- Yes
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Magach 3 Digum Miz’ari: the final upgrade to the Magach 3.
History
The Magach fleet of tanks could be divided into two main categories: Magachs based on M48 Pattons and their upgrades and Magachs based on M60 tanks and their subsequent models.
The Magach 3, until its major upgrades after the Yom Kippur War, was roughly equal to the US M48A3 standard. The first Magach 3s to enter IDF service were converted Magach 1 tanks in the period between 1965 and 1967, before the Six-Day War. After that conflict, the upgrade process continued, and also M48A3 tanks were directly imported from the US. The Magach 3 played an important role in the major conflicts faced by Israel in the 1970s, and thanks to the Tank Improvement Program by General Israel Tal, the father of the Merkava tank, its performance continued to remain satisfactory. This improvement program included, among several things, the installation of Baltan (also known as Blazer) ERA, smoke grenade launchers and a smoke generating system from the engine exhaust, roof mounted machine guns for the commander and loader and a heavy machine gun on the barrel of the main gun, and a 60 mm mortar operated by the commander.
By the 1980s, the IDF was actively in the process of developing a newer, more modern fire control system for its tanks, since all Magachs were still using the M13 electromechanical ballistic computer originally installed on these tanks. The process to create what would later be known as Gal, the most advanced FCS in IDF use for its time, took longer than expected. Therefore, a stopgap solution was necessary to improve the combat effectiveness of Magachs. This solution came in the form of Nir David, which was more akin to an improvement kit than a whole new FCS. Nir David consisted of two main components: a laser rangefinder and an input interface for the M13 ballistic computer. The LRF chosen for the Magach 3 Digum Miz’ari was the portable, handheld Sarug laser rangefinder. Sarug was connected to the second part of Nir David, the digital input interface. This interface was able to convert the signal from the LRF and input the distance in the analog ballistic computer, greatly improving the speed of engagement.
The Magach 3 Digum Miz’ari featured other improvements, including a thermal sleeve on the main gun and a new bustle rack on the rear of the turret (the same as the one found on the Magach 7C).
Not much else is known about this tank. It served with reserve brigades, possibly Brigade 943, 820 and/or 399, until it was retired in the 1990s. So far, only one photo of the tank during its active service is available, which is found at the top of this post. The tanks now rest in scrapyards and at least one is displayed as a monument. Magach 3 Digum Miz’ari, מגח 3 דיגום מזערי in Hebrew, can be roughly translated into English as “minor refinement”.
Specifications
Armor and protection:
The base armor of the Magach 3 Digum Miz’ari is exactly the same as found on a Magach 3 (M48 tank), with a cast steel hull and turret. On both the hull and turret, a whole array of Blazer ERA was installed, protecting the tank from chemically formed penetrators such as those used by the AT-3 Sagger and RPG warheads. This brochure from Rafael provides the general performance against those two weapons.
It should be noted that Blazer tiles are present on both sides of the Magach 3 Digum Miz’ari hull, as seen on the top picture and as clearly shown by the side rails with mounting points installed on these scrapped tanks.
Another important modification added to the Magach 3 Digum Miz’ari was the new bustle rack structure. The model chosen was the same steel cage found on the Magach 7C. This new rack increased the space for carrying personal equipment and also provided potential mitigation against shaped charges by acting as cage armor.
The Magach 3 Digum Miz’ari was fitted with two IS-10 smoke grenade dispensers, for a total of 20 deployable smoke grenades.
IS-10 smoke dispensers by Rafael
The tank’s engine was also fitted with a smoke generating system (ESS), which enabled the tank to create a smoke curtain by injecting diesel fuel into the exhaust manifolds.
Armament:
The Magach 3 Digum Miz’ari was armed with the M68 105 mm main gun, found on several other Magachs operated by the IDF. Being used in the 1980s, the tank could carry more modern ammunition such as the M111 APFSDS round.
One important addition was the installation of a thermal sleeve on the barrel of the gun, which helped improve accuracy by keeping the temperature of the barrel equal throughout its length, preventing the metal from bending.
The tank was also fitted with a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun, two 7.62 machine guns (likely to be FN MAG) on the roof of the turret, and a .50 cal M2 Browning mounted over the barrel of the main gun, attached to the mantlet.
Fire control system:
One of the main improvements found on the Magach 3 Digum Miz’ari was the installation of the Nir David FCS. By using the Sarug laser rangefinder, the commander could quickly measure the range to the target. Thanks to the digital input interface installed on the M13A1 ballistic computer, this information on the range could be used to calculate a firing solution by adjusting the super elevation of the main gun and gunner optics. This whole process was several times faster and more precise than the older method, which required the commander to use the optical rangefinder found on the tank and to manually input the distance into the ballistic computer.
As usual with Pattons, the commander had his own set of controls for moving and firing the main gun.
The tank could hold a total of 57 105 mm rounds, with the same ammunition stowage found on the Magach 3.
Mobility:
No changes were made to the engine nor to the other components relating to the mobility of the vehicle. The tank still used the AVDS-1790-2A engine coupled with the CD-850-6A transmission. The weight was the same as with the Magach 3.
Specs sheet:
Mass: 49.9 t
Length without gun: 6.8 m
Width: 3.6 m
Height: 3.3 m
Crew: 4
Armor: Cast steel and Blazer ERA
Armament: 105 mm M68 cannon, 3x 7,62MG, 1x .50cal MG, 2x IS-10 smoke launchers, IMI 60mm mortar
FCS: Nir David
Engine: 750HP AVDS-1790-2A
Power/weight ratio: 15 hp/t
Transmission: CD-850-6A
Suspensions: Torsion bar
Additional photos:
Sources:
- Magach 6A/B IDF Patton M60A1 in IDF service Part 3, by Michael Mass
- Magach 3 in IDF Service – Part 1, by Michael Mass and Adam O’Brien
- Patton Wrecks – IDF Tank Wrecks Series – Part 2 (TWR-2), by Michael Mass and Adam O’Brien
- Shiryon Archive Discord server for photos collections