ВИФ2 NE

	От	Vadim
	К	Гришa
	Дата	01.06.2001 20:48:59
	Рубрики	Танки; Евреи и Израиль;

Re: Meркaвa 4

Ben-Eliezer goes back to the front
Analysis By Arieh O'Sullivan

(March 4)
...

The defense budget

The proposed NIS 37.5 billion defense budget has already been exceeded by the IDF's operations during the Palestinian unrest in the territories and the decision to quickly close the materiel gaps and prepare the army for the outbreak of total war.

According to defense officials, the budget hasn't grown in real terms for over five years, while the IDF's tasks have increased.

Many projects that have been put on the back burner and await decisions, such as the production of the Merkava IV tank, next-generation missiles, and upgrades to the Arrow anti-missile system.

http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2001/03/04/News/News.22332.html

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February 2 2001
The Day After Next

...
OC Armored Corps Brig.-Gen. Udi Shani is a strong proponent for the tank. "For Israel's reality, the tank is still the decisive factor," Shani says. "Firstly, our wars are existential and we must quickly transfer the battle to the other side. Secondly, we have to do this pretty fast because we don't have much stamina and desire to conduct a long war.

"Besides," he adds, "we don't have a substitute for the tank at the moment."

One of the most amazing aspects of the IDF's Armored Corps is the pace of its growth. In the War of Independence, there were only a handful of tanks; today there are thousands.

According to The Middle East Military Balance, Israel has 3,895 tanks of various types. Critics say that's too many and there is no scenario in which even a small number of them will be used.

But Shani says in defense that Israel has to be prepared for large-scale conventional warfare, despite the fact that the IDF hasn't fought a major war in 27 years.

After years of difficulties purchasing tanks, Israel designed its own, the Merkava.

"We have a multi-year plan to procure the Merkava IV. It is the jewel in the crown. There is no doubt that the latest model is the most modern tank. It is a totally different tank than the Merkava III. Many changes have been introduced; first and foremost, its protection is unlike any other in the world in its concept and type," says Shani, refusing to elaborate.

"The fire-control systems are the fruit of Israeli defense industries and are some of the best in the world," he adds. "It is quicker and more accurate and deadly and makes the first shell hit its target."

http://www.jpost.com/Editions/2000/11/30/Features/Features.16602.html

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Israeli battle tank Merkava Mk. III with the Eurosatory

Fewer around the inducement of potensial customers to wake to underline as rather the authority the Israeli armaments industry in all areas of military technology the first operational readiness level of the Israeli battle tank Merkava Mk. III served with the Eurosatory.

With a engagements weight of 65t and width of over 3,72m is anyway suitable for the application in the Central European area fewer the vehicle. The Merkava Mk. III nevertheless found a large interest, since both as well as many constructional detailed solutions show the basic concept clearly construction philosophy, with the connoisseurs of the subject after combat capability, survivability for the crew and fitness for the operational application in the foreground of the interpretation was in particular.

The newly arranged items of the additional armor (4.Generation) at the tower were remarkable as well as the adapted active armour in the area of the tower roof. For the improvement of survivability the body of the tank in the area of the combat area was removed and two external fuel tanks in the tail was installed. Despite that outward durably and appearing partly rough interpretation may not be ignored that the Merkava Mk. III in subranges contains absolute high-level technology, to which many modern western battle tanks still could only strive for.

Thus the Merkava Mk. III has "a target Tracking system " which serves the gunner and the commander with the pursuit of moved targets (in particular combat helicopters) as an arranging assistance. The 48 shots of the combat load is accommodated in fragment-safe and fire-resistant containers. In the tower a 60-mm-Moerser is integrated, which enables the fight against soft targets behind covering up to a distance of 2700 m.

Insider knoweledge that in Israel for approx. four years the testing of the Merkava Mk. IV runs, which might surely set new benchmarks concerning the application of spacereffective protective systems and during the interpretation of the ballistic protection. The beginning of mass production of the Merkava Mk. IV is at the end of the year.

Technical data of the Merkava Mk. III "Baz "

Crew 4 men
Weight 65 t
Armament 120-mm-Glattrohr-Kannon 3 x 7,62-mm-MG, 1 x 60-mm-Moerser
Ammunition supply 48 shots
Engine air-cooled 12 Cyl. Diesel, 883 kW
Transmission read-adjustable automatic transmission; 4V, 3R
Drive Screw suspension, hydraul. Absorber 300 mm of pos. Spring travel
Operating range 500 km (road)
Maximum speed 60 km/h

http://www.soldat-und-technik.de/spek0008.htm#kurz2