to the fact that it is not easy for a small country that does not have significant financial and industrial resources to start producing tanks from scratch. Everything changed in 1979, when the Israeli army introduced the world to a new main battle tank called the Merkava (Hebrew for “chariot”).

Early modifications of the Merkava were armed with a British-designed 120 mm gun. Later models featured guns of the same caliber, but designed and manufactured in Israel. The only important part of the tank obtained from abroad is the American diesel engine.

Home distinctive feature What makes this tank especially interesting about the Merkava is the placement of the engine in the front of the hull and the turret in the rear. This distinguishes the Merkava from almost all tank models built after the First World War. Today, a layout with an engine in the rear of the hull and a turret in the middle has become common. The decision of Israeli designers to place the engine in the front part was driven by the desire to provide additional protection for the crew.

American and European tanks in service with Israel

An Israeli M1 Super Sherman tank, now owned by a private collector. The 76.2 mm gun from World War II was outdated and did not meet post-war standards. Michael Green

Attempts by the Israeli military to extend the life of the Shermans led to the installation of a French-style 75 mm cannon in a modified turret. The tank was designated M50. Robert Manashvrob

The latest modification of the Sherman in israeli army became an armored vehicle armed with a French 105 mm cannon. The tank received the designation M51. Israel Defense Forces

The British-designed and built Centurion, armed with a 105mm gun, bore the brunt of Israel's war with its Arab neighbors, known as the Six-Day War. Robert Manasherob

On display at the Israel Defense Forces Tank Museum designed and built in the USA medium tank M48 -Patton." Israeli army markings are visible on the tank. The Israelis retained the 90mm gun, but installed a more powerful diesel engine. Robert Manasherob

The next big step in modernizing the American medium M48-Patton was the installation of a British-designed 105 mm gun on it. Israel Defense Forces

The United States supplied Israel with large numbers of M60 main battle tanks during the Yom Kippur War (1973) to replace combat losses. Israel Defense Forces

In order to maintain the American-made M60A1 main battle tank in proper condition, the Israeli military is constantly improving its armor protection. The newest modification, shown in the photo, includes additional armor for the hull and turret. Robert Manasherob

The Israeli military modernized captured Soviet-made T-54/55 tanks. Instead of a 100 mm gun, a British-designed 105 mm gun was installed. Robert Manasherob

Israeli Merkava tank

After decades spent working on the modernization of foreign tanks, the Israeli army command decided in the early 1970s to begin production of its own tank. It was named Merkava and entered service in 1977. Robert Manasherob

Every summer, Jews travel around Russian cities in houses on wheels. Several cars leave Moscow and are divided along routes. Their path lies in big cities and remote towns where there are Jewish communities. These vehicles are mobile synagogues and are sometimes called “tanks.”

I took part in an ethnographic expedition as a blogger to tell you about how this happens. Among my readers there are many people of Jewish origin, but I am sure that this report will be of interest not only to them.

To stand firmly on the ground, you need to feel the roots. I don't remember when I first learned about my Jewish heritage. I never hid it, but I wasn’t interested either. Awareness and pride came much later.

Two thousand years ago Jewish people driven out of their land by the conquerors. Scattering across the planet should have erased his memory in the corridors of time. This has already happened to other peoples, but the Jews were able to preserve their identity and carry it through all the wars and persecutions. And then, for the first time in history, to revive your state and collect an ancient language from the ashes of oblivion.

But there are still many people living in the world who, although they know about their origin, are not familiar with Jewish traditions. Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (7th Lubavitcher Rebbe), leader of the Chabad movement, who lived in New York, came up with a way to find as much as possible larger number people with “roots”, but far from the community. “If a Jew does not go to the synagogue, the synagogue goes to the Jew!” New York community activists rented two trailers, which they painted in bright colors, installed loudspeakers, and placed books and brochures inside. In these cars, young rabbis began to travel to different parts of New York to agitate Jews. The action turned out to be successful, and the number of motorhomes began to increase, and the geography of their trips expanded. Later, synagogues on wheels appeared in other countries of the world, including here.

The tragic events of the 20th century in Russia affected many peoples of our country. People were displaced and exiled, shot in the back of the head and burned in ovens, forced to forget their history and identity. This affected everyone. Temples and mosques were blown up, synagogues were closed. Everything that was dear and sacred, family and community traditions were sacrificed to new ideologies.

