The Merkava Mk.4 is a progression Tier 9 Main Battle Tank under Sol Schreiber's dealership.
History[ | ]
Class: Main Battle Tank
Developed: 1999-2002
Service: 2003+
Vehicles Built: cca 460-480 (sources vary)
Operators: Israel
The Merkava ("Chariot") series is one of the most famous MBTs in the world, designed in Israel specifically with the IDF requirements in mind. All variants feature sloped armor and front-mounted engines, offering maximum protection to their crews. The design has its roots in the 1970s in a program led by one of the most influential tank visionaries of all time, General Israel Tal. Its heavily upgraded variants are still in service.
The currently produced Merkava Mk.4 is the newest model of the tank. Visually, it might not look all that different from the older Mk.3D model but the Mk.4 is jam-packed with advanced technologies. The development of the Merkava Mk.4 started around 1999 as, arguably, the first major variant of the Merkava optimized not only for standard large-scale battlefields, but also for limited asymmetric combat since terrorists and insurgents are the most common opponents of the IDF. The protection levels were upgraded and the tank is armed with a new smoothbore gun, the IMI M253 paired with a semi-automatic 10-round magazine – the loader still has to insert the round manually into the gun, but this electric drum-like rack makes it much easier to do so. In 2009, the production was switched to an upgraded model with Trophy APS called Mk.4 Meil Ruach (or Mk.4M, also known under the name Windbreaker).
Vehicle Traits[ | ]
- Armored: This vehicle's armor can withstand a lot of punishment, allowing it to survive even serious firefights.
- Heavy Weapon: This vehicle carries one of the largest weapons around with significantly increased damage per shot.
- High Durability: This vehicle has more hitpoints than other vehicles of this Tier.
- Fire and Forget: This vehicle features advanced ATGMs that, when a target (ground or flying) is locked, home in on it without having to be controlled manually.
- Ready Rack: This vehicle features a Ready Rack, which consists of several easily accessible rounds. It can fire several rounds in rapid succession, after which the reload time increases. Ready Rack reloads automatically when not in combat.
- Troop Compartment: This vehicle features a troop compartment, allowing you to repair your modules faster and to capture objectives more effectively.
Ammunition[ | ]
Ammo Name |
Ammo Type |
XP Cost | Damage | Penetration | Velocity | Reload Time |
More Info | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
120mm M322 APFSDS | APFSDS | Stock | 480 | 750[note 1] mm | 1,650 m/s | 6.40 s | ||
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120mm M339 "Hatzav" HE | HE | Stock | 810[note 2] | 60 mm | 980 m/s | 6.40 s | ||
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120mm M325 HEAT-MP | HEAT-MP | Stock | 576[note 3] | 830 mm | 1,410 m/s | 6.40 s | ||
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LAHAT ATGM-TH | ATGM-Tandem | Stock | 552[note 4] | 1,000 mm | 320 m/s | 6.40 s | ||
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7.62mm AP | AP | Stock | 8 | 18[note 5] mm | 855 m/s | 5.00 s | ||
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Upgrades[ | ]
Armor[ | ]
XP Cost | Credit Cost | Hull Armor |
Hull Composition |
Turret Armor |
Turret Composition |
ERA Name | ERA Penetration Reduction |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stock | Stock | 765 mm (vs AP) 1,235 mm (vs HEAT) |
Composite | 1,010 mm (vs AP) 2,875 mm (vs HEAT) |
Composite | N/A | N/A vs AP N/A vs HEAT |
This MBT's front is protected by composite armor. Composite armor consists of combined layers of steel and other material and offers excellent protection against HEAT shells and ATGMs. Its steel sides and rear are considerably more vulnerable. However, its heavily sloped frontal armor and the front-mounted engine offer a significant advantage when it comes to crew protection. |
Weapon[ | ]
Name | XP Cost | Credit Cost | Aim Time | Reload Time | More Info | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
120mm IMI MG253 Smoothbore Cannon | Stock | Stock | 1.96 s | 6.40 s | ||
Stats:
Ammo:
120mm M322 APFSDS 120mm M339 "Hatzav" HE 120mm M325 HEAT-MP LAHAT ATGM-TH 7.62mm AP |
Engine[ | ]
Name | XP Cost | Credit Cost | Max Speed | Reverse Speed | Forward Acceleration |
Hull Traverse | Fire Chance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
General Dynamics GD883 1500 hp Diesel Engine | Stock | Stock | 65 km/h | 30 km/h | 6.29 s (0 to 32 km/h) 28.84 s (0 to Max Speed) |
31.04° | 8 % |