[Coming Soon] Merkava Mk.1 Platoon: Battle Chariots

Merkava Mk.1 Platoon (Rank VIII)

Historical note

After several modernizations made to American M60 and British Centurion tanks as well as the failure of negotiations of the organization of licensed production of Chieftain tanks, Israel decided to start production of its own MBTs. The first prototypes were tested in 1974. What came from this was the Merkava tank — “chariot of war” — which was designed with the concept of maximum safety for the crew in mind. The engine, transmission compartment and fuel tanks were located in the front of the hull. The combat compartment had a large hatch for quick evacuation and elaborate protection against HEAT weapons such as hand grenade launchers. The Merkava Mk.1 tank was successfully tested and entered service with the Israel Defense Forces in 1979. Since then, the tank has been modified many times, and modern versions are considered to be among the best MBTs in the world.

Meet the first fully produced domestic Israeli MBT, the Merkava Mk.1 and the founder of this tank family! At the head of an interesting platoon at rank VIII, this tank will appear in War Thunder Mobile in the next seasonal update!

Merkava Mk.1

The Merkava Mk.1 is a very unusual tank. Its engine, transmission and fuel tanks are at the front of the hull. On the one hand, this tank is very well protected from hits in to the front hull, where only the most powerful APFSDS rounds can penetrate this thick armor and hit internal modules. The chances of this vehicle being “one-shot” are very low. On the other hand, the Merkava is much more likely to receive critical engine damage and more often than other tanks requires urgent repairs in combat.

The Israeli MBT is armed with a licensed copy of the British 105 mm L7 cannon. The ammunition range includes very effective APFSDS that can penetrate almost any enemy in any part of the armor.

Despite the fact that the Merkava only has a first-stage ammo, after maximum crew upgrades, it will will shoot faster than the same T-72A with automatic loader.

The speed and maneuverability of the tank is not brilliant, but still acceptable. Merkava is inferior to almost all other MBTs of its rank in terms of speed, but in turning, it is fast enough and can quickly react to the appearance of a threat from an unexpected direction.

The Israeli army has always wanted the best vehicles for its needs. Not surprisingly, the Merkava will be flanked by two advanced American tanks and a Soviet SPAAG, which have already proven themselves in battles.

Magach Hydra

The main teammate of the Merkava Mk.1 will be the Magach Hydra medium tank. It is a modified American M60 without ERA, but with Hydra unguided rockets mounted on the sides of the turret! The Magach Hydra is very effective in urban battles, where its missiles can destroy a whole team of enemies in a narrow alley or at a control point.

Giraf

Under the exotic name hides our old acquaintance — an American M113 armored personnel carrier with an I-TOW ATGM launcher. This ATGM carrier has a low profile and can easily find cover for the weakly protected hull, leaving only the launcher in plain sight.

ZSU-23-4

The “Shilka” in service with the Israel Defense Forces with rapid firing 23 mm guns and API-T or HEFI-T shells to choose from. The rate of fire is 3,400 rounds per minute. Only the smoking wreckage of aircraft and light armored vehicles remain!

*Platoon vehicle lineup, vehicle specifications and camouflages are still under development and may differ from those in this article.

The Merkava Mk.1 (Rank VIII) will be available from the Big Trophy of the Tank Campaign or from an offer after the start of the Season.