The IDF was ment to buy the "Chieftain" as its MBT but the brits were under arab pressure so they stopped the deal. As a result work on the Israeli made Merkava tank started. Years later General Menahem Meron "thankd" a British minister saying-"Had you sold us the Chieftain then, we would still have those peices of juk\nk in service...."

Ill translate the whole article aboutthis and post it on military issues...