Split from German Tanks: Merkava

the mortar was built in so that the tank can fire HE rounds at ATGM crews with out being in eye contact.
 
rocco said:
alex, im guessing the underbelly is VERY well armored, IDF has learnt from experince of MANY road bombs and mines to armor its tank, and up armor its existing m113's etc with steel plates for the floors... even the unarmored cards have steel plates for mines atleast up to say, 10kg.

i would also like to state, that the merkava 4 is very new, alot of the other top tanks are a few years old already...

another point is that the morter is used to conserve vital ammo from the main gun (only carries 50), this is handy for use against bunkers etc...
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I was trying to compare a scorpion (the animale) with the tank, I was not serious.
 
I thought most of the mortars were built in for popping smoke.
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all modern MBTs have smoke dischargers. The Merkava has those too...We are talking about a 60mm mortar that is mounted in the Turret. In earlier versions it was mounted on the outside, but today the mortar is internal.
 
I think it's more like a shark, it's fast and flexible and very deadly. The main gun is like its teeth and the mortar is like the lazer beams attached to their forheads.
 
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That was an interesting mixup about the Merkava going 60 mph. It would be interesting to see a MBT that could make that kind of speed, but I'm afraid it would be too much engine and a completely insane fuel hog. Of course there isn't a top of the line MBT that goes that fast. The fastest modern MBT I know of is the LeClerc. Can anyone think of a faster one? 72 kph (44.712 mph). Earlier versions of the M1 could boast about the same speed.

Now I like the Merkava so much is for many reasons. The turret design that allows for a full size main gun barrel with less of it sticking out (aimed forward). Compared with every other design I can think of, the Israeli Merkava FAR outshines everyone else in armor sloping. There are very few directions you can hit a Merkava from without a strong chance of your shot deflecting in some way, and being rendered partly or totally ineffective. On top of it all, the Merkava has nice a low profile, but not to the point of losing the ability to target the main gun downward.

Lots of people will crunch for numbers armor tonnage, engine sizes, depleted uranium and so forth. Everything is important of course. You can take your basic shapes and designs for modern MBT's out there and throw newer and newer technologies on the same basic tank concept. All generally tends to equal out in these categories. But the basic shape tends to remain with little change. I'd pick the Merkava for effectiveness of shape over any other. My personal opinion.
 
Modern versions of the T-80 are extremely fast. They have something like 27 horsepower per ton.

and modern sabots don't deflect, they bite straight in.
 
i think Merkava is a great tank, however, this tank is specificallly designed for the warfare Isreal fights...

this tank puts lots of its weight to increase the protection of its crews (Isreal cannot afford to lose much ppl), and personally, i think it is very heavy and not suitable to fight wars outside Middle East region..

anybody knows the maxium speed and distance Merkava 4 can go?
 
Sexybeast said:
i think Merkava is a great tank, however, this tank is specificallly designed for the warfare Isreal fights...

this tank puts lots of its weight to increase the protection of its crews (Isreal cannot afford to lose much ppl), and personally, i think it is very heavy and not suitable to fight wars outside Middle East region..

anybody knows the maxium speed and distance Merkava 4 can go?
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No, the Merkava weighs 65 tons, the M1A2 weighs 69.
 
yes, the Merkava is lighter than the M1A2. Here are specs from Israeli-Weapons.com:

Key Data
Crew 4, driver, commander, gunner, loader
Dimensions
Length with gun forward 9.04m
Width without skirts 3.72m
Height to turret roof 2.66m
Weight 65t
Engine
V-12 diesel engine 1,500hp
Performance
Maximum speed over 60km/h
Cross country speed up to 55km/h
Range 500km
Weapons
Main gun 120mm
Ammunition on board 48 rounds
Ready to fire rounds 10
Machine gun 7.62mm
Mortar 60mm
Mortar range 2,700m
 
Not to mention weight doesn't have much to do with mobility, ground pressure does. During the Gulf war Saudi Arabia had one of it's wettest winters ever, with tons of rainful. M1A1s and Bradleys were able to maneauver over the massive amount of mud while Humvees were not.
 
Kozzy Mozzy said:
Not to mention weight doesn't have much to do with mobility, ground pressure does. During the Gulf war Saudi Arabia had one of it's wettest winters ever, with tons of rainful. M1A1s and Bradleys were able to maneauver over the massive amount of mud while Humvees were not.
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if godofthunder's source is true, Merkava's max speed is about 55-60km/h, this is not very fast compared to other modern tanks (usually over 70km/h)

it is also a huge tank (can put 10 ppl or a motor in it right?)

and i have to say weight does have much to do with mobility...that is basic physics...ur point is irrelevent
 
if godofthunder's source is true, Merkava's max speed is about 55-60km/h, this is not very fast compared to other modern tanks (usually over 70km/h)

it is also a huge tank (can put 10 ppl or a motor in it right?)

and i have to say weight does have much to do with mobility...that is basic physics...ur point is irrelevent
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I have to disagree. Firstly, Most Modern MBTs can only pass the 70 KmH mark on the road. They tend to go much slower in the rough terrain. In my opinion, since the Merkava can go 55 in off-road, it dose not matter if its a bit slow on roads. No one drives 70KmH with a tank in combat, and usually fighting isent done with the tanks on the road...It is done in the fields or dessert. The exeption is urban warfare, but you shouldent even drive a car at 70KmH inside a city at peace time, let alone a 65 ton tank with hostile people shooting at you.
About the size, the Merkava is not any bigger than other western MBTs...Look at the dimensions...
 
Sexybeast said:
Kozzy Mozzy said:
Not to mention weight doesn't have much to do with mobility, ground pressure does. During the Gulf war Saudi Arabia had one of it's wettest winters ever, with tons of rainful. M1A1s and Bradleys were able to maneauver over the massive amount of mud while Humvees were not.
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if godofthunder's source is true, Merkava's max speed is about 55-60km/h, this is not very fast compared to other modern tanks (usually over 70km/h)

it is also a huge tank (can put 10 ppl or a motor in it right?)

and i have to say weight does have much to do with mobility...that is basic physics...ur point is irrelevent
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No my point is not irrelevant, because it is basic physics. Ground pressure has far more to do with mobility then weight. A tank can weigh 100 tons but have a ground pressure lower then a 60 ton tank and it will be able to negotiate terrain just as well.
 
en.....who can a 100ton can less ground pressure than 60 tons....

100ton pushes onto ground, there will be 100tons of power push back from ground too.......




but seriously Sherman,
it is specially designed for Isreal warfare, not for other places
 
You have to distribute the weight over more ground. The humvees only touch the ground at the bottoms of their smalls wheels, while the Bradleys and Abrams touch the ground with 9 meters of track at a time.
 
Sexybeast said:
but i am sure M1A2 tanks with a weight of 50 some tons is much more mobile than a Isreal tank of 6o some tons
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oh god

Merkava Mk 4: 65 tons
M1A2: 69 tons

get your friggin facts straight. all this shit is on the internet.
 
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