M47 RKM

ChieftainWarrior · August 18, 2025, 7:48pm

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M47 RKM

TL;DR: Israeli modification of captured Jordanian M47s, fitted with a new engine, transmission, and main cannon (105mm). Model already exists in-game.

History
The M47 Patton was a development of the M46 Patton, primarily featuring a new, redesigned turret. The M47 entered production in 1951 — production ended in 1953, with 8,576 vehicles having been constructed. The M47 was widely exported — in 1964–66, Jordan received 49 from the USA. In 1967, the Six-Day War (or Third Arab-Israeli War) began, as Israel launched airstrikes against Egypt following the Egyptian closure of the Straits of Tiran. Syria, Jordan, Iraq, and Lebanon joined Egypt in attacking Israeli forces. The war lasted six-days (as in the name), and saw Israel occupy the Golan Heights, West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Sinai Peninsula. During the brief war, they also captured dozens of tanks from the Arab forces, including a number of M47 and M48 Pattons from Jordan.

Captured M47

Captured Jordanian M47s

However, Israel deemed the M47s obsolete and they didn’t enter service with the IDF. In the early 1980s, the Israeli companies Urdan and Israeli Military Industries (IMI) developed an upgrade for the M47 (based on the captured vehicles) for the export market. Similarly to the Italian M47 105/55, as well as the Spanish M47E2, the upgrade, designated M47 RKM, replaced the 90mm cannon with a 105mm cannon, and replaced the powerpack to be the same as used on the M48/M60 series. Three M47 RKM prototypes were constructed, one in 1980, and two in 1981. The vehicle did not see any success on the export market. At least one prototype remains today at Yad La-Shiryon (Latrun) in Israel, which is frequently confused with the Spanish M47E2 online. However, the Spanish upgrade was carried out independently by Talbot a few years prior in the late 1970s, and features a few differences — most obviously the presence of smoke grenade launchers on the turret.

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1. Display sign in front of the surviving M47 RKM prototype; 2. Spanish M47E2 prototype

Note
Funnily enough, the M47 105/55 in-game is actually incorrectly modelled on the M47 at Latrun, which was probably based on confusion between the Spanish and Italian M47 upgrades — even though the Latrun one is neither. So, the model already exists for this vehicle, and could very easily be ported over to the Israeli TT.

Characteristics
The M47 RKM is fitted with an unstabilised 105mm M68 cannon. It can fire all NATO standard 105mm ammunition, including M392A2 APDS penetrating 350mm @ 0° @ 10m, M152 HEAT-FS, penetrating 400mm @ 0°, and M156 HESH penetrating 127mm @ 0°. 63 rounds of ammunition are carried, of which 11 are ready-rounds in the turret. The M47 RKM has a coaxial 7.62mm MG, with 4125 rounds of ammunition. It can optionally be fitted with an anti-aircraft 12.7mm HMG with 3440 rounds of ammunition, but it seems it wasn’t fitted on the prototypes. Much like on a lot of other upgraded M47s, the bow-gunner position was removed and plated over.

M47 RKM ammo from rear

M47 RKM ammunition storage layout, from rear

The M47 RKM featured a few notable FCS upgrades. The M12 optical rangefinder was modified to be used as a coincidence or stereoscopic rangefinder, and the ballistic computer was upgraded for 105mm ammunition. The ballistic computer was connected to the gun elevation mechanism. An M10 ballistic drive was fitted, connecting the FCS with the gunner and commander’s sights and the ballistic computer. An Elbit ballistic computer could also be fitted instead of the base M47 computer, which could be connected to an optional laser rangefinder. The FCS was designed to be modular with 4 options available, but the exact FCS fitted to the prototypes is unclear:

1. Modified (coincidence/stereoscopic) rangefinder, with data automatically fed into the (modified base) ballistic computer, and gun automatically elevates
1. Modified (coincidence/stereoscopic) rangefinder, with data automatically fed into the (more advanced) Elbit ballistic computer, and gun automatically elevates
1. Laser rangefinder, with data automatically fed into the Elbit ballistic computer, and gun automatically elevates
1. Same as 3. but with new ballistic drive

The add-on-stabilisation (AOS) system was also an option, but once again, whether it was fitted to the prototypes is unclear. The M32 day/night commander’s sight was standard on options 3 and 4, but could also be fitted to options 1 and 2.

The M47 RKM is adequately-armoured, with hull armour up to 101mm on the front, and 76mm at the sides. The turret is roughly the same, with up to 121mm on the front and 63mm on the sides.

The M47 RKM features the AVDS-1790-2C engine, producing 750hp, connected to an Allison CD-850-6A transmission with six forward and two reverse gears. The tank has a combat weight of 44.45t, resulting in a power-to-weight ratio of 16.87hp/t. The M47 RKM can reach a top speed of 56km/h.

Rear of the M47 RKM prototype, showing the modified powerpack

Conclusion
The M47 RKM would be — effectively — an Israeli version of the in-game M47 105/55, and would play near identically if implemented with the standard FCS options (i.e. no LRF), at a BR of 7.7. However, it could also be potentially given a LRF and improved ballistic computer, enabling the firing of APFSDS rounds, and even a stabiliser, making it much more unique, likely at a BR of 8.0 or 8.3. It could fit as a tech-tree vehicle, either before or after the Tiran-4 folder, depending on BR, or as a premium or event vehicle.

Specifications
Armament

105mm M68
- Unstabilised (base)
- 63 rounds
- M392A2 APDS
  - 350mm at 0° at 10m
- M111 APFSDS (if with Elbit ballistic computer)
  - 337mm at 0° at 10m
- M152 HEAT-FS
  - 400mm at 0° at 10m
- M156 HESH
  - 127mm at 0° at 10m
1x 7.62mm coaxial
- 4125 rounds