In the 90s, religious communities began to revive in Russia. Even in tiny towns there were a few Jews who began to gather together. At the same time, the “Iron Curtain” rose, borders opened and many people went to live in Israel: from Soviet Union More than a million people repatriated. But even today there are many people who have lost touch with their roots. Jewish organizations conduct educational programs for children, adults and the elderly, they carry free tours to Israel and Europe. All this is not so that people will definitely “get out”, far from it. So that they know and remember who they are.

It was brief background. Now to the story.

1 Our crew of “tankers” are Yisroel, David and Menachem Mendel. They are young rabbis, yeshiva students from around the world. I joined them in Kazan, before that the guys traveled around Russian cities for a week and a half and managed to visit Ivanovo, Kostroma, Ryazan, Penza and Izhevsk.

By the way, "tanks" have nothing to do with military equipment. This is what the Lubavitcher Rebbe called these machines, “tanks for the war against assimilation.”

2 Our first point is the recreation center “ deep lake” near Kazan, where the Gan Israel camp is being held this summer.

3 There are 90 children from the Volga regions in the camp; the shift lasts two weeks. During this time, they not only have time to relax and hang out with new friends, but also learn a lot about Jewish traditions and culture.

4 They had been waiting for the Mitzvah tank since the morning and came out to meet us with the whole camp.

5 The counselors and the “tankers” turned out to know each other well, and this is not surprising; in the Jewish community everyone knows each other. In general, the meeting was warm.

6 The children are delighted with the house on wheels! Everyone wanted to go inside and see how everything worked there. They literally bombarded me with questions, and since the rabbis were busy, I got the most tricky ones: “Is it comfortable to sleep? Don’t you fall out while walking?” “How does the toilet work here?” and the like. Okay, I have a “background”: last year my bloggers and I traveled in exactly the same motorhome around Tatarstan, it will enlighten the guys what’s what.

7 Yisroel Lazar, the son of the chief rabbi of Russia Berel Lazar, tells the guys a story about a lonely Jew from Australia. If you want, I’ll tell it to you.

9 I walked around the camp. While some are playing,

10 Others study and pray. At Gan Israel, children are taught to live according to Jewish commandments, including prayers.

11 The black boxes are called “tefillin,” and this is one of the most important commandments for a religious Jew to perform daily prayer, placing tefillin on his hand and head. Tefillin is a symbol of the inextricable connection between the people of Israel and the Almighty.

There are four passages in the Torah that instruct: “Tie them (the words of G‑d) as a sign on your hand, and let them be a sign over your eyes!” This commandment, which symbolically commands the subordination of actions and consciousness to the will of the Creator, literally obliges adult Jewish men to place “these words” (that is, the words of the Torah contained in these passages) on their hands and heads. These four passages are scribes sacred texts(sofrim, singular sofer) are written on small parchment scrolls made from specially treated skin of a kosher animal. The special boxes (also made from the skin of a kosher animal) that contain these passages are called tefillin. // www.chabad.org

13 Synagogue in Kazan. It is located in the very center, and I have seen it many times, but I have never been inside. Right opposite the synagogue there is a cafe called “Syria”, where they serve Middle Eastern food - hummus, falafel and all that. I always wondered if synagogue visitors go to this cafe, because the cuisine of neighboring countries is similar. I asked - they don’t go because there is no kosher certificate, this is important for religious Jews. But they could get it, there would be no end to clients!

One way or another, this is why Tatarstan is beautiful - its religious tolerance. A region where several peoples are closely intertwined can be a good example of how to live in peace.

16 Rabbi of Kazan Isaac Gorelik.

17 Let's take a walk around the synagogue. Scroll through photos left and right using the arrows.

The synagogue building recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. It was built in 1915 with money raised by the community.
During the Soviet years, the synagogue was confiscated and given to the Ministry of Education. And only in the 90s the building returned to the Jewish community.

17 On other floors of the synagogue there are various organizations and foundations that help the community in life. There is also a small museum of the Kazan community.

18 Construction continues. On the top floor, under the roof, they are now building a yeshiva - classrooms for a religious school.

