Morocco and Cyprus, Prospective Users of Israel Merkava Main Battle Tank

It was previously widely reported that Ukraine was suspected of being two of one country that would receive an Israeli-made Merkava Main Battle Tank (MBT) .

The Dana Levi Twitter account claims that there has been an agreement in place to supply the state-of-the-art Merkava tanks to Cyprus and Morocco.

It said the Merkava would replace the 41 T-80U tanks donated to Ukraine by Cyprus, as well as the Moroccan T-72B tanks which were re-exported to Ukraine.

According to the account, Israel's conditions for Cyprus and Morocco were that the Merkava tanks could not be donated, re-exported (to other countries), or sold to Ukraine.

Since the tanks belong to Israel, a change in ownership after their donation to Morocco and Cyprus cannot be made without Israeli permission. This ensured that the tank would not transfer to Ukraine.

Regarding the Merkava, which means 'chariot' in Hebrew, its development was based on the experiences of the Six Day War in 1967 and the Yom Kippur War in 1973.

The design was designed by Mantak while the production process was carried out by Mantak and IDF Ordnance Corps.

The Merkava stands out from other main battle tanks in the world due to its unique design. The engines were positioned at the front and the turret at the rear to increase its defense.

The Merkava was also the first multipurpose MBT, having an aft compartment that accommodated six soldiers in addition to the four crew members. Also can be converted into an armored ambulance if needed.

The Merkava MK.1 entered official service at the IDF in 1979 and the Merkava MK.4 variant entered service in 2004.

The last and most recent variant of the Merkava MK.4 Barak (Lightning) begins service in 2023.

The Merkava MK.4 Barak features an upgraded APS Trophy, 360 degree day/night camera coverage for enhanced situational awareness.

Then a fighter jet-style Head-Up Display (HUD) for the tank commander, and new sensors that allow him to independently acquire targets and engage them quickly.

As well as having Electronic Warfare (EW) capabilities and advanced processing systems, direct energy systems capable of intercepting drones and cruise missiles.

The Merkava is equipped with main armament in the form of a 120 mm caliber MG253 smoothbore cannon which is also capable of firing LAHAT ATGMs.

The secondary armament consists of one 12.7 mm machine gun and one 7.62 mm machine gun.

This 65-ton tank is equipped with a 1,500 hp turbo diesel engine. The maximum speed is 55 km/h and the operational range is 500 km.