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Merkava Mark 1
Photo: Dmitri1999 (Dmitri Markine), http://www.dmitrimarkine.com. · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0
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MerkavaMark1

Tanks · Israel · 1979
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MerkavaMark1

Merkava Mark 1
Merkava Mark 1 Photo: Dmitri1999 (Dmitri Markine), http://www.dmitrimarkine.com. · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0
* Absolute score — assessed within category · no era adjustment
Firepower
75
Protection
80
Mobility
65
Technology
60
Reliability
85
Crew Survivability
88
Operational Range
70
Logistics
75
Historical Performance
82
Strategic Impact
78
Origin Israel
CategoryTanks
EraCold War
In service1979–1990
Operators1 countries
Quantity800
Data Quality83%
MASS(Military Archive Scoring System)
75
Tanks MASS Rating
9/89
Cold War
24/563
All-Time
Tanks · 10 axes scored
Firepower
75
Protection
80
Mobility
65
Technology
60
Reliability
85
Crew Survivability
88
Operational Range
70
Logistics
75
Historical Performance
82
Strategic Impact
78
ⓘ Regardless of era, the same scoring system applies to all units in the tanks category.
01 / Overview
Merkava Mark 1
Category
Country
Production
1979–1990
Quantity
800
Operators
💰 PERFORMANCE / PRICE ASSESSMENT Methodology ↗
TANKS · COLD WAR
9
PERFORMANCE/PRICE
88
UNIT COST (2025 USD)
—
75
tanks category
ⓘ Performance/Price and MASS score are computed across all units in the tanks category, regardless of era.
02 / Specs & Design
◎General5MOD.5
◈Firepower9MOD.9
◇Mobility8MOD.8
  • Engine Power900 hp
  • Fuel TypeDiesel
  • Transmission TypeSemi-Automatic
  • Suspension TypeTorsion Bar
  • Max Road Speed65 km/h
  • Max Off-Road Speed45 km/h
  • Operational Range (Road)500 km
  • Fording Depth1.2 m
◆Dimensions4MOD.4
  • Length (Hull)9.04 m
  • Width3.14 m
  • Height2.66 m
  • Ground Clearance0.45 m
⬢Amphibious & Special4MOD.4
▲Production & Service4MOD.4
  • Total Production Units800
  • Years in Production11 year
  • Current Service StatusRetired
  • Notable Variants Count2
03 / History
SERVICE LIFESPANStill in Service
  1. 1979Production started
  2. 1990Production ended
47
years in service
11
years in production
800
units produced
1
countries operating
ⓘ The producing country still actively operates it.
04 / Operators
Operator Inventory1country · 400units
400active
📖 TERMS ON THIS PAGE15terms
Armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot: a type of kinetic energy penetrator ammunition.
Computerised Basic: a fire control system generation in tanks that provides fundamental computer‑assisted ballistic calculations without advanced targeting aids such as laser rangefinders or thermal imaging.
Type of internal combustion engine fuel, refined from crude oil.
High-Explosive Fragmentation: ammunition that explodes on impact, releasing fragments.
High-Explosive Anti-Tank: a type of projectile that uses a shaped charge to penetrate armor.
Optical device that uses laser pulses to measure the distance to a target with high precision.
A main battle tank is a heavily armored vehicle with a large caliber gun, used for front-line combat.
Nuclear, Biological, Chemical protection for tank crews.
Enhanced low-light visibility through specialized optics or sensors.
A rifled gun has spiral grooves cut into its barrel.
A semi‑automatic transmission in a tank automatically shifts gears using hydraulic or mechanical mechanisms while the driver selects gear positions, reducing manual clutch operation.
Handheld or vehicle-mounted devices that release dense smoke to obscure vision, conceal movements, or screen friendly forces from enemy observation.
Thermal sights are infrared imaging devices mounted on a tank's gunner station that detect heat emitted by objects, enabling target identification and aiming in low‑visibility conditions.
A torsion bar is a steel rod that resists twisting and serves as a spring in tank suspensions, with one end fixed to the hull and the other connected to a lever arm moving the road wheel.
Armour made by welding and rolling homogeneous steel plates.
These terms are listed automatically because they appear on this page.full encyclopedia →
📚 Sources
📖 ENCYCLOPEDIA Browse the Tanks entry →