Problems with Merkava tank

[@KaffiRawr]

Almost every other tank uses the crew as an extra layer of armor for the engine. Weird, but effective!

[@vassilistzaferis4277]

Monstertruck Other tanks have thicker front armor than the Merkava.

[@shaloamnenja12yearsago29]

Vassilis Tzaferis, notice that the Merkava has an excellent hull down design.

[@ConstantineJoseph]

Drew Sullivan • 12 years ago yes it is true. But going by Israel's tank battle successes, they did better when they were exposed and have travelled speedily to the location they want to have advantage. Which means there's no time to hull down.

[@hazardous458]

Engines will do jack shit towards Apfsds.

[@ConstantineJoseph]

Indeed the engine is no barrier to modern Sabot. At most another 10-20 mm of additional RHA. Very sad amount. Israel needs to work towards unmanned MBTs or 2 men tanks with no crew in turret ala T14 Armata style. The Merkava is heading towards obsolescence depending on whether her neighbors have advancement in MBT tech. If Turkey has the new Altay, I would recommend Israel to upgrade

[@endlessmaelstrom4655]

There is no perfect tank, except for the Bob Semple

[@Resinless-ov3sr]

Ok CV-6 but how about Big Bob?

[@Vikram-jv9wp]

@Zayed Haroon they got plenty of T-90's

[@Vikram-jv9wp]

@Zayed Haroon how can you tell this? Did Russians tell you this? T-90's are some what as good as abrams. And when they could beat Pakistani pattons with ages old centurions they certainly can capitalise on shitty tanks made by DRDO. Anyhow arjun might seem like crap in first instance but i have my doubts. DRDO's staff directly taken from IIT's. They don't lack in skill but they do lack in fundings and corrupt hierarchy as an issue for them. About the patton vs centurions. You can find out on your own if you google basantar, asal uttar, battle of longewal. They are skilled even if their tanks may not be good enough. And yeah the T-90's aren't toys.

[@Vikram-jv9wp]

@Zayed Haroon name of 2nd lieutenant Arun Kheterpal still haunts them :))

[@CallofDutyBlackOps28]

@@Vikram-jv9wp the abrams are over 40 years old in design. which means it took them this long to come up with an all rounder brawler

[@drzmike429]

“I have yet to see tanks going into battle backwords” Archer: Am I a joke to you?

[@kristinarain9098]

Yes.

[@oceanman3804]

What about the whippet as well

[@captainsokolov5397]

The Archer is a Tank destroyer, not a Tank.

[@lolbosss]

Then what defines a tank all I see is tracks and armor

[@lorddashdonalddappington2653]

@@lolbosss What defines a tanks is mostly its designation, Archer was not designated as a Tank, therefore it isn't, simple yes?

[@badwolf66]

2023 is a bad year for tanks, now The Merkeva has fallen victim.

[@AllMightBRO]

The merkava It was not in use at the time it was blown up, a drone blew up the tank with a mortar bomb from above while it had 2 soldiers instead of 4..

[@AllMightBRO]

and trophy system Didn't turnd on, because there was no warning of combat, it was a surprise attack.

[@themuckler8176]

​@@AllMightBROShut up shekel licker

[@SweatyFeetGirl]

even with trophy on, it blown up@@AllMightBRO

[@SweatyFeetGirl]

trophy wasnt designed to destroy artillery shells or drone dropped munition, of which 90% tank casualties consist now@@AllMightBRO

[@iamsorryforbeingrudebefore1626]

A video surfaced 3 days ago shows Hamas dropped RPG from quadrocopter right in front of turret near the barrel, the tank burst into fire and followed by sparkling flame from turret.

[@johnolanya5062]

Yes I saw it too

[@lexco6534]

But according to the online military experts, isn't possible 😂

[@zululvvon8708]

It was the electronics.

[@jaidenlopez9032]

Video link? I kinda want to see and research this

[@abcdef-l2c8t]

Just watched it, your desciption is way off. The fire seems to be limited, the tank is immobilized at most. What I am sure is that the propagandists showing this video never show what happens next. The drone is still up and filming, yet theres no footage of tank crew fleeing or it blowing up. I've seen russian tanks destroyed by drones and the damage in those videos looked way more dramatic.