20 I have long wanted to be there: I traveled along the highway to Kazan many times, but I didn’t get here, I need to make a big detour. And there is something to see in Yoshkar-Ola. I'll show you in a separate post.

21 The Mitzvah mobile parked in one of the courtyards in the city center. An unusual car attracts attention, many people come up, are interested, and ask questions.

22 During all this time, we have not encountered any negativity or rejection from passers-by.

23 The community in Yoshkar-Ola is very small, and now, in the summer, most people are at their dachas. Only a few people came, but the meeting was warm. There is no synagogue here, nor any buildings. Rent a small room in the basement. There is also no rabbi, but this does not stop people from gathering together. Most of them are elderly; their children and grandchildren have grown up and moved away. Many people are fleeing the city, to Kazan and Moscow; many Jews left for Israel back in the 90s.

24 The son of a community leader died during an operation in Gaza in the early 2000s.

25 Such communities touch me very much. In 2015, I also traveled with a mitzvah tank around the Volga region, and what I remember most then was the city of Syzran: even less “Yoshka”. An old brick house on the outskirts, a hundred-year-old synagogue, which was only recently returned to the Jews. The building requires overhaul, there is no money for it, but people support old house and each other.

26 A gift from the expedition - a Jewish watch. Instead of numbers, there are letters of the alphabet, and the arrows go in the opposite direction.

27 The rabbis suggested going to the homes of the people of the community and installing a mezuzah. Protective prayers in plastic cases to protect the house. It turned out that everyone already had mezuzahs.

28 After the meeting in the communities, we went to see the sights of the city. No, this is not Red Square, but one of the many copies of famous buildings in Yoshkar-Ola. I’m telling you, it’s an unusual city.

29 The main task of the expedition is to get acquainted with the activities of Jewish communities in Russia, to introduce people to the study of the history, culture and traditions of their people.

30 Speak to everyone in a language close to them. There is a lot of literature in the mitzvah tank, books for children telling about the history of the people.

31 On a pedestrian street, near the Kremlin, a man in a tracksuit rents hoverboards. Ten minutes - a hundred rubles. The rabbis became interested in the topic and quickly mastered the transport, although it was their first time standing on it.

32 Made a spectacular bow!

33 Next came a difficult night drive to Nizhny Novgorod and an overnight stay in the car. In principle, this is not a problem, there is a whole house on wheels, with sleeping places, a shower and a kitchen. But doing this while moving is still not very easy.

34 Late dinner. The guys had a whole feast with a variety of dishes. They carry most of the products with them, but from time to time they replenish supplies in local stores.

36 In Nizhny Novgorod there is also a synagogue and a large community. This is a beautiful building in the shape of a Torah scroll, which did not fit into the width of the corner of my camera, but it is possible on the Internet. This is where our roads diverged. The rabbis and the mitzvah tank remained in the city to celebrate Shabbat, and I took the train to Moscow to travel further.

Did you like the post? Like and comment! More responses - more quality reports :)

Despite its small size, the State of Israel is one of the most significant countries. This is true both on the European-Middle Eastern and global stage. Created in 1948, it was forced from birth to fight for independence and the right to exist. Of course, it is impossible to fight without something new and modern weapons.

One of the main developments of the Israeli army, the IDF, is the Merkava tank. Created, in fact, in a hurry, in the conditions of a constantly looming war, this device became one of the best examples of armored vehicles of the 20th century, and continues to hold its position in the 21st.

Creation of the Merkava

Since the creation of the State of Israel, the Self-Defense Forces have purchased equipment abroad, mainly in Britain and the USA. At first these were samples left over from the Second World War. Then the newest models of the Chieftain tanks at that time began to enter service with the IDF. The difficult international situation led to the fact that in 1970 Britain refused to supply Israel with new equipment.

In principle, the Israeli generals were ready for such a development of events. The extensive work to create his own model of the tank was led by Israel Tal.

At the time of the events described, “Talik” served in the Jewish Legion of the British Army during the Second World War, and also participated in the Six-Day War. A brilliant theorist, it was he who created the tactics and strategy for using the IDF’s armored forces, and also coordinated the creation of the “ideal” tank for operations in the climate of Palestine.

