As the main battle tank in the Israeli army, the Merkava has been in operation since 1979. The amazing layout of this MBT has become a subject of controversy among many military experts. According to experts, a change in priorities is noticeable in the design of the tank. This is due to the fact that during the design, Israeli weapons designers took into account all the advantages of defensive tactics. Working on the "Merkava", the creators tried to provide the crew with maximum protection. Unlike most of the main battle tanks, for which an equal ratio of firepower, protection and mobility is provided, in Israeli MBT the priority is priority. For the needs of the Israeli army, the country's arms industry produces four modifications of this tank. An interesting design has a new version, which is listed as "Merkava-4." Information on the layout, weapons and performance characteristics of this model of MBT is presented in the article.
Acquaintance
The tank Merkava-4 (photo of military equipment in the article) was first seen by the general public in June 2002. Since 2003, MBT is produced in series. As stated in the reputable American military-political agency Forecast International, of all the battle tanks created to date, the Merkava-4 is one of the best. Translated into Russian - this is a war chariot. According to military experts, the main characteristics of the Israeli MBT surpass the performance characteristics of the German Leopards. Also, according to experts, is superior to Merkava-4 and T 90.
About the constructor
Merkava-4 (photo of the main battle tank below) was created by the legendary Israeli general Israel Tal. Throughout his military career, this man had to fight in different parts. He also led officer courses. Tal founded the IDF armored forces. After analyzing the Six Day War and the Sinai Campaign, Israel Tal came to the conclusion that the tanks in service with the Israeli army did not meet the requirements of the country's military doctrine. The Israeli army needed a fundamentally new combat vehicle. In the work on MBT, Tal took into account his own experience and the wishes of the tankers.
About design
Design work on the fourth model was carried out on the basis of the Merkava-1 tank. A new Israeli MBT “Mk-4” was created by 35 specialists. Using his authority, Israel Tal minimized bureaucratic nuances. Such parameters as maneuverability and firepower, little attention was paid during the work. In the Merkava-4 tank, designers primarily focused on protecting the crew. Tal planned to create a war machine that, even if it failed, would not take the life of Israeli soldiers. According to statistics, tank crews die as a result of detonation of ammunition. Consequently, in Merkava-4 the ammunition should be reliably covered.
What had to be improved?
The production of Israeli MBT "Merkava-4" is carried out taking into account the latest ideas of tank construction. In the manufacture of the housing, casting technology is used. Armor fastening is carried out using special bolted connections. For "Merkava-4" (photo of the main battle tank below) a fully computerized control system is provided.
For its development are used, having no analogues in the whole world, the latest design technologies of Israeli gunsmiths. For the first time in the history of tank building , the principle of active armor was introduced in this tank .
About layout
According to experts, in the layout of this model of an Israeli tank there are fundamental differences from similar combat vehicles manufactured in the United States and Europe.
The front of the "Merkava-4" has become a place for the management department, the central - the fighting compartment, and the rear - the motor-transmission section. In an effort to provide crew members with additional protection, Israeli designers placed the engine in front of the tank. Such a design decision was a necessary measure, since often most of the shells hit precisely the frontal part of the tank, and this MBT area should be reliably strengthened.
About the tower
The Merkava Mk-4 tank is equipped with an updated turret, for which completely new armored modules are provided. They cover the roof, sides and the frontal part. Unlike previous MBT variants, in the Merkava Mk-4 the commander’s hatch is more massive and contains a special electronic mechanism by which it opens and closes. The additional hatch used by the loader was removed in this MBT model. As a result of such a Merkava-4 design, the tower is characterized by stepped outlines. To the right of the side there is a place for installing a machine gun, from which 360 degrees can be fired. The upper part of the tower is equipped with smoke grenade launcher cartridges.
About the gun
For the "Mk-4" provides a 120-mm smoothbore gun. Due to its ability to withstand high pressure, it became possible to fire powerful high-explosive fragmentation shells. Using such ammunition, the crew commander, depending on the combat mission, can program an already charging cannon. The gun is equipped with an integrated heat-insulating casing, which positively affected the effectiveness of the fire. In addition, this casing prevents gun wear.