[@benzwebner2515]

I was a tank gunner in the IDF when thr MK IV was just a prototype. I just want to address your claim that the engine being in front would hinder the use of the thermal targeting system during the night due to residual engine heat. This is not the case. We can see just fine ;)

[@Korean_Crayon]

Is most of the other info correct?

[@shahidhafeez6467]

It can not be detected with thermal imaging because the unarmed Palestinians don't have those gadgets. btw Hezbollah has.

[@benzwebner2515]

@@Korean_Crayon technically correct but he doesn't take in to account two things. 1) Israel's potential full on war enemies (Syria at the moment) don't have the top of the line modern tanks he is comparing it to. 2) The tactics Israel uses for tank warfare. The Merkava was specifically designed for those tactics.

[@wetlettuce4768]

@@benzwebner2515 Syria does have a small fleet of T-90 tanks but those are rather pre occupied right now..... Also I'd guess they recieved no more then 20 of them with a few being damaged in battle already.

[@derekriethmeier4366]

I thought that statement sounded wrong. I was on an M1A1 in the Persian Gulf War, and I didn't recall any problems viewing things in the TIS whenever the turret was looking backward over the rear deck (where our engine sits).

[@BreadApologist]

Other Merkava facts: It makes an absolutely terrible submarine It also is awful at flying It cannot be used as a flotation device in the event of a flood It’s just abysmal as a formula 1 drag racer It is completely inedible It is incapable of using magic It is not able to land on the Sun The tank cannot produce milk in order to feed the crew No matter how many times you ask ot, it will not turn into a cat girl. These have been true facts about the Merkava tank

[@sannviento5874]

This comment is so underrated

[@acreepykiwi6788]

I don't know about the F1 one, if you blow all your opposition out of the race, I think you'd win

[@acemcjack]

@@acreepykiwi6788 He said F1, not Destruction Derby. ;)

[@moshiurrahman2121]

U r g0od lvl idiot

[@scottadler]

Merkavas also have horrible taste in beachwear and rarely attend the Oscars.

[@Yashusayn]

the best protection you can have is not invading and occupying another people's land

[@TonkaTruckMan]

Get out bro this is about tanks not rh country

[@pretentiousprivateers4525]

Everyone knows the truth: The Bob Semple Tank is the best tank of all time.

[@nattakit7721]

liar! everyone know that Tsar tank is the best.

[@Ddnmddnn]

Noo,, T34 is the best! It made by Stalinlium

[@kebman]

The Killdozer is best tank. Also home made DIY project!

[@thecollierreport]

Of course it is, all hail Bob!

[@jerymcervantes9493]

exactly

[@cerbrus828]

As a former merkava Commander I did not see any problem from the Gunnar having problems with thermal systems due to the engine being in front. Also the fuel compartment are not only in front and if I remember correctly you always can choose to seal off the front fuel from using. Now I'm not saying it is a super tank. Every tank has it issues but I do think it is one of the best tanks for it area of use and the job it has to do.

[@wonkagaming8750]

A sense in this sea of salt and triggerd people, sir

[@cerbrus828]

@@wonkagaming8750 not sure what you mean by that but sure

[@wonkagaming8750]

@@cerbrus828 i meant the there is still someone that had coman sanse and open to problems instead of getting triggered and salty about set subject

[@cerbrus828]

@@wonkagaming8750 ah. sure dude. think about it i have first-hand experience with this machine. some things are good something are absolute shit. but that is with every machine ever build. thats why we always get better as a human race.....well most of the time

[@danieldunn6284]

Key word area of use. That is what it is designed for and where it is outstanding. Also it currently isn't designed to face the most modern armor,and is more than sufficient to match and overcome any of it's neighbors and or peers

[@angryzombie8088]

They should ditch this flawed Merkava design & adopt the peak of engineering, battle-adapting intelligent Bob Semple design, easily the best tank design any country can hope for.

[@shaloamnenja12yearsago29]

Loli4lyf, why not the bob Semple round.

[@shaloamnenja12yearsago29]

I like the wheels.

[@regregan5755]

Bob for president!

[@Uchiha.Itachii]

merkava has been ranked as the best in the world so

[@marcus6181]

sainthood for bob

[@derrickadrian8941]

Never expected a drone would destroy one of these tanks

[@zamriisa8073]

I also never expected !!! That mean merkava is a 'fake tanks'😂

[@xeno5725]

​@@zamriisa8073by your logic that makes the T-90M, T-90A, T-80 and Challenger 2 fake tanks too

[@ניבקוזיה]

technically no tank can survive drone attack on top of the turret or the upper chassis

[@vashbain3136]

@@zamriisa8073 you sound dumb af lmao

[@Ijustwannalearnhowtoscript]

You will now 🍉

[@philkelly8031]

I do like all your Tank commentaries as it does point out all faults no matter who makes the vehicle keep up the good work

[@gunner678]

Based on game play, not operational or doctrinal requirements......

