Description

The Merkava is the main battle tank used by the Israel Defense Forces. The tank began development in 1973 and entered active service in 1978. Four main versions have been deployed. It was first used extensively in the 1982 Lebanon War. It is designed for rapid repair of battle damage, survivability, cost effectiveness and off road performance. Following the model of contemporary self-propelled howitzers, the turret assembly is located nearer the rear than in most main battle tanks. This gives additional protection from frontal attack. With the engine in the forward portion of the hull, this creates more space in the rear of the tank that allows increased storage capacity, as well as a rear entrance to the crew compartment allowing easy access under enemy fire.