The project was called “Merkava”, which translates as “chariot”. It is important to know that the name has a religious background. In sacred Jewish texts, Merkabah is the chariot of God, the throne on which the Almighty moves in the book of the prophet Ezekiel. A pretentious name for a tank, into the design of which one of the the best tankers in history.

When designing the model, Tal was based on the general strategy of the Israeli Defense Forces.

It implied the awareness of the enemy’s total superiority in manpower and equipment, the impossibility of strategic or tactical retreat, as well as waging a war of attrition. All the peculiarities of the climate of Palestine and the Middle East, where the tanks had to prove themselves, were also taken into account.

The vehicle had to meet several combat parameters. First, and most importantly, the new tank had to have a lower silhouette and a small turret. An analysis of the combat operations showed that most of the hits fell on the turret. Penetrating the armor meant, in most cases, death or serious injury to the crew.

Neither Tal nor anyone else wanted to risk tankers, so they took the requirements into account. Another important point, shooting at long distance. The Israelis had to knock out enemy tanks as early as possible, on the approach to defensive positions. From here special attention to the gun and to the preparation of the gunner.

December 1974 was marked by the first serious army tests of prototypes. In 1979, the IDF received the first batch of production tanks put into service.

Design of the Merkava

The peculiarities of both the climate and the small size of Israel made it possible to create a tank that was unique in its characteristics. The main difference was the location of the engine and transmission in the bow.

This unusual layout for a tank made it possible to protect the crew and provide free space in the rear.

It could be used to safely transport infantry or cargo. But this arrangement also has disadvantages. Among them, the most notable are the overweight and significant fluctuations due to a shift in the center of gravity, as well as hot rising air currents from the engine, knocking down the sighting devices.

The crew consists of four people. The driver is located in the body. Its seat is made in a reclining position, a revolutionary solution, one of the first, which made it possible to reduce the silhouette of the car.

There are also disadvantages: the location of the transmission and engine moved the mechanical drive far to the left, reducing the viewing sector. The fighter gets to his place either through the top hatch in the armored hull, or together with the rest of the crew through the stern and combat unit. The three remaining tankers are sitting in the combat unit, the gunner is to the right of the gun, the commander is behind him, and the loader is to the left. All crew members are located as low as possible in the hull, so that in the event of a hit and penetration of the armor there is a greater chance of survival.

The tank's turret is wedge-shaped to increase the likelihood of a ricochet from an enemy shot. It contains a movable gun (which differs depending on the modification of the tank), as well as heavy machine gun and a pair of standard single machine guns (installation diagram depends on the modification). The tower, as well as the hull, is of a welded type.

One of business cards towers - suspended metal weights on chains. They are necessary to prevent grenades, cumulative shells and other potentially dangerous items. Another feature of the tank is its large mass by modern standards. Since transporting tanks is not a particular problem due to the small size of the country, engineers were essentially given carte blanche to make any changes in weight that did not interfere with the power plant.

The machine uses an American-designed diesel engine AVDS-1790-5A, which develops power up to 900 hp due to turbocharging.

The production of power plants is carried out in the United States. The transmission is also American, but adapted to the characteristics of both the climate and the tactics of using armored vehicles.

The chassis is of an independent type, based on the legendary design of John Christie. On each side of the Israeli Merkava tank there are six rubberized rollers and five support rollers. The engineers abandoned the torsion bar suspension, which made it possible to strengthen the underbody armor. A mine explosion is scary for the Merkava crew only because of the need to change the tracks. The tracks themselves have 110 tracks, 640 mm wide.

The armament of the first models was a licensed American 105-mm M68 cannon, coaxial with a machine gun. The combat configuration included 62 shots, high-explosive, armor-piercing, and sub-caliber shells. Later models were equipped with the 120 mm smoothbore gun MG251, and then the more advanced MG253. Additional weapons can be considered not only but even a 60-mm mortar welded to the turret.

28% of the tank's production is concentrated abroad, including vital engines and some other systems. The rest is produced and repaired in Israel, including imported parts.

Tank modifications

Development and improvement of the combat vehicle continues to this day. Each modification has hundreds of small modifications, prompted by daily service and participation in combat operations. Main modifications of the machine:

• Mk.1, the first tank in the series to have many “childhood diseases”, tested during the Lebanon War;
• Mk.2, with enhanced armor protection and power plant;
• Mk.3, which received modular armor;
• Mk.4, the best main tank according to many military agencies, however, has many disadvantages, such as a high hull, problems with aiming and firing on the move. Numerous military clashes forced us to strengthen the vehicle’s protection systems, as well as change the engine brand, which seriously improved driving performance.

