In 1948, one of the many problems facing the new Jewish state of Israel
was a total absence of armoured fighting vehicles, and the restrictions
applied to nations who had tanks, but were refused the ability to sell
them outside of their own countries, made the situation for Israel
almost hopeless in obtaining any. They managed to get some derelict
Sherman tanks that were going to be scrapped and a few armoured cars,
but the number obtained was insufficient for the creation of a viable
force. It was these conditions that eventually led to the to the
development of today's impressive Merkava line.
Following the cease fire of the 1948 war, several dozen Sherman tanks,
of all types were purchased from all over the world and standardized on
a production line set up in Israel, and designated the M-50 Sherman.
Later, they were able to purchase the British Centurion tank which went
on the same production line for rebuild to their own specifications.
The country was still dependent upon other countries products for their
armour needs, and often, due to situations beyond the control of
Israel, they were denied shipments of requested items. The production
line was receiving requests for modifications of M48 Patton tanks as
well as Soviet T54 and T55's. Following the six day war, General Israel
Tal felt an urgent need for self-sufficiency in major weapons such as
aircraft and tanks, due to the serious cutbacks in re-supply from
leading nations. He became obsessed by the idea of building tanks in
Israel, and although backed by some military experts, he was regarded
with some suspicion and doubt by many others. Here, with feverish
ardour and imagination General Tal started the venture which in nine
years produced the remarkable Merkava.
The Merkava is manned by a crew of four and its main armament is the
105mm M64 L71A tank gun, with secondary armament of a 7.62mm co-axial
machine gun located in a vertical armoured slit in the turret and two
additional LMG's on the commanders hatch and the loaders hatch, these
are used for close-in combat and against low-flying aircraft. The
driver is located to left of the power pack and can enter the rear
compartment by lowering his seat back. The fighting compartment extends
the whole width of the hull and is air-conditioned for crew comfort in
the desert environments it was designed to operated in. Engine is a
Teledyne Continental AVDS-1790 V-12 Diesel which produces 900hp.
Operating in the Southern deserts, the Merkava crews enjoy hitherto
undreamed of comforts. Cooled water from a container installed at the
rear provides water for drinking through a special pipe into the
turret. In hot weather this is an absolutely vital necessity, making
all the difference in the fighting capability of the crew. With the
troop carrying capability, via the large rear door, the Merkava is
truly one of the most modern and versatile armoured systems in the
world and was extensively proven in the field of combat against the
highly touted T-72 Soviet armour used in the recent Lebanon conflict.
General
Physical Specification
| Package Contents: |
1x Tamiya Israeli Merkava MBT (1/35)
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