Merkava Mk.1

## Crew

* Commander
* Driver
* Gunner
* Loader

The **Merkava Mk.1** is a Tier 5 progression Main Battle Tank under Sol Schreiber's dealership.

## History

Class: Main Battle Tank

Developed: 1970-1980

Service: 1980+

Vehicles Built: 250-350 (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.

Contrary to its current reputation and popular belief, the Merkava program started only as an attempt to actually produce something at least roughly equal to western MBTs of the time without having to rely heavily on foreign components due to the fact that the favor of superpowers was fickle at best. This didn't happen either, the initial Merkava model was essentially comparable to the two decades older M60A1 in performance (that is, without taking the teething issues it faced into account) and most internal modules of this “all-Israeli” tank were American.

Several designs and wooden mockups were completed in 1970 and the first four finalized prototypes were ready by 1974 with the Merkava Mk.1 entering official production in April 1979. The first fully equipped battalion of 30 tanks was operational starting from 1980. The first Merkava was essentially a prototype pushed into service and suffered from a number of teething issues. It was large, heavy, unreliable and slow. Its armor was made of steel only with a nasty shot trap at the back of the turret and its mobility was hampered by its weak engine. However, compared to the Magach tanks, the Merkava crews had higher chances to survive. By the time the 1982 Operation Peace for Galilee (the Lebanon War) took place, roughly 200 Merkava Mk.1 tanks were in service with some participating in the fighting.

## Vehicle Traits

* Armored: This vehicle's armor can withstand a lot of punishment, allowing it to survive even serious firefights.
* Improved Progression: This vehicle earns extra Experience, allowing you to progress faster in the game.
* High Durability: This vehicle has more hitpoints than other vehicles of this Tier.
* HESH Rounds: This vehicle can fire special Squash Head rounds. These are extremely effective against angled armor that is typical for Soviet tanks.
* 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.

## Upgrades

### Armor

Merkava Mk.1 Stock Armor
 This tank features basic sheet armor without any advanced components, making it vulnerable to HEAT shells and ATGMs. However, its heavily sloped armor and the front-mounted engine offer a significant advantage when it comes to crew protection.

Merkava Mk.2 Armor Upgrade
 This tank features basic sheet armor without any advanced components, making it vulnerable to HEAT shells and ATGMs. However, its heavily sloped armor and the front-mounted engine offer a significant advantage when it comes to crew protection.

### Weapon

**Stats:**

* **Magazine Type**: Ready Rack
* **Magazine Size**: 4
* **Reload within Magazine**: 2.50 s
* **Burst Fire Rate**: 24.00 rd/min
* **Depression/Elevation**: -8.5° / 20.0°

## Footnotes

1. ↑ 480 mm at 150m;
360 mm at 500m
2. ↑ 510 mm at 150m;
383 mm at 500m
3. ↑ 18 mm at 100m;
9 mm at 1000m

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