35127 Tamiya 1/35 Israeli Merkava tank with 105mm gun and 1 tanker figure

Additional Information

In 1948, one of the many problems of the young Israeli state was the complete absence of armored combat vehicles. Restrictions imposed on countries with tanks prohibited those countries from selling their vehicles abroad. This situation left Israel with little hope of obtaining war machines. The country managed to get a number of outdated Shermans going to scrap and armored vehicles, but their number was not enough to create any combat-ready army. These difficult conditions eventually led to the creation of an impressive line of modern tanks Merkava.

After the ceasefire of the 1948 war, several dozen tanks "Sherman" of all types were purchased from all over the world and standardized on the Assembly line of Israel with the identification M-50 Sherman. Later, British tanks were purchased Centurion, which were rebuilt on the same Assembly line according to their own specifications. The country continued to depend on foreign supplies, and often, for reasons beyond Israel's control, supplies were delayed or cancelled. The Assembly line received requests for modifications M48 Patton as well as for Soviet T-54 and T-55. During the six-day war, General Yisrael tal felt an urgent need to provide himself with the necessary weapons, such as tanks and aircraft, as the political situation called into question the supply of weapons from the main countries. The General pursued the idea of building a tank in Israel, and although his ideas were supported by some military experts, many treated his ideas with suspicion and doubt. With enthusiasm and imagination, General tal launched the enterprise, which in nine years will produce an outstanding "Merkava".

the Crew is 4 people, the main armament is a 105mm gun M64 L71A. The movement is tank engine Teledyne Continental AVDS-1790 V-12 power of 900 L.c. The effectiveness of the tank has repeatedly been proven in combat, including battles with the Soviet T-72 during the Lebanese conflict. In addition to high combat capability, the tank provides comfortable conditions for the crew, air-conditioned air enters the combat compartment, a container with chilled drinking water is installed, factors that are crucial for combat operations in hot conditions.