- Yes
- No
caid’s suggestion #141
I would like to suggest the Merkava/Magach 3
Information about this tank in particular is hard to find. it was a prototype of the Merkava built in the early 70s for trial. the tank was refitted with the Magach 3 turret. the reason for the hybrid tank is not clear. it is surely just because they needed a turret for a proper trial or because they might have considered the possibility of refitting the Merkava with the existing turret to save money. the Merkava was at this time a prototype and was not yet ready for production. it was just at the test drive stage. Many Magach turrets were mounted on the Merkava while waiting for the real turret to be ready. they later got replaced by the Merkava turret.
while the information on the history behind this tank is hard to come by, the tank is not that hard to add to the game. the Merkava turret was the only one truly considered. this tank is simply a Merkava with a Patton turret. both well know for the player can easily just swap the Merkava turret for the Magach turret which would give a new hybrid tank unique to Israel. it would have less protection than the Merkava 1 but better mobility than the Magach 3. Overall, this sounds like a good tank to have for me.
Firepower
the gun is likely the 105mm L7 which is just the same as the Sharir. Either way, both guns have the same performances which does not change the gameplay to me. the ammunition load would be interesting for a long fight, even if I would recommend the player to carry less than half of it. the Merkava Mk.1 can carry 48 rounds in his hull and the Magach carries 31 rounds in the turret. that means this tank can potentially carry 79 rounds of the 105mm which is a lot. I would easily recommend the player to only carry the 31 rounds in the turret which is enough for a while game in most situations. the gun elevation is slightly different than the Merkava. with -9° to +19° it would be barely noticeable over the Merkava normal elevation. it allow the tank to fight well in most situation. the turret rotation of 24°/sec will be inferior to the 40°/sec of the merkava but still allow a good use. The gun is unlikely stabilized which is a huge flaw of the tank. Another flaw is the basicness of the sight and fire control. the tank only has a coincidence rangefinder and a night vision. it will have no thermal and would barely be decent in quick engagement at long range.
Mobility
The mobility of this tank is not well known. probably the part that is the least known. it is a Merkava 1 which allows us to know at least what the transmission and engine should be. but the weight is unknown. That might sound like a small piece of information missing but it has a direct effect on the tank mobility. but the weight should range between 59 and 62 tons which at least lets us know the extent of the effect on the mobility. while I admit not knowing the real weight. I would suggest going with the 61 tonnes of the Merkeva Mk.1 as a placeholder. the engine is the V12 diesel Teledyne Continental AVDS-1790-6A providing 963 hp paired with the Allison CD-850-6BX automatic transmission. this allows the tank to have a top speed of 54 km/h and a reverse speed of 11 km/h. this is a better mobility than the Magach in general.
Protection
the protection should not be different than the Merkava 1 for the hull and the Magach 6 for the turret. the Magach have a weaker but still decent protection. featuring no composite on the turret, it would be the main weakness of the tank. the turret remains protected against most autocannon due to the fair thickness all around. the crew of 4 men include 3 men to operate the turret. the chassis features a low profile, a heavy slope, and the use of HHrA steel which makes it rather hard to penetrate. the engine at the front allows to eat some rounds at the expense of the engine. the tank features no smoke or active protection.
Sources
- Merkava Tank Ideas and Inspiration
- https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=36833.0
- 5 ביוני 2016: סיפור דגמי הפיתוח של טנק המרכבה סימן 1 | פארק לטרון
- Опытные модели Меркавы: david_2 — LiveJournal
- Merkava - Wikipedia
- Создание и прототипы Меркавы | Страница 2 | WarOnline.org | Израильский Военно-Исторический Форум
- Merkava Tank | An in-depth history of the Israeli Merkava Tank
- Israeli Armor Myths – Part 2 | Armored Warfare - Official Website
- Опытные модели Меркавы - Кристофер Рид — LiveJournal