Development of a new “tank of the future” is ongoing. Whether this will be another modification of the Merkava or a fundamentally new combat vehicle is unknown.

The Israeli government and military are good at keeping secrets, so practically nothing is known about the Mk.5 yet.

Comparison with analogues

As you know, the characteristics of a tank look best if you compare them with similar indicators of probable enemy. This table provides generalized data on the most common main tanks and their modifications.

	"Merkava" (Israel)	T-90 (Russia)	Abrams (USA)	"Leopard 2" (Germany)
Weight, t	70	46,5	54,4…63,1	50,5…63
Armor thickness, mm	800	750	750-950	frontal 700
gun	120 mm MG253	125 mm 2A46M-5	120 mm M256	Rheinmetall Rh-120 mm
Speed, km/h	60	65-70	66-72	68-72
Cruising range, km	500	550…650	440…480	500…550
Number of units, pcs	1970	More than 2000	More than 10000	3264

As can be seen from the table, Merkava has low driving characteristics, but its strength lies elsewhere.

Location power plant seriously increases the armor and safety of the crew in case of being hit by enemy anti-tank missiles. The development of active and dynamic armor systems for tanks is also not taken into account. The moment of combat use of vehicles is also important. The crews of Israeli tanks have a lot of experience, which cannot be said about, for example, German tank crews.

Combat service of Merkava tanks

Tal's first-born sons received their baptism of fire in the 1982 Lebanon War. Then, however, the new developments failed to compete with the Soviet T-72, which was in service with the Syrian army. Perhaps this is for the better, since the first cars had a huge number of shortcomings related to the chassis and engines.

Both the armor and firepower raised questions.

This was the reason for the refinement and commissioning of subsequent modifications of the machine. There are many legends about this war, each side talks about hundreds of destroyed enemy tanks, so you simply cannot believe everything.

Since then, tanks have appeared whenever the State of Israel is threatened with war. Tanks were widely used during the Second Lebanese War. Then the Israeli vehicles received significant damage, but Tal’s idea turned out to be correct. The bulk of the crew members survived and were able to continue serving.

The combat effectiveness of the vehicles during clashes with Palestinians is controversial. Officially, losses in this war are reduced to light damage. However, the Palestinians claim that the IDF data is seriously underestimated to create an aura of invincibility of the Merkava.

Conclusion

Among modern armored vehicles, the Israeli Merkava tank looks like one of the best examples. This has been repeatedly noted by numerous military reviews and experts.

It is important to remember that the tank was designed to perform specific purposes and tasks in a specific area.

No matter how wonderful the tank was in Palestine, its combat use in conditional Kaluga region or somewhere on the Oder will raise many questions and problems. The tank has undeniable advantages, but it also has enough disadvantages. The absence of this model on the international arms market speaks volumes.

Israel's Fist of Steel
Israel is rightfully 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, is, according to many experts, 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 Merkava Mk1 tanks are fighting in the city. Beirut, 1982

All rights belong to Alexander Shulman (c) 2003-2009
2003-2009 by Alexander Shulman. All rights reserved
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Any violations are punishable by copyright law in force in Israel.

Alexander SHULMAN
Israel's Fist of Steel

Israel is rightfully 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, is, according to many experts, 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 danger 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 of tank warfare began to take shape, adopted by the IDF. It is based on the following principles:
The first one is Totality 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 a breakthrough, capable of conducting an offensive at high speed, destroying enemy forces along the way.
The main combat unit of the Israeli armored forces is the 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 of tank battles showed a high percentage of losses among tank commanders. This is due to the requirements of a unique code of commander’s honor adopted in the 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 visibility and allows you to fight with your eyes open, but 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 through the 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 Centurion tanks entered service with the armored forces, 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 of 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 spent 9 hours in a barrage of fire behind enemy lines, mercilessly destroying radar stations, missile and artillery positions, 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 difficult test 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 world military history unfolded - up to six thousand tanks took part in it on both sides.