[@JCvagrant]

How about the t14 armata?

[@philkelly8031]

joema cano what about the T14 Armata all Tanks have flaws you just have to find it, or use a better penetrator.

[@Lobos222]

+Phil. You like hes "All Russian tanks are better than you think and all Western ones are shit" commentaries and think they are unbiased. LoL

[@KullyKiat]

John Toas I assure you they aren’t. Defending from hostile surrounding middle easter nations and multiple terrorist organizations is indeed a good thing to do.

[@marcuslagergren5632]

As a former TC in a CFV with a forward mounted engine i can say it does NOT in any way hinder the thermal vision for the gunner or the TC!

[@nicholas1130]

Shut up liar

[@MrSmoke-gb7tz]

CV90?

[@mikeandrew516]

Who cares

[@marcuslagergren5632]

@@MrSmoke-gb7tzYes, the CV90A.

[@MrSmoke-gb7tz]

@@marcuslagergren5632 I am a cv9030 driver too in the swiss armed forces. I think the cv90 sounds much better than the leopard.

[@builder396]

Well, the entire point of the frontal engine layout is that if the tank were hit and penetrated, it would most likely result in a mobility kill, meaning the crew can escape and the tank can be recovered at a later time. If your ammo blows up or you regularly lose crewmembers its much worse. Strategically speaking, it makes a lot of sense, especially if the engine and transmission units can be readily replaced in the field, like on the Leopard 2. In that case you would be able to maintain a high percentage of battle-ready tanks compared to, for example, russian tanks like the T-72 which are still prone to ammo hits, requiring less tank production as well as crew training to maintain a tank force.

[@12sleep23]

As it was said in the video, engine is not able to stop most of the modern tank shells

[@fancyfox5847]

yeah he was not saying it would just kill the engine what he means is that it would just negate the engine entirely and just fly through it APFSDS and HEAT of today do not care but as it is it does not really matter who ever shoots first will most likely get a chicken dinner

[@Ganiscol]

With a big hole in your frontal hull armor, there is no such thing as a quick engine swap to get it back into action.

[@parrot849]

@@Ganiscol …And my guess there will be more than a single hole in your tank given the force of impact of the round against the engine and the subsequent kinetic reactions occurring within the engine compartment. Never mind any basically trained enemy tank crew will most likely throw follow-on rounds into your immobilized tank whenever possible until you’re good and toasty….

[@apusingh1967]

nowadays most hits will be from top, sides, and rear (drones, Kornet). but frontal protection is sine qua non. when Ka Vikhr hits u, should be able to take the impact.

[@parrot849]

What I really like about your series of videos about the individual negative features of MBT’s of various nations around the world is that you are non-political and unbiased and, so far, haven’t presented any one particular MBT that did not have some flaws and shortcomings to it’s design and makeup; I don’t think we’ll ever find an MBT from you in this “problems” series that won’t have have some issues that could be addressed. There is no such thing as a perfect tank. Keep up the good honest work.

[@gershonbass6004]

It's necessary to take into account specifics of the enemy, Israel doesn't need a super-maneuverable tank with strong armor and powerful gun with mighty armor-piercing projectiles , they need multipurpose mobile firing point with protection against handheld anti-tank fighting systems , good long-range observation and detection systems , and long-range weapons with high-explosive and splinter parameters - and for these tasks merkava fit well .

[@ChewieeTheGuy]

This is very true, and I do agree with you. However, if Israel was to come into conflict for whatever reason with a country that does have capabilities to take out the Merkava effectively, then Israel would be screwed, this is why it is important to try and produce a tank that is a 'Jack of all trades', rather than relying on a vehicle that is only very effective at certain things.