The tank is equipped with a machine gun, 7.62 mm caliber and a new 60 mm mortar. Behind the armored partition in the MBT there is a place for a special semiautomatic device responsible for loading the guns. The machine has an electric drum, designed for 10 shells. They are transferred to the tanker automatically. The remaining 38 are contained in a special protective container. The designers took such precautions to prevent the detonation of shells inside the Mk-4. Thanks to a special management system, it is possible to perform auto tracking of a target. The system is represented by advanced television and thermal imaging channels. The use of independent stabilization sights is provided for the gunner and crew commander.
About the engine and transmission
According to experts, in the 4th Merkava model, a power plant is used, the characteristics of which differ significantly from the engines of early Israeli MBTs. The engine power indicator in the "Mk-4" is at least 1,500 liters. from. The unit itself has improved mass-dimensional performance and fuel efficiency. Improvements touched the turbocharging system. According to experts, oil and liquid piston cooling in Merkava-4 is more intensive. The power system is equipped with individual fuel pumps. The fuel supply in the tank can be adjusted.
By introducing into the MBT a more advanced oil pan and an additional flat oil tank, Israeli designers managed to achieve the normal functioning of the engine with any roll of the combat vehicle. The control of the power plant in Merkava-4 is computerized - all the necessary information is displayed on the driver’s monitor.
For the 4th model, a five-speed automatic hydromechanical transmission using a hydrostatic rotary mechanism is provided. It is made by the German company "Renk".
On the active defense of Trophy
According to military experts, the active defense of Merkava-4, the characteristics of which are considered revolutionary by many world experts in the construction of armored vehicles, is the pride of Israeli engineering. A combat vehicle equipped with such a system is capable of detecting, tracking and destroying modern anti-tank missiles from great distances. Trophy is released in Israel. In the 80s, a similar system was installed on Soviet tanks. There is an opinion that the Israeli “Trophy” is one of the improved versions of Soviet systems.
About additional devices
To protect the commander of the tank crew, the creators equipped the interior of the Merkava-4 with a special turret. In an effort to facilitate the MBT control process, the designers equipped the tank body with four video cameras, the image of which is displayed on the driver’s screen. Judging by the reviews of the military, the quality of the image on the screen does not depend on the time of day. In addition, a special system is provided for this Israeli tank , which is responsible for automatic fire fighting. In an effort to protect the bottom of the Merkava-4 from hand-held anti-tank grenades, Israeli weapons engineers installed several chains with balls on the tower of a combat vehicle. Maneuvering the tank in narrow places was made possible thanks to the special dimensional pins installed on it.
About the performance characteristics
- "Merkava-4" is the main battle tank.
- MBT weight: 65 t.
- The combat crew consists of 4 people.
- Total length of the tank with a gun: 904 cm.
- Case length: 760 cm.
- Tank height: 266 cm.
- Ground clearance: 53 cm.
- MBT "Merkava-4" is able to move at a maximum speed of 65 km / h.
- Cruising range: 500 km.
- The tank is able to overcome ditches whose width does not exceed 3 m and ford 138 cm deep.
- The combat vehicle is equipped with cast steel, spaced modular, protivosnaryadnoy and protivokumulativnoy armor.
- As weapons, the MBT is equipped with a modular, combined 120-mm smooth-bore MG253 tank gun and a 7.62 mm caliber MAG anti-aircraft machine gun coupled with it, as well as a 60-mm mortar.
- In "Merkava-4", artillery fire is conducted by unitary ammunition with partially burned cartridges.
- MBT is equipped with a laser sight rangefinder with a thermal imager.
- The combat vehicle is equipped with a 12-cylinder, four-stroke, water-cooled diesel engine GD 83.
- The fuel tank of the tank is designed for 1400 liters of fuel.
- Power plant: 1,500 horsepower.
