Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1333129
was completely destroyed, with the whole crew being KIA - it was the first recorded loss of Merkava MBT. It happened due to a catastrophic detonation of the ammunition inside. The detonation happened due to an ATGM hitting the hull ammunition storage compartment. On August 10th another member of the Mk 2B crew lost his life to an ATGM hit. The above series of incidents, notably, involved vehicles the armor of which was meeting the standards of the mid-1980s. Summing up, it can be said that the improvement of protection offered by Merkava Mk 2B was an evolutionary enhancement, rather than a revolu- tionary one. In the case of the sabot rounds, the improvement of protection levels was insignificant. The main innovation stemmed from 2 extra NERA layers applied in Mk 2B. This happened about 5 years after similar solutions had been already adopted in the western MBT designs, and around 10 years after extensive test programs were carried out in the US and in West Ger- many. Whereas, as in the case of M1 or Leopard 2A0, we are dealing with Western-style special armor formed by inclined NERA/NxRA layers, the Mer- kava Mk 2B features an external layer (apart from the frontal wedges) placed on the armor that has been almost unchanged when compared to Mark 1. The number of layers - 1 or 2 - was also quite inferior when compared to M1, Leopard 2A0, and Challenger 1 later on. As a result of the above, the turret protection level, when it came to HEAT, was weaker than the one associated with the NATO "holy trinity" of MBTs, with the angle-range also being narrow- er. However, ultimately, the protection levels were sufficient, considering the anti-tank assets used by the neighboring nations. The hull also underwent an equally insignificant modification. Merkava Mk 2B - Mobility As a result of the aforesaid changes, the 2B variant weighed 63 tonnes - it was a record, at the time. Since Merkava has been a heavy MBT used in rocky areas, the suspension did suffer a lot. This is why it had to be rede- signed. New, reliable road wheels were developed. Mechanical suspension arm movement limiters were replaced with a hydraulic system. The exhaust gases/hot air exhaust of the cooling system were fused into a single system in which the hot exhaust gases were mixed with the cooler hot air ejected by the radiator block. This greatly reduced the temperature of the exhaust gases and contributed to a reduction of the MBT's IR signature. The new drivetrain has been the most serious design change, created by the Ashot Ashkelon Industries Ltd engineers. It came in the form of an automatic hy- drokinetic gearbox with a locking clutch. The above change had a positive impact on fuel consumption that led to a 25% range extension - up to 500 kilometers when dirt roads were used. The Mk 2B's mobility was a bit worse than in the case of Mk 1 - due to the higher weight with the engine power out- www.fragoutmag.com