[@BigDCera]

Idk... what about the growing tensions with syria and its allies i really think a t90 or eve a t72 would put the merkava in a atrocious spot like a foreskin in the hands of a rabi

[@ChewieeTheGuy]

@@BigDCera 😂 yeah well that's the thing, but nowadays tank armour is almost irrelevant, majority of vehicles have the ability to fire projectiles that can penetrate armour way thicker then could possibly be put on a tank so the battles could more or less come down to other factors

[@Miszorov]

@@ChewieeTheGuy Well... Most current NATO tanks can't frontally penetrate each another with a center of mass hit so I don't know where do you get that idea from.

[@yossiharush8786]

Well how does he knows the protection of the merkava? Its still classified

[@isafmobius0465]

You have a lot of good points but contexts is key the merkava was designed with urban operations in mind so a lot emphasis was placed on protecting against HEAT over APFSDS. Keeping the L44 also makes sense in this regard as it's not as long so it won't get hung up on things as easily when traversing the turret. So it makes sense from Israel prospective, though not from a US or Russian stand point.

[@Idontmatter1234]

I was hoping someone would point that out. Most countries MBT are at a large disadvantage in fighting urban environment versus open terrain. Several vets have told me about how they have to protect MBT that are supporting the attack versus focusing on the task. Why else do countries build different vehicles for different jobs. Having a tank that can transport several troops combines 2 or 3 separate vehicles superpowers would use. Despite its drawbacks, the merkava is an excellent tank/apc that fits what Israel faces in almost every engagement. Itd be asinine to build a standard MBT when chances of that particular form of engagement is nill, unlike the superpowers.

[@KuK137]

@@Idontmatter1234 Eh, no, the troop transport capability is largely useless. If it wasn't, Israel wouldn't invest so much into proper city fighting APCs, the Namer and its predecessors, the Nagmachon and the Achzarit...

[@RedEffectChannel]

If you are so convinced Merkava was made for urban warfare tell me, why is it better at it than any other tank, and dont talk about Trophy, that is Active Protection System that can be mounted on any tank

[@Tuck-Shop]

​@@RedEffectChannel More armour on the roof (Mark 4) to protect from top down attacks by RPG's on buildings. www.israeli-weapons.com/weapons/vehicles/tanks/merkava/MerkavaMk1.html (table at bottom of page) this is the only source I could be bothered to google. It's a great tank for what it is designed for but would be below par in tank on tank against more modern tanks but better as an infantry support tank.

[@isafmobius0465]

​@@RedEffectChannel i don't think it is better than every other tank over all. but as far as operating in urban Terrain goes the merkava does have some advantages. The merkava has better all round armor protection against HEAT Munitions than most MBT, as they tend to have the cold war set up with most of their armor focused around the front arc and thin side armor. It also has a V-shaped belly armor pack to help protect against mines and IEDs. As i said your points are good and im just trying to give some context on why the may have designed it the way they did.

[@warmbreeze7996]

merkava was designed for counter insurgency, it's developpers concentrate their efforts to create armor wich resist against heat charges,such as rpg and atgm. the tank is not designed for symetric wars because it's not in nowadays israel doctrine to fight regular armies because all its neighbours fear a US intervention

[@xAlexTobiasxB]

That's complete bullshit! The Merkava was designed from the start to be a normal Main Battle Tank just like any other MBT for regular symetric warfare too. Keep in mind it was a big improvement from the Centurion and M60 tanks which were Israel's MBTs prior to 1980's. The Merkava was supposed to have better protection than the Centurion and M60, which it did. Israel also wanted to obtain the Chieftain MBT from the UK, but that request was declined. So they had to come up with their own indigenous tank, which became the Merkava. And even though it still didn't have as good protection as the other western MBTs like Abrams, Leopard or Challenger, it was still a big improvement from the earlier Centurion and M60. But the Merkava was still meant to fight in symetric warfares, which it did in 1983 against Syrian, when it knocked out several Syrian T-62 tanks

[@warmbreeze7996]

Nicole easy peasy lemon squeezy like LifeLongStrong mentioned, the earlier versions were designed for symetric wars, but the nowadays merkava (4&5) are designed for counter insurgency, the israeli battle doctrine changes since yom kippour(1973), they no need to engage a large scale war against its neighbours since usa offer a larger support than before.today the idf is more specialised in pacification and counter insurgency than fight regular armies. and the proof is all countries that have insurgency problems buy israeli weaons(philipines,india,turkey,saudis with the iron dom,...) i don't say that idf isn't prepared against regular armies, but it can only gain time waiting the us intervention to save them. but in the geopolitical situation of israel today, there is no symetric threat despite iran wich is far from it borders and havn't an effecient airforce to bomb israel. and idf could buy foreign mbt like M1A2 or the french leclerc in the case of symetric war

