Merkava Mk 3
The Israeli industry began to develop an even more improved model of the tank - "Merkava" Mk3, which, unlike previous models, will be equipped with a 120-mm smooth-bore cannon with an automated fire control system, a multi-fuel engine with a capacity of 1200 liters with a new transmission and hydropneumatic suspension. It is noted that the use of an automatic gun loader is not provided. The tank's crew will still consist of four people. It was planned to start production of the Merkava Mk3 tank in the mid-1990s.
The 1982 Lebanese campaign, during which the Merkava Mk.1 and Merkava Mk.2 vehicles took part in hostilities, showed that they could still be hit by 125-mm shells of their main enemy on the battlefield of the tank T-72. Therefore, based on the concept of the Israeli military leadership "Protection of the crew is above all", the problem of increasing the security of the tank was again put at the forefront. The designers used the modernized "modular" armor on the new vehicle - steel box packages with several layers of special armor inside. They are bolted to the machine surface, forming an additional built-in dynamic protection of the so-called passive type. If the module was destroyed, it could be replaced with another without much difficulty.
They installed such armor on the hull, covering the engine-transmission compartment (MTO), frontal and over-tracked parts, and on the turret - on the roof and on the sides, thus strengthening the “upper” surface of the tank in case of a shell hit. At the same time, the length of the tower increased by 230 mm. The side skirts to protect the undercarriage were supplemented from the inside with 25 mm steel sheets.
Special security measures were taken to protect the bottom from mines and improvised land mines and explosive devices. The bottom of the "merkav" is made of a V-shape, smooth, of two steel sheets - upper and lower, between which fuel is poured. It was believed that such a peculiar tank could further enhance the protection of the crew from explosions. In the "Merkava" Mk.3 fuel was not poured here: they decided that the shock impulse is still conducts weaker than any liquid.
The fighting in Lebanon also showed the weak protection of the tank from the stern, since when RPG grenades hit, the ammunition placed there detonated. They acted quite simply: they installed additional armored fuel tanks behind the hull. At the same time, the filtering unit was moved to the aft niche of the tower, and the batteries were moved to the fenders. In addition, “safety” baskets with outer aluminum sheets were also hinged in the stern. They contained spare parts and personal belongings of the crew. As a result, the length of the tank increased by almost 500 mm.
To increase the maneuverability and mobility of the vehicle, it was boosted to 900 hp. the AVDS-1790-5A engine was replaced by the 1200-horsepower AVDS-1790-9AR V-12, which worked in conjunction with the domestic Ashot hydromechanical transmission. The new engine - a diesel, 12-cylinder, air-cooled, V-shaped with a turbocharger provided a power density of 18.5 hp / t and was developed by the same American company General Dinamics Land Systems as the previous one.
The undercarriage is equipped with six road wheels and five supporting rollers on board. Driving wheels - front. Track links - all-metal with an open hinge. The suspension remained independent. However, double cylindrical helical springs were used on the road wheels, rotary-type hydraulic shock absorbers were installed on the four middle rollers, and hydraulic stops on the front and rear. The track roller travel has increased to 604 mm. The smooth running of the tank has improved significantly.
The new weapon control system (LMS) Abir or Knight ("Knight", "Knight"), installed on the tank, was developed by the Israeli company Elbit. The sights of the system are stabilized in two planes. The gunner's daytime telescopic sight has a 12x magnification, the television one - 5x. The commander has at his disposal a 4- and 14-fold panoramic sight, which provides circular search for targets and observation of the battlefield. In addition, the optical branch of the retract from the gunner's sight was assembled. The tank's fire power increased with the replacement of the 105-mm M68 cannon with the 120-mm smooth-bore MG251, which is similar to the German Rh-120 Rh-120 from the Leopard-2 tank and the American M256 from the Abrams. This gun was produced under license by the Israeli firm Slavin Land Systems Division of the Israel Military Indastries concern. For the first time it was shown at one of the exhibitions of weapons in 1989. Its total length is 5560 mm, installation weight is 3300 kg, width is 530 mm. To be placed in the tower, it requires an embrasure of 540x500 mm.
Thanks to the modernized small-sized recoil device with a concentric retarder and a pneumatic knurler, the gun has dimensions equal to the M68, which made it possible to fit it into a limited-volume turret, like the Merkava Mk.3. It is stabilized in two planes and has an elevation angle of + 20° and a declination of 7°. The barrel, equipped with a powder gas extractor and an ejector, is covered by a heat-insulating casing of the company "Vichy".
