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For the religious/mystical connotations of the word, see Merkabah.

Merkava Merkava Israeli Merkava Mark-IIID LIC Dor Dalet MBT Type Main Battle Tank Place of origin Israel Specifications Weight 56 tons (Mark I) 60 tons (Mark II) 65 tons (Mark III) 70 tons (Mark IV) Length 7.6 m (gun forward=9.04 m) Width 3.72 m (without skirts) Height 2.66 m (turret roof) Crew 4 (Driver, Commander, Gunner, Loader) Armour laminated ceramic/steel/nickel composite + classified modular matrix Primary armament 1 x 105 mm M68 cannon + 62 rounds (I and II) 1 x 120 mm smoothbore gun + 50 rounds (III and IV) LAHAT anti-tank missile Secondary armament 1 x 7.62 mm coaxial MG (I-III) and/or 1 x 12.7 mm coaxial (IV) 2 x 7.62 mm MG 1 x 60 mm internal mortar Engine diesel 900 hsp (I, II) 1,200 hsp (III) 1,500 hsp (IV) Power/weight 14 hp/ton (I,II) 18 hp/ton (III) 23 hp/ton (IV) Suspension helical spring Operational range 500 km Speed Road: 65 km/h (Mark IV);

The Merkava (Hebrew: מרכבה (help·info), Chariot) is the main battle tank of the Israel Defense Forces. Since the early 1980s, four main versions have been deployed. The 'Merkava' name was derived from the IDF's development program name[citation needed]. It is developed and manufactured by over 250 Israeli and 100 foreign companies with main assembly at the IDF Logistics and Armor facilities inside the Tel HaShomer Army Base near Tel Aviv.[citation needed]

The Merkava has been designed for crew survival and rapid battle damage repair thanks to an Israeli development called 'Telescopic Production' and the novel use of quick applique modular ceramic armor panels[citation needed]. The Telescopic Production method allows for changes on the assembly line at the very last minute[citation needed], such as the installation of the 1500hsp engine which was not ready when Merkava Mark IV tank production began in 1999[citation needed], but was immmediately installed once they began to arrive, first from Germany and only later from the US GDLS corporation two years later in 2001[citation needed]. With the use of spaced-armour techniques and quick-replacement modular designs, the assembly line team was able to incorporate a derivative of rolled homogeneous armour (RHA), and Chobham-type armour, as well as carbon fibre filaments[citation needed].

To further enhance its crew safety features was the practice of distributing diesel fuel inside the spaces between the inner and outer walls[citation needed]. This practice is an excellent storage technique[citation needed], as well as a new method to defeating many varieties of anti-tank rounds[citation needed].

Additionally, the Merkava's unique layout complemented crew safety: Placing the powerplant at the front of the tank added a large amount of mass to the front area of the tank while moving the main turret towards the back of the hull. The relocation of these core systems allows for proper visual balance and weight distribution throughout the platform, as well as affording the crew more protection from a frontal attack[citation needed]. As a result of this new tank design, a large void was created in the rear of the tank. The designers then created a rear compartment area that could be accessed safely while under fire.

A clamshell-like double door, oriented vertically, provides overhead cover as well as an offloading ramp below. The design allows ammunition reloading to be accomplished without exposing crew members or logistics troops to enemy fire on the battlefield. This compartment has many possible uses, including a medical operating theater, a forward command and control station, a UAV control center, an electronic-intelligence gathering station, and an air-ground FAC control tower[citation needed].

This rear tank compartment could transport and deploy up to ten fully-equipped soldiers under combat conditions, even while the tank was moving and taking fire. In an emergency, the crew can use the rear door to escape safely