[@Tankliker]

@@warmbreeze7996 merkava 4&5? I think you mean 3&4 but not 5

[@warmbreeze7996]

@Shawn Sable lebenon never had t-72,and in Yom kippour, the majority of idf tanks get destroyed by Egyptians maljutka,so by heat.israeli military had always focused it's efforts to offer a better protection against heat. Symetric wars are no longer their priorities for now

[@xAlexTobiasxB]

@@warmbreeze7996 You just answered your own comment idiot. There is currently no enemy that could threaten Israel in a symmetric war. But that doesn't mean the Merkava Mk.4 can not defeat modern tanks.

[@justinjavier977]

just watched this again since this tank got knocked out by a drone that costs at least 10000 times less than it's price lol

[@paulwilson8061]

And rpg-7 shell that is old af

[@Zx17OPv57i]

even russian tank dont burn from grenades when hatch door is closed

[@paulwilson8061]

@@Zx17OPv57i Yeah, also the Russians sometimes put a grille over the tank. Everyone in the west laughed at that.

[@gdtacos7082]

those are almost all tanks. Most tanks are very lightly armored on the top. Meant to protect from shrapnel and not much else. A mortar round to the head will kill almost any tank from above if it lands in the right spot (in that case, directly onto where the breach was located under, thus detonating the shell)

[@MAHORAGADAOPPSTOPPA]

​@@gdtacos7082bro I have never seen a single tank detonate from a grenade that small Even russian tanks take a couple even when the hatch is open

[@_Matsimus_]

Very well made!! Good job man!!

[@wonkagaming8750]

Mat do you followed red videos?

[@smithofr3054]

wonka gaming He probably does he is into tanks and red makes interesting videos about less known problems of some tanks called ”the best in the world”

[@warhawk4494]

Howdy Matsimus.

[@ThePablo1911]

Hi Matt!

[@rohzpopper4922]

Very good until it met those Kornets😁😁😁

[@calessel3139]

Despite its shortcomings I still think the Mk.4 looks pretty awesome.

[@thatluckyclover3219]

Yah true

[@CS-zn6pp]

You got to remember the specific needs of the IDF. This tank was designed to fight numerically superior Soviet tanks in defencive battles. It's designed to fight from prepared ridge line fighting positions overlooking open plains.

[@calessel3139]

@@CS-zn6pp Yes, it not unlike Sweden's Strv-103, specific for the country's needs.

[@honoramd6176]

It’s literally a challenger hull and leopard turret

[@davideyt1242]

This video is the proof to how easy it is today, with good video editing skills and convincing voice ,to generate an entire video full of misinformation driven by either total misunderstanding or intentional arrogance. There are two tanks in this world which are the absolute BEST, first one is the American Abrams M1, second one is the Israeli Merkava Mark IV - forget all of the rubbish keyboard warriors and computer games experts tell you. after those two world-wide leaders, you can rank down the rest of the BTs... no means to disrespect it's just hard cold facts

[@BigWillyG1000]

One of the pictures of a destroyed "Merkava" isn't a Merkava. It's a Sabra upgrade kit on an old M60 Patton tank.

[@kemalsurmeli7722]

Wll G sabra uses the Same armor and gun of the merkava mk4

[@IDFVids]

@@kemalsurmeli7722 thats not true but ok

[@Uchiha.Itachii]

@Pat Micucci HAHAHAHAHAHAH

[@VSSFantastic]

@Pat Micucci dead

[@tonytobit1446]

Lol

[@sirghostington6305]

Fun fact: Arma 3's "Slammer" tank is based on this one

[@ICCUWANSIUT]

And the Varsuk is actually a Soviet union prototype.

[@WyattXD]

I honestly wish the M2A1 Slammer was as OP as the Merkava 4 irl lol

[@overlord165]

Well it's a pretty futuristically looking tank so it does make sense.

[@kianbijari1154]

This video is perfectly timed for a war thunder event. Do you play war thunder?

[@generalfrog4658]

I think he does

[@Blazed_Operator]

Fuck yeah I do

[@varcolac0216]

The real life Merkava does have its cons but in war thunder if you park it where it's armor can be affective you will be a bitch the kill.

[@thespectator2976]

i do, and i got merkava, and its not so fantastic to be honest. kinda suxx.

