Israel Legacy MANTAK (Merkava Tank Office)
Merkava Mk3
A major redesign of Israel's Merkava tank that introduced the more powerful 120 mm smoothbore gun and a new engine. Its distinctive front-mounted engine and rear crew door, inherited from the entire Merkava line, prioritize crew survivability.
In service since 1990 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
60
km/h
500
km range
15.9
hp/t
120
mm gun
65,000
kg
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
Israeli export-licensed
Israeli MoD (DECA/SIBAT) licensing; active export programme.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 1990. Status: legacy · ~780 built.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from. Why so few systems publish one →
Interoperability
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Compatible munitions & weapons
Publicly reported weapons the Merkava Mk3 can carry. Linked items have a full spec page.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
| Max speed Maximum level speed. For aircraft this is at optimal altitude; for ground vehicles, top road speed. Higher means faster response and better kinematic performance. | 60 km/h |
|---|---|
| Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence. | 500 km |
| Power-to-weight Engine power per tonne of vehicle weight. Higher means better acceleration and cross-country mobility. | 15.9 hp/t |
| Muzzle velocity Projectile speed leaving the barrel. Higher means flatter trajectory and better armor penetration. | 1,650 m/s |
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type. | 120 mm MG253 smoothbore |
|---|---|
| Secondary armament Additional weapons: coaxial MG, remote weapon station, gun pods. | 2x 7.62 mm FN MAG + 60 mm mortar |
| Caliber Bore diameter of the main gun or rifle. Larger throws heavier projectiles; not simply better, ammunition commonality matters. | 120 mm |
| Ammunition Rounds carried (main gun) or standard magazine capacity. | 50 |
Protection
Armor, countermeasures and survivability.
| Armor Armor technology: composite, modular, ERA-fitted, uranium-ceramic. Exact compositions are classified. | Modular composite armor |
|---|---|
| Reactive armor Explosive reactive armor (ERA) blocks that disrupt shaped-charge jets. | No |
| Countermeasures Self-protection: chaff, flares, DIRCM, towed decoys, smoke dischargers, jammers. | smoke grenade launchers |
| NBC protection Sealed crew compartment with overpressure filtration for nuclear/biological/chemical environments. | Yes |
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable. | 8.63 m |
|---|---|
| Width Overall width, matters for rail/road transport of vehicles. | 3.7 m |
| Height Overall height. Lower profile is harder to spot and hit for ground vehicles. | 2.66 m |
| Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor. | 65,000 kg |
| Crew Personnel required to operate. Fewer reduces exposure; autoloaders trade a loader for mechanical complexity. | 4 |
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
| Engine Powerplant model and type. | Teledyne Continental AVDS-1790-9AR diesel |
|---|---|
| Engine power Engine output power. Higher moves more weight faster. | 1,200 hp |
| Fuel capacity Internal fuel volume. | 1,400 L |
| Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet… | Diesel |
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
| Sensors IRST, EO/IR turrets, laser designators, sniper pods, thermal sights. | Matador fire control, thermal sight |
|---|---|
| Thermal imaging Thermal sights for night and obscured-visibility operations. | Yes |
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
| Units built Total production run. Higher means proven manufacturing, mature logistics and spares availability. | 780 |
|---|---|
| Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem. | 1 |
Specifications compiled from public MANTAK (Merkava Tank Office) and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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What is the top speed of the MANTAK (Merkava Tank Office) Merkava Mk3? +
The MANTAK (Merkava Tank Office) Merkava Mk3 has a maximum speed of 60 km/h.
What is the range of the MANTAK (Merkava Tank Office) Merkava Mk3? +
The MANTAK (Merkava Tank Office) Merkava Mk3 has a maximum range of 500 km.
How much does the MANTAK (Merkava Tank Office) Merkava Mk3 weigh? +
The MANTAK (Merkava Tank Office) Merkava Mk3 has a combat weight of 65,000 kg.
How many crew does the MANTAK (Merkava Tank Office) Merkava Mk3 require? +
The MANTAK (Merkava Tank Office) Merkava Mk3 requires a crew of 4.
What is the main armament of the MANTAK (Merkava Tank Office) Merkava Mk3? +
The MANTAK (Merkava Tank Office) Merkava Mk3's primary weapon is the 120 mm MG253 smoothbore.
What engine does the MANTAK (Merkava Tank Office) Merkava Mk3 use? +
The MANTAK (Merkava Tank Office) Merkava Mk3 is powered by the Teledyne Continental AVDS-1790-9AR diesel.
What is the MANTAK (Merkava Tank Office) Merkava Mk3 used for? +
The MANTAK (Merkava Tank Office) Merkava Mk3 is a main battle tank typically used for anti armor, infantry combat.
How many countries operate the MANTAK (Merkava Tank Office) Merkava Mk3? +
The MANTAK (Merkava Tank Office) Merkava Mk3 is operated by 1 countries.
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