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Merkava Mark 2
Photo: Gil Hadani · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0
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MerkavaMark2

Tanks · Israel · 1979
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MerkavaMark2

Merkava Mark 2
Merkava Mark 2 Photo: Gil Hadani · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0
* Absolute score — assessed within category · no era adjustment
Firepower
75
Protection
70
Mobility
65
Technology
70
Reliability
80
Crew Survivability
85
Operational Range
60
Logistics
75
Historical Performance
80
Strategic Impact
70
Origin Israel
CategoryTanks
EraCold War
In service1979–1990
Operators1 countries
Quantity1,600
Data Quality83%
MASS(Military Archive Scoring System)
73
Tanks MASS Rating
13/89
Cold War
34/563
All-Time
Tanks · 10 axes scored
Firepower
75
Protection
70
Mobility
65
Technology
70
Reliability
80
Crew Survivability
85
Operational Range
60
Logistics
75
Historical Performance
80
Strategic Impact
70
ⓘ Regardless of era, the same scoring system applies to all units in the tanks category.
01 / Overview
Merkava Mark 2
Category
Country
Production
1979–1990
Quantity
1,600
Operators
💰 PERFORMANCE / PRICE ASSESSMENT Methodology ↗
TANKS · COLD WAR
13
PERFORMANCE/PRICE
85
UNIT COST (2025 USD)
—
73
tanks category
ⓘ Performance/Price and MASS score are computed across all units in the tanks category, regardless of era.
02 / Specs & Design
◎General4MOD.4
◈Firepower10MOD.10
▣Protection7MOD.7
◇Mobility8MOD.8
  • Engine Power900 hp
  • Power-to-Weight Ratio13.8 hp/t
  • Fuel TypeDiesel
  • Transmission TypeAutomatic
  • Suspension TypeTorsion Bar
  • Max Road Speed60 km/h
  • Max Off-Road Speed45 km/h
  • Operational Range (Road)500 km
◆Dimensions3MOD.3
  • Length (Hull)9.5 m
  • Width3.6 m
  • Height2.66 m
⬢Amphibious & Special4MOD.4
▲Production & Service1MOD.1
  • Current Service StatusRetired
03 / History
SERVICE LIFESPANStill in Service
  1. 1979Production started
  2. 1990Production ended
47
years in service
11
years in production
1,600
units produced
1
countries operating
ⓘ The producing country still actively operates it.
04 / Variants
▚ WEAPON FAMILY
Merkava 1978
Merkava Mark 2 1979
05 / Operators
Operator Countries1country
📖 TERMS ON THIS PAGE15terms
Armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot: a type of kinetic energy penetrator ammunition.
Automatic: a tank transmission that changes gear ratios without direct driver input, using hydraulic, electric, or mechanical systems to select gears automatically.
Armour made from multiple materials, such as metals and ceramics, to increase effectiveness.
Computerised Advanced: a tank fire‑control system generation that uses digital computers to calculate ballistic solutions and integrate sensor data for enhanced targeting accuracy.
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.
Handheld or vehicle-mounted devices that release dense smoke to obscure vision, conceal movements, or screen friendly forces from enemy observation.
A smoothbore gun is a firearm with an unrifled barrel, allowing projectiles to travel without spin; it is commonly used in modern tank main guns for firing fin‑stabilized ammunition.
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.
These terms are listed automatically because they appear on this page.full encyclopedia →
📚 Sources
📖 ENCYCLOPEDIA Browse the Tanks entry →