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Sturgeon's House

The Merkava, Israel's Chieftain?


Life_In_Black

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http://www.yadlashiryon.com/show_item.asp?levelId=64565&itemId=8053&itemType=0

image002.jpg

 

Merkava SIman 2-based APC will be called "Ofek" / "Horizon". Well, it is cheap as no modifications to frontal part of the hull are needed.

 

Hi,

It looks like the current version,  as shown, of Ofek will be used as casualty evacuation vehicles and by combat engineers rather than infantry. It is quite possible that the vehicle might be reworked further to make it more suitable as a heavy APC to supplement the Namer and Achzarit.

 

Cheers

Marsh

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Autoloader/10 shots drum?

54823313.jpg

 

 

 

The ready rack in the merkava, as I understand it, is sealed and behind blow-off panels.  It's a rotary setup, and the loader takes the rounds out of it from the same place every time.  I think the loader can even dial a particular type of round:

1429394633-mapsys-info-merkava-3.jpg

 

This video shows it at 2:18

 

 

I'm sure Marsh can clarify/correct.

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The ready rack in the merkava, as I understand it, is sealed and behind blow-off panels.  It's a rotary setup, and the loader takes the rounds out of it from the same place every time.  I think the loader can even dial a particular type of round:

1429394633-mapsys-info-merkava-3.jpg

 

This video shows it at 2:18

 

 

I'm sure Marsh can clarify/correct.

Marsh is currently being very careful and cautious before he says anything about the Merk or Namer. I don't want to cross the line into OPSEC issues. 

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Hi Walter. The photos on the dust jacket were chosen by the publisher. I requested that they use one of the photos I had taken, for the main one on the dust jacket. In fact I specified a photo of a Challenger 1 in an over-watch position which I took on Salisbury Plain. When I got my author's copy of the book, it was as you see. The photo of the Merkava 3 is mine as is the photo on the bottom right. The publisher chose the Merkava picture as it was "dynamic rather than static.". At first I was annoyed, then over time the dust jacket grew on me. Brassey's was the most problematic publisher I ever worked for. Jane's publishing was OK as was Osprey. Jochen Vollert at Tankograd was a pleasure to work for.

Cheers

Marsh

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Hi Walter. The photos on the dust jacket were chosen by the publisher. I requested that they use one of the photos I had taken, for the main one on the dust jacket. In fact I specified a photo of a Challenger 1 in an over-watch position which I took on Salisbury Plain. When I got my author's copy of the book, it was as you see. The photo of the Merkava 3 is mine as is the photo on the bottom right. The publisher chose the Merkava picture as it was "dynamic rather than static.". At first I was annoyed, then over time the dust jacket grew on me. Brassey's was the most problematic publisher I ever worked for. Jane's publishing was OK as was Osprey. Jochen Vollert at Tankograd was a pleasure to work for.

Cheers

Marsh

Interesting.  I see your Osprey and Tankograd titles on Amazon.  What did you write for Jane's?  

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Thanks Lads, I think  ,,,,       :)

 

Walter, I have written stuff for Jane's Defence Weekly, Jane's Intelligence Review, IDR etc. I have written for something like 40-50 different journals, both popular and professional, not only on military technology but also on infectious diseases amongst other topics. Had four books published, co-authored a fifth and have contributed several chapters to books.

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Thanks Lads, I think  ,,,,       :)

 

Walter, I have written stuff for Jane's Defence Weekly, Jane's Intelligence Review, IDR etc. I have written for something like 40-50 different journals, both popular and professional, not only on military technology but also on infectious diseases amongst other topics. Had four books published, co-authored a fifth and have contributed several chapters to books.

Have you had much opportunity to meet some of the other authors specializing in armor history?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Pretty sure that's a Sabra, not a Magach-7.  I think all the Israeli variants ditched the tumor-cupola well before they put applique ERA and such on.  The stupid thing was getting their commanders killed.

Hi Collimatrix,

 

You are spot on. It is a Sabra as configured for Turkish service. Heaven knows why they wanted to keep the wretched cupola.

 

As I understand it, the Israelis did look into a further modernisation of their M60s to incorporate new applique armour and the 120mm gun. Although it resembled the version of the Sabra produced for Turkey,, it was not identical. In any case they decided to retire the M48s and M60s and focus on Merk 3s and Merk 4s for their active tank fleet.

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What model Turkey is using? Recent pictures shows pretty big number of those tanks (Sabras or similar), moved to Turkish-Syrian border. Did Israel produced and sold those vehicle to them?

I believe that Israel designed the upgrade and provides some of the components in the form of upgrade kits.  The MTU engine is built under license in Turkey.  

 

Edit: Oddly enough, the Sabra one did not have the commanders turret, but they retained it for the Sabra II.  

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Hi Collimatrix,

 

You are spot on. It is a Sabra as configured for Turkish service. Heaven knows why they wanted to keep the wretched cupola.

 

As I understand it, the Israelis did look into a further modernisation of their M60s to incorporate new applique armour and the 120mm gun. Although it resembled the version of the Sabra produced for Turkey,, it was not identical. In any case they decided to retire the M48s and M60s and focus on Merk 3s and Merk 4s for their active tank fleet.

 

Jeeps_Guns_Tanks mentioned in passing once that in the Vietnam War the tumor-cupola with the riser was actually much sought-after, since it gave the commander much better odds of spotting Charlie lurking nearby with an RPG-7.  So for close-quarters asymmetric warfare it may have some merit.  It would be interesting to compare the field of view for a commander in the Israeli low-profile cupola with the tumor-cupola.

 

For long-distance tank on tank combat in the desert, however, the consensus seems to be that it's basically an excellent way to get the TC's head sliced off.

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  • 3 weeks later...

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