Shooting is carried out specially designed in Israel armor-piercing sub-caliber projectiles M711 and multipurpose M325 - cumulative and high-explosive fragmentation. The use of NATO 120-mm shells is also possible. The tank's ammunition includes 48 rounds, packed in containers of two or four. Five of them, originally intended for firing, are located in the automatic loader drum magazine. The system for feeding shots is semi-automatic. By pressing the foot pedal, the loader raises the shot to the level of the breech and then manually sends it to the breech. A similar loading system was previously used on the Soviet T-55 tank.
The Merkava Mk.3 used the LWS-3 electromagnetic radiation detection warning system developed in Israel by Amcoram. Three wide-angle optical laser sensors, mounted on the sides of the rear of the turret and on the gun mask, provide all-round visibility, notifying the crew about the capture of the vehicle by the laser beam of anti-tank complexes, advanced aircraft controllers, and enemy radar stations. The azimuth of the source of radiation is displayed on the display of the commander, who must immediately take any effective measures to protect the tank. Israeli Defense Ministry signed a contract for the supply of Meil Ruach active defense systems (KAZ), also known under the Trophy commercial designation. It is reported that the purpose of the concluded agreement is to modernize the tanks available in the troops, which are still not APS carriers - the armored model "Merkava" Mk3. The performance of such work should have a positive effect on the survivability of equipment and, as a result, on the combat potential of the armored troops as a whole.
The issue of equipping the Merkava Mk 3 tanks with active protection systems is not raised for the first time. Over the past few years, this topic has regularly become a subject of discussion at various levels, but so far it has not been able to move beyond conversations. According to recent reports, the military and industry were still able to come to an agreement and conclude a contract to carry out the required work.
Of the four regular armored brigades that are currently part of the ground forces of the Israeli army, only one continues to operate previous models of equipment. The 188th Barak Brigade is still operating Merkava Mk 3 tanks. According to the latest data, in parts of this brigade, as well as in training and reserve subunits, there are currently 160 tanks of this model. As stated in the latest reports of the foreign press, in the foreseeable future, this technique should receive active protection complexes. At the same time, it is planned to upgrade only tanks Mk 3 of the 188th brigade.
Due to the general atmosphere of secrecy traditionally created by the Israeli military, several important questions remain unanswered. It is not known when the work will begin on the modernization of new equipment and when the army will receive the latest updated machines. In addition, information on the number of active protection complexes planned for installation is not disclosed yet. Finally, the sources of foreign publications did not specify what kind of KAZ it is. Previously, Raphael announced the start of work on upgrading the Meil Ruach system, aimed at improving its main characteristics. Thus, in theory, the Merkava Mk 3 tanks can receive both existing and future protection systems.
The implementation of existing plans, not so long ago enshrined in the new contract, would be of great importance for the Israel Defense Forces. The armored units of the Israeli armed forces have to work in specific conditions, because of which special requirements are imposed on the level of protection of equipment against various threats. In the middle of the last decade, it became possible to improve the protection of tanks against anti-tank grenade launchers and missiles. Once again faced with similar threats in Lebanon, the Israeli command initiated the modernization of existing vehicles.
The production of tanks of the Mk.3 models continued until the end of 2002. It is believed that from 1990 to 2002, Israel produced 680 (according to other sources - 480) "Merkav" Mk.3. It is worth noting that the cost of the vehicles increased as they were upgraded. Thus, the production of the "Merkava" Mk.2 cost 1.8 million dollars, and the Mk.3 - already 2.3 million dollars in 1989 prices.
In 2014, the 7th Brigade separated from the old tank in favor of the more advanced model - Merkava 4, and completed the process in 2016. The 188th Brigade joined the process later in 2019, and in 2020, a final and historic divisional exercise was held with the tank that was used by the IDF for three decades.
The Merkava 3 tank went out of service in all the regular armored brigades - 401, 188 and 7th Brigade. In the last year, negotiations were conducted with Morocco and another European country for 200 Merkava 3 type tanks and according to the military correspondent Yoav Zayton, the deal was expected to be finally signed in September, Less than a month before the Hamas attack. Following the war, export deals were frozen and the tanks were returned to service for veteran reservists.
Following the recruitment of adult armored soldiers who were not trained on the Merkava 4 tank in the IDF, it was decided to return the use of the Merkava 3 tanks that were intended for sale. These are veteran fighters who were trained on the Merkava 3 tank and decided to enlist in the war even though they had finished their reserve period and were released from the IDF. The old tanks returned to activity under a new unit established as part of the war, the "Phoenix", under the command of Lt. Col. Erez Saadon, who commanded the 52nd Battalion in the 401st Brigade over a decade ago. The IDF spokesperson confirmed the details and added that it was decided to open the new unit. Due to the multitude of arenas and the increasing demand of the forces in the field."