A particularly dangerous situation developed in 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 General Mendler’s 252nd Panzer Division. 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. 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) - this 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 tank and motorized infantry units were landed behind enemy lines from the landing ships of the Israeli Navy.

Particularly fierce fighting took place in the eastern 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.

The terrorist organization Hezbollah created a deeply echeloned system of fortified areas in southern Lebanon, which included many camouflaged underground bunkers connected by tens of kilometers of tunnels. According to their plans, the weapons and equipment accumulated by the militants 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 battles in Lebanon has shown that despite the minimal losses of armored vehicles during battles, the solution to the problem of 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 active protection equipment for armored vehicles is carried out 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.
Alex Shulman ( shaon )

The Israeli main battle tank Merkava (Chariot) was first shown in 1979 and surprised many with its layout, eventually becoming the subject of debate as to whether such a design for a modern MBT was justified. Its development took into account predominantly defensive battle tactics and the need for maximum crew protection, which led to a change in priorities. Most MBTs are designed on the principle of firepower-protection-mobility, while the Merkava has protection as a priority.

The Israelis created an MBT that was to be used only in their country and not exported to others. Therefore, Merkava fully meets their specific requirements, while having shortcomings that would be noticeable in other armies, but we will talk about them at the end of the article.

Design

The chief designer, Israel Tal, led an armored brigade during the Suez Crisis and a division during the Six-Day War, so he, like no one else, knew about the peculiarities of combat and significantly influenced Israeli armored doctrine.

According to it, most combat operations were to be conducted from pre-prepared defensive positions in natural shelters due to differences in altitude. Thus, often only the tower will be vulnerable to enemy fire. Therefore, when developing the Merkava, the frontal silhouette of its turret was reduced as much as possible, and the fighting compartment was moved as much as possible into the hull.

The second task to be solved was maximum protection of the crew. And here the car stands out again. Its layout is not similar to other modern MBTs, since the engine, transmission and fuel tank are moved forward, separated from each other by an armored partition and separated by another armored partition from the crew, who are thus protected not only by frontal armor.

In addition, the fighting compartment in the hull is maximally enlarged and has a door at the rear, so the Merkava MBT can transport 6 paratroopers, 4 stretchers with wounded or additional ammunition, which is a unique feature.

Armor protection

The tank's protection itself is unusual and stands out from others. The differences are in the already mentioned layout, in which the engine and transmission act as additional armor, and the higher altitude contributes to a greater number of hits. The hull and turret are cast, have a strong slope, and the top armor plate can be removed and has a special protrusion that covers the junction of the turret and the hull.

On the sides of the hull there are screens protecting the chassis.

The Merkava tower, as already mentioned, has a small frontal projection, which is ensured by a wedge-shaped shape, which also increases the chances of a rebound. Its design is original, since the protection consists of two layers of spaced armor, between the walls of which there are cartridge boxes for machine guns. The battles in Lebanon showed that this was not enough, so the following modifications received additional armor.

Interesting feature are headlights that are hidden in the housing under the cover of armor and open during use.

With each modification, the Merkava's armor protection increases. For example, additional screens and modular armor appear.

Armament

Initially, they installed the American 105 mm M68, which is a licensed version of the English L7A1, but immediately provided for the installation of a larger caliber gun in the turret design. The ammunition load is 62 rounds, but can always be increased due to the fighting compartment.

Starting with the Mk.3 modification, the tank began to be equipped with an Israeli-made 120 mm MG251 gun.

Secondary armament consists of a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun and two additional detachable FN MAG machine guns on the turret roof. The total ammunition load is 2000 rounds. Optionally, a 12.7 mm M2NV machine gun can be mounted on the gun mantlet.

To set up smoke screens, a mortar is provided, which allows you to fire while under the cover of armor, starting with Mk.2.

The Matador fire control system is located on high level and is updated with every modification. However, the accuracy and rate of fire are at a rather mediocre level. This is due to both the layout and the requirements of the Israeli military.

As with all modern MBTs, targeting is carried out using sighting devices. The problem is that the engine located at the front with jets of hot air greatly reduces the capabilities of these devices, creating a constant thermal field around the tank. This can be partly solved by firing tactics from previously prepared positions and with a cooled engine, but this is not always applicable in practice.

