Merkava Mk.3B - Revision history

U38088265: /* Description */

2024-09-03T19:35:45Z

‎Description

U79942984: /* Armaments */ Wrote gun and ammo descriptions.

2024-05-26T22:51:55Z

‎Armaments: Wrote gun and ammo descriptions.

U38088265: /* Main armament */ Updated

2024-02-10T13:18:49Z

‎Main armament: Updated

Show changes

U100604366: /* Pros and cons */

2024-02-02T20:47:54Z

‎Pros and cons

U100604366: /* Pros and cons */

2024-02-02T20:46:56Z

‎Pros and cons

U139589284: Clarifications and additional details added to general information, usage GAB added and usage in GRB clarified. Internal/external links added at the bottom of the page. Additional game tips added and Pros/Cons updated.

2023-12-08T03:46:50Z

Clarifications and additional details added to general information, usage GAB added and usage in GRB clarified. Internal/external links added at the bottom of the page. Additional game tips added and Pros/Cons updated.

Show changes

U38088265: /* Description */

2023-09-03T18:34:15Z

‎Description

U74396666: New Description Project - Israel Priority: Tanks - Merkava Mark 3B

2023-09-03T03:36:02Z

New Description Project - Israel Priority: Tanks - Merkava Mark 3B

U38088265: /* Ammunition */

2023-01-16T14:21:49Z

‎Ammunition

U38088265: /* Ammunition */ Converted to transclusion

2023-01-14T15:00:08Z

‎Ammunition: Converted to transclusion

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 == Description ==
 <!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
-The '''Merkava Mk.3B''' is the first subvariant of the Merkava Mk.3, which is the third variant of the [[Merkava (Family)|Merkava main battle tank family]]. The Merkava Mk.3 variant debuted in December 1989 and remained in production until 2003. The Merkava 3 variant is by far the most numerous tank in frontline Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) duty as of 2016. It has improvements to the drivetrain, powerplant, weaponry, and electronic systems over the Merkava Mk.2 variant. The inclusion of the domestically designed 120 mm IMI L/44 tank gun (no relation to the 120 mm Rheinmetall L/44 tank gun) was the most noticeable upgrade. This gun is capable of firing all standard NATO 120 mm ammunition. Historically, it can fire gun-launched LAHAT anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) like regular rounds directly from the 120 mm cannon. The vehicle has 50 rounds for the main tank gun and ammunition is kept in its own fireproof canisters. The tank gun and a more powerful 1,200-horsepower Continental AVDS-1790-9AR diesel engine increased the tank's total weight to 65 tonnes; however, the larger engine also increased the maximum cruising speed to 60 kilometres/hour. The turret was also redesigned to move independently of the tank chassis, allowing it to track a target regardless of how the tank moved. The Merkava Mk.3B subvariant received an upgrade that included the installation of modular composite armour across the turret roof to provide protection against anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) fired from elevated positions. It was implemented in 1994 and was kept in all further upgrades.
+The Merkava Mk.3 was developed in the late 1980s. The variant received a new suspension system, a 1,200 hp engine, a new transmission, and a new 120 mm gun developed by Israel Military Industries based on the Rheinmetall L/44. Serial production of the tank began in 1990. In parallel, the tank's design was constantly improved. In 1994, the '''Merkava Mk.3B''' modification was created, which received enhanced turret armour, an improved hull design, and other changes. A total of around 700 Merkava Mk.3 tanks in various versions were produced before production ended in 2002, and they continue to serve in the reserve forces of the IDF to this day.
-Introduced in [[Update "Danger Zone"]], the Merkava Mk.3B has significantly more firepower than prior variants. The Merkava Mk.3B is the first Merkava main battle tank to be equipped with the potent 120 mm IMI L/44 tank gun which has an excellent APFSDS round. The far more powerful 1,200-horsepower Continental AVDS-1790-9AR diesel engine improves mobility significantly. This enables players to reach crucial positions considerably faster than before, allowing players to get into position first and giving them a significant advantage in the fast-paced battles of modern warfare.
+Introduced in [[Update "Danger Zone"]], the Merkava Mk.3B boasts significantly more firepower than prior variants. As the first Merkava to be equipped with the potent 120 mm IMI L/44, which features an excellent APFSDS round, it delivers impressive destructive capability. The more powerful 1,200-horsepower Continental AVDS-1790-9AR diesel engine also significantly improves mobility over previous variants. This enables players to reach crucial positions considerably faster than before, allowing them to get into position first and gain a significant advantage in the fast-paced battles of modern warfare.
 == General info ==
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 |}
 The 120 mm MG151 cannon is the main selling point of the third generation Merkavas. Distinct from the Rheinmetall 120 mm gun used by NATO MBTs with a larger breech and fume extractor, it's capable of firing very powerful APFSDS rounds and a unique time-fused HE. However, the Merkava installation has less gun depression than the Abrams or Leopard 2 at -7 degrees, a small ready rack of only 5 rounds, and a reload speed topping out at 6 seconds that makes it a less efficient pure gun platform than the contemporary [[M1A1 Abrams]] for example.
 ==== Ammunition ====

