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

Tanks · Israel · 2004
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MerkavaMarkIV

Merkava Mark IV
Merkava Mark IV Photo: Dmitri1999 (Dmitri Markine), http://www.dmitrimarkine.com. · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0
* Absolute score — assessed within category · no era adjustment
Firepower
90
Protection
95
Mobility
80
Technology
85
Reliability
85
Crew Survivability
95
Operational Range
75
Logistics
70
Historical Performance
85
Strategic Impact
80
Origin Israel
ManufacturerQ98094096
CategoryTanks
EraPost-Cold War
In service2004
Operators1 countries
Quantity1,200
Data Quality82%
MASS(Military Archive Scoring System)
86
Tanks MASS Rating
2/35
Post-Cold War
5/563
All-Time
Tanks · 10 axes scored
Firepower
90
Protection
95
Mobility
80
Technology
85
Reliability
85
Crew Survivability
95
Operational Range
75
Logistics
70
Historical Performance
85
Strategic Impact
80
ⓘ Regardless of era, the same scoring system applies to all units in the tanks category.
01 / Overview
Merkava Mark IV
Category
Country
Prime contractor
Production
2004–
Quantity
1,200
Unit Price (current)
$5.6M↗ 24% inflation · 2020→2025
Original Price
$4.5M (2020)
Operators
💰 PERFORMANCE / PRICE ASSESSMENT Methodology ↗
TANKS · POST-COLD WAR
2
PERFORMANCE/PRICE
70
UNIT COST (2025 USD)
$5.6M
Original: $4.5M (2020)
Inflation: +%24
86
tanks category
ⓘ Performance/Price and MASS score are computed across all units in the tanks category, regardless of era.
02 / Specs & Design
◎General4MOD.4
◈Firepower9MOD.9
▣Protection7MOD.7
◇Mobility9MOD.9
  • Engine Power1,500 hp
  • Power-to-Weight Ratio23 hp/t
  • Fuel TypeDiesel
  • Transmission TypeHydromechanical
  • Suspension TypeCoil Spring
  • Max Road Speed64 km/h
  • Max Off-Road Speed45 km/h
  • Operational Range (Road)500 km
  • Fording Depth1.2 m
◆Dimensions3MOD.3
  • Length (Hull)9.5 m
  • Width3.7 m
  • Height2.66 m
⬢Amphibious & Special4MOD.4
▲Production & Service1MOD.1
  • Current Service StatusActive Service
03 / History
SERVICE LIFESPANStill in Service
  1. 1999Sale: Israel
  2. 2004Production started
  3. 2020Sale: Azerbaijan (100 units) · $450 M
22
years in service
1,200
units produced
1
countries operating
ⓘ The producing country still actively operates it.
04 / Operators
Operator Countries1country
Merkava Mark IVSALES2records
YearBuyerQuantityAmountPresent Value (2025)
2020Azerbaijan100$450.0 M$559.8 M
1999Israel———
ⓘ "Present Value" is an estimated amount adjusted for inflation.
📖 TERMS ON THIS PAGE19terms
Armour-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot: a type of kinetic energy penetrator ammunition.
Active Protection System. A defensive system that detects and intercepts anti-tank threats.
Anti-Tank Guided Missile: a missile designed to destroy tanks.
A Battle Management System (BMS) is a command‑and‑control software suite that gathers, processes, and shares battlefield data to provide situational awareness and coordinate the actions of military units.
Coil spring: a helical metal spring used in vehicle suspension to absorb shocks and maintain wheel contact, compressing under load.
Armour made from multiple materials, such as metals and ceramics, to increase effectiveness.
Type of internal combustion engine fuel, refined from crude oil.
Fire control systems using digital data buses to link components, enabling sensor fusion and integration with battlefield networks.
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.
Hydromechanical transmission combines hydraulic fluid power with mechanical gear components to transmit engine power to a tank's tracks.
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.
These terms are listed automatically because they appear on this page.full encyclopedia →
📚 Sources
📖 ENCYCLOPEDIA Browse the Tanks entry →