About rearmament
Since 2004, the Merkava MK-4 has been used in the Israeli army as the main armored vehicle. The first in 2005, the 401st brigade of the Israeli regular army was transferred to these tanks. In 2013, 7 brigades were re-equipped. By this time, the change in combat vehicles also affected reserve units. The fighting with the participation of new tanks allowed military experts to draw certain conclusions about the effectiveness of MBTs and to modernize them.
About the "Shining Lightning"
As a result of modernization, Israeli engineers created an improved model of the tank. In the technical documentation, the new armored military equipment is listed as Merkava Mk-4 Barak Zoner, which means "shining lightning". Simplified - BAZ. An Israeli fire control system was developed for the tank by the Israeli company Elbit Ltd. The introduction of this system allows possible shells fired from military armored vehicles to automatically follow the target. As a result, the probability of destroying the target from the first shot increases significantly. In addition to this complex, commander’s panoramic optics is attached. According to the manufacturer of the updated fire control system (LMS), the abbreviation BAZ is applicable not only to the 4th Merkava model. This designation will be used for all models of armored vehicles equipped with this LMS.
The Israeli Self-Defense Forces were assigned the task of weapons designers to refine the provision of tanks to the BAZ level. Modernization was started with Merkava-4. In total, 400 MBT units of this model were subject to improvement. In order to meet the level of BAZ, the tank must be equipped with a new active armor protection system (SAZB). Install complexes in tanks began in 1999. Two systems were tested: IMI and Rafael. By the beginning of the serial production of Merkava-4, the third version of the SAZB appeared - Trophy. However, financial difficulties in the country prevented further design work on this active protection system. By the time the mass production of the Mk-4 Trophy was not over yet. Nevertheless, Israeli designers provided for the possibility of installing this SAZB in the future.
Engineers opted for the active protection system ASPRO. SAZB installation is carried out both on the Mk-4 and on earlier models. The first 30 tanks, upgraded to BAZ level, were ready in 2009. A large half of the armored vehicles was finalized in 2010. In 2011, work on fine-tuning the MBT was completed.
About Israeli LIC fighting vehicles
According to experts, the Merkava-4 tanks (photo of this model of Israeli OTB in the article), upgraded to the BAZ level, turned out to be very effective in urban battles. The revised 4th model was named LIC. It was developed on the basis of the Merkava Mark-4 tank. In the city tank, the Israeli gunsmiths decided not to install a standard standard machine gun, 7.62 mm caliber, on the turret. The Mk-4 LIC is equipped with a 12.7 mm machine gun, the fire strike of which has a sufficiently high density, so that you can not use the artillery part of the weapon.
Since the use of a tank gun in urban conditions can lead to significant casualties among the civilian population, the main gun in this case is not used. The crew of a combat armored vehicle uses a remote firing control module. In this model of the tank, all parts vulnerable to small arms and fragmentation grenades are reliably protected by a special metal mesh. It is designed to protect optical and ventilation devices, as well as motor exhaust openings.
In order to preserve the asphalt surface in the city, this model of military armored vehicles is equipped with special tracked shoes. Poor visibility and night time does not prevent the successful passage of the Mk-4 LIC around the city. If necessary, the crew can use LED optics. In 2006, military operations against Hezbollah were carried out using these military vehicles.
About modeling armored vehicles
The attention of consumers who are keen on modeling, on the shelves of specialized stores presented a wide range of different models of military armored vehicles. Judging by the numerous positive reviews, the products of the South Korean company Academy are very popular. The Merkava-4, assembled, is a plastic version of the Israeli tank at a scale of 1:35. The total length of the model is 248 mm. The set is completed with:
- Special frames in the amount of 7 pieces.
- Stickers.
- Vinyl tracks.
- Detailed instructions in English.
- A special scheme that is recommended to be used when painting an already assembled tank.
Glue and paint the goods are not completed. Also, the master will additionally have to acquire a model knife, file, nippers and a special model lens.
Finally
Defending its borders and independence from the attacks of terrorists, Israel is forced to fight. To withstand the onslaught, the state had to intensively develop its armed forces and the military-industrial complex. Today, experts say, the Israeli army is one of the most powerful in the world.