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 |-
 |}
 ==== Ammunition ====
 {{:IMI MG251 (120 mm)/Ammunition|M325, M339, M322}}
 ==== [[Ammo racks]] ====

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 * Turret ring is a huge weak spot and any round that penetrates here will usually knockout the tank.
 * Rear turret placement; being shot sometimes leaves the front of the tank exposed but the turret blocked behind an obstacle (peeking around a corner).
 * No thermals for the commander sight.

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 '''Cons:'''
-* Relatively slow reload compared to NATO and other tanks at 6.70 seconds for an aced crew/8.71 seconds stock.
+* Weak armor throughout, excellent survivability comes with the cost of armor protection
 * Frontal engine placement, inconvenient to repair and will usually be one of the first things to be damaged when shot.
 * Turret ring is a huge weak spot and any round that penetrates here will usually knockout the tank.
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 * ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 * ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' -->
 * [[Merkava (Family)|Merkava family of tanks]]
 * [[:Category:Israel ground vehicles|Israeli ground forces tech tree]]
@@ Line 210: / Line 211: @@
 * ''topic on the official game forum;''
 * ''other literature.'' -->
 * [[wikipedia:Merkava|Merkava family on Wikipedia]]
 * [[wikipedia:IMI_120_mm_gun|120mm IMI L/44 cannon on Wikipedia]]

