Merkava IVm (Israel)
For much of its history, Israel was reliant on obtaining its tanks from outside countries. Battlefield experiences over the last several decades led Israeli planners to push for a domestically designed and produced tank that met the needs of the Israeli defence Force (IDF). The result was the Merkava series of tanks. The latest model of this tank is Merkava IVm. This particular tank has a crew of four and can hold several more soldiers inside.
Protection is the #1 priority of the Merkava and the tank makes considerable use of modular armor which can be removed and replaced quickly. Even the paint and exhaust were taken in consideration as developers wanted a tank which was hard to see, even with thermal viewers. Extra protection is provided by the ‘Trophy’ system which can detect and alert the crew to incoming threats and destroy anti-tank missiles and rockets with small explosive charges. For offense, the tank uses a 120mm smoothbore gun which fires high-explosive and armor-piercing rounds as well as the domestically produced LAHAT guided anti-tank missile.
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