Moreover, due to the layout, the front part of the Merkava is heavily overweight, which creates strong longitudinal vibrations when firing, significantly reducing the accuracy of a repeat shot and forcing the rate of fire to be reduced several times due to pauses between shots.

But the Israeli military does not consider all this critical, due to the tactics and use of adjustable ammunition, which allows them to hit targets with almost 100% accuracy with the first shot.

Chassis and engine

Israeli engineers decided to create a chassis based on the Centurion, since its suspension had excellent resistance to mines and explosive devices. It uses coil springs and four bolts to the body of each suspension assembly, allowing for easy replacement of damaged parts and a V-shaped body bottom that is resistant to explosions from below.

In total, on each side of the Merkava there are 6 rubber-coated road wheels, 5 support rollers, a drive wheel at the front and a guide wheel at the rear.

The tracks are also borrowed from the Centurion.

Most tanks are equipped with American AVDS-1790 diesel engines with a power of 900 hp. and modified American Allison CD-850-6B semi-automatic transmissions. Due to their specific location, almost any projectile that penetrates the frontal armor immobilizes the vehicle. But they are assembled in one module, which allows for quick and easy replacement in the field. IN once again The Merkava is not like other MBTs, in which in such a situation part of the crew is disabled, but the tank itself does not lose the ability to move.

Modifications

Merkava mk.1

The first version, mass production began in 1979, a total of about 250 units were created. It took part in the Lebanon War of 1982, after which, taking into account the shortcomings and vulnerabilities that appeared, it was decided to create a new version, resulting in the modification Merkava Mk.2 (Merkava Mk.1B). All tanks of the first modification were later brought to a new level.

Merkava Mk.2

A version created based on the experience of the Lebanon War. Got much better protection, increased firepower and increased cross-country ability. We replaced the side screens and improved the turret protection by installing overhead screens. At the rear of the turret there are baskets for property and metal chains with balls hung, all this provides additional protection against cumulative ammunition.

The Matador-2 control system and thermal imager were installed, the transmission was replaced with the Israeli Ashot, the capacity of the fuel tanks was increased by 25% and the suspension was modernized.

In total, about 600 of these tanks were produced.

Merkava Mk.3

The tank was equipped with modular armor protection for the hull and turret, which consists of special modules bolted to the hull and turret. This design allows you to easily and quickly replace damaged sections of armor and increase the Merkava’s protection by simply replacing modules with more advanced ones.

The LWS-2 laser radiation system appeared, warning the crew about aiming various weapons at the tank, the control system was replaced with Matador-3, the hydraulic drives for turning the turret and aiming the gun were replaced with electric ones, adding the possibility of manual duplication.

To increase firepower, a locally produced 120 mm MG251 smoothbore gun was installed, and to improve mobility, the AVDS-1790-9AR diesel engine was boosted to 1200 hp. and replaced the transmission with an Israeli one, and also improved the suspension.

In total, about 640 units of such modifications were produced.

Merkava Mk.4

Latest and most advanced version.

The protection was further increased, which is why the dimensions increased, the weight reached 70 tons. To maintain mobility, a new GD 883 engine with 1,500 hp was installed. Complex installed active protection Trophy, which protects the Merkava from guided missiles and grenades from anti-tank grenade launchers.

The turret has increased in size, is protected by modular armor and has only one hatch used by the commander, a new commander's cupola has been installed. Added underbody protection.

The Merkava Mk.4 tank promises to be the last in the series, after which it will be replaced by a fundamentally new vehicle of the next generation.

Epilogue

As can be seen from the article, the Merkava tank was created strictly according to the requirements of the Israeli army, therefore it has pronounced strong and weaknesses. It was not designed for long-distance transportation, so its large weight and dimensions have practically no effect on anything. The impossibility of accurate shooting with minimal pauses, as well as shooting on the move, is gradually being corrected by new fire control systems and adjustable ammunition, in addition modern technologies It is quite possible to correct the increased thermal field in front of observation devices. The inability of the tank to move after breaking through the frontal armor is more than compensated by the protection of the crew, who, although they turn into simple infantry after the tank is hit, survive, and this is the main thing in the Merkava’s idea.

It is incorrect to compare this tank with other modern MBTs, since they are trying to make them universal and adapted to various climatic and combat conditions. Merkava is completely different.