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 == Description ==
 <!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
-The '''Merkava Mark 3B''' is the first subvariant of the Merkava Mark 3, which is the third variant of the [[Merkava (Family)|Merkava main battle tank family]]. The Merkava Mark 3 variant debuted in December 1989 and remained in production until 2003. The Merkava 3 variant is by far the most numerous tank in frontline Israeli Defence Force (IDF) duty as of 2016. It has improvements to the drivetrain, powerplant, weaponry, and electronic systems over the Merkava Mark II variant. The inclusion of the domestically designed 120 mm IMI L/44 tank gun (this is not a licensed version of the 120 mm Rheinmetall L/44 tank gun) was the most noticeable upgrade. This gun is capable of firing all standard NATO 120 mm ammunition. It can also fire gun-launched LAHAT anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) like regular rounds. The vehicle has 50 rounds for the main tank gun. Ammunition is kept in its own canisters. The tank gun and a more powerful 1,200-horsepower Continental AVDS-1790-9AR diesel engine increased the tank's total weight to 65 tonnes, however, the larger engine increased the maximum cruising speed to 60 kilometres/hour. The turret was also redesigned to move independently of the tank chassis, allowing it to track a target regardless of how the tank moved. The Merkava Mark 3B subvariant received an upgrade that included the installation of modular composite armour across the turret roof to provide protection against anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) fired from elevated positions. It was implemented in 1994 and was kept in all further upgrades.
+The '''Merkava Mk.3B''' is the first subvariant of the Merkava Mk.3, which is the third variant of the [[Merkava (Family)|Merkava main battle tank family]]. The Merkava Mk.3 variant debuted in December 1989 and remained in production until 2003. The Merkava 3 variant is by far the most numerous tank in frontline Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) duty as of 2016. It has improvements to the drivetrain, powerplant, weaponry, and electronic systems over the Merkava Mk.2 variant. The inclusion of the domestically designed 120 mm IMI L/44 tank gun (no relation to the 120 mm Rheinmetall L/44 tank gun) was the most noticeable upgrade. This gun is capable of firing all standard NATO 120 mm ammunition. It can also fire gun-launched LAHAT anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) like regular rounds. The vehicle has 50 rounds for the main tank gun. Ammunition is kept in its own canisters. The tank gun and a more powerful 1,200-horsepower Continental AVDS-1790-9AR diesel engine increased the tank's total weight to 65 tonnes; however, the larger engine also increased the maximum cruising speed to 60 kilometres/hour. The turret was also redesigned to move independently of the tank chassis, allowing it to track a target regardless of how the tank moved. The Merkava Mk.3B subvariant received an upgrade that included the installation of modular composite armour across the turret roof to provide protection against anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) fired from elevated positions. It was implemented in 1994 and was kept in all further upgrades.
-Introduced in [[Update "Danger Zone"]], the Merkava Mark 3B has significantly more firepower than prior variants. The Merkava Mark 3B is the first Merkava main battle tank to be equipped with the 120 mm IMI L/44 tank gun, so it performs an important role in battle by laying down defensive fire for the allies. The far more powerful 1,200-horsepower Continental AVDS-1790-9AR diesel engine improves mobility significantly. This enables players to reach crucial positions considerably faster than before, giving them a significant advantage in the fast-paced battles of modern warfare.
+Introduced in [[Update "Danger Zone"]], the Merkava Mk.3B has significantly more firepower than prior variants. The Merkava Mk.3B is the first Merkava main battle tank to be equipped with the 120 mm IMI L/44 tank gun, so it performs an important role in battle by laying down defensive fire for allies. The far more powerful 1,200-horsepower Continental AVDS-1790-9AR diesel engine improves mobility significantly. This enables players to reach crucial positions considerably faster than before, giving them a significant advantage in the fast-paced battles of modern warfare.
 == General info ==

@@ Line 11: / Line 11: @@
 == Description ==
 <!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
-The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} Israeli medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update "Danger Zone"]].
+The '''Merkava Mark 3B''' is the first subvariant of the Merkava Mark 3, which is the third variant of the [[Merkava (Family)|Merkava main battle tank family]]. The Merkava Mark 3 variant debuted in December 1989 and remained in production until 2003. The Merkava 3 variant is by far the most numerous tank in frontline Israeli Defence Force (IDF) duty as of 2016. It has improvements to the drivetrain, powerplant, weaponry, and electronic systems over the Merkava Mark II variant. The inclusion of the domestically designed 120 mm IMI L/44 tank gun (this is not a licensed version of the 120 mm Rheinmetall L/44 tank gun) was the most noticeable upgrade. This gun is capable of firing all standard NATO 120 mm ammunition. It can also fire gun-launched LAHAT anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) like regular rounds. The vehicle has 50 rounds for the main tank gun. Ammunition is kept in its own canisters. The tank gun and a more powerful 1,200-horsepower Continental AVDS-1790-9AR diesel engine increased the tank's total weight to 65 tonnes, however, the larger engine increased the maximum cruising speed to 60 kilometres/hour. The turret was also redesigned to move independently of the tank chassis, allowing it to track a target regardless of how the tank moved. The Merkava Mark 3B subvariant received an upgrade that included the installation of modular composite armour across the turret roof to provide protection against anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) fired from elevated positions. It was implemented in 1994 and was kept in all further upgrades.
 == General info ==
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 '''Armour type:'''
 * Cast homogeneous armour (Turret, Hull front, Gun mantlet)
 * Rolled homogeneous armour (Hull sides and rear)
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 ;Skins
 * [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=il_merkava_mk_3b Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]

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 ==== Ammunition ====
-{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
+{{:IMI MG251 (120 mm)/Ammunition|M325|M339|M322}}
 ==== [[Ammo racks]] ====