[@jasonhuiting5193]

@@thespectator2976 it would be much better if it were in the British tech tree. Where it is now it almost always gets dragged in with the baby Abrams spam.

[@gOtze1337]

finaly someone clearing the myth´s of this tank. there is a reason why most nations dont put the engine ine the front of their MBT´s. modern composite armor needs quite some space and a front engine limits the frontarmor design alot.

[@yonghominale8884]

Israeli tanker are trained to fight in a hull down position whenever possible. In case of war, they also have prepared positions set up. People forget that unlike the Abrams, Merkava is designed for defense with short supply lines.

[@crimsonadder6313]

@@yonghominale8884 blah blah blah. You can't just sit in that hull down position all the time. And once you go to counterattack your supah-stronk-hull-down-tenk will suck miserably.

[@MonMalthias]

@@yonghominale8884 The Challenger series was also designed like that, and the lower front plate was summarily neglected in a similar fashion. Fast forward to LIC in the Middle East and a couple of IEDs and ATGMs later, the British Army changed their tune. The only reason that the Israeli armed forces haven't lost more tanks is that they are led by competent commanders that are cognizant of the Merkava's strengths and weaknesses. But that does not excuse a pretty elementary design flaw.

[@xAlexTobiasxB]

What myths are you talking about? The engine of this tank never was a myth to begin with. Keep in mind the Merkava was meant to offer better protection thant the Centurion and M60 tanks, which were ISrael's Main Battle Tanks until replaced by the Merkava in the 1980. So yes, the engine in the front definitely proved much better protection than compared to the Centurion and M60 that Israel used before. Of course it still wasn't as good as the other Western MBT's like Abrams, Leopard 2 and Challenger. But Israel was't as rich as those other countries, so it did the best with what it had avaibale. Most middle eastern countries still don't even have their own indigenous tanks even to this day.

[@gOtze1337]

@@xAlexTobiasxB iam talking about the myth that the merkava tank is the best protected tank in the world. peroid. for israel the merkava is fine, because their potential enemies dont have modern tanks. but against other modern MBT´s, the merkava would not perform well.

[@warmbreeze7996]

i have two questions for tanks experts: 1-if the engine get destroyed, could the turret still rotate? 2-could we jam aps radars?

[@fauzaanachmadillah4670]

Did you see when the engine on fire they need a bulldozer for push the cannon barrel, so the turret turn sideways

[@warmbreeze7996]

thank you

[@lukatomas9465]

It should be able to turn unless the batteries run out power and the turret could also be manualy rotated.

[@nagmashot]

Russia claims it could jam Trophy but no russian atg fired at Trophy was able to hit its targets. .. Lahat is claimed to be able to jam all russian active hard kill System. .. but so far no Lahat was fired at russian hard kill Systems to proof the claim... russian claim is proof to be a lie .... Israel claim is not proof in any real Action so far ... the german ads System is imun against Radar Jammer because it use a huge range of Sensors to detect and locate incomming threat not only a Radar. ..

[@johnyricco1220]

@@fauzaanachmadillah4670 That's because the crew had already abandoned the tank

[@TimisDaniel]

I do have to admit, the Merkava looks cool! Like rockets with a pointy tip and not a round tip!

[@dannyzero692]

Round tips aren’t scary, pointy tip is scary!

[@SanityMustPrevail]

lmao. Yes Dictator. like the one in the cartoon right, with the bird and the coyote....😂😂😂

[@Gerbs1913]

Engine in the front would improve the survival of the crew more than the tank itself. The weakness is also mitigated if fighting from behind a sand dune and using gun depression. And quite often they're not taking into account the high end weapons that exist, but rather the cheaper vehicles used by their neighbors that they have to fight all too often. Consider that Israel is also known to have successfully used Centurions and upgraded Shermans about 20 years after World War 2. If it's a small country you need to train crews well, and having a tank where crew survival is often more important than tank survival it comes down to being able to sacrifice vehicles more than people.

[@duc1755]

pretty sure apfsds will spall even more with the engine there and so kill more crew members

[@rhodanjones5155]

Yeah your wrong, the engine would just send much more shrapnel towards the crew.

[@SexierMink1699]

@@rhodanjones5155 And that is by what logic?

[@Cozzy-Wozzy]

These kids play too much war thunder lol, "engine in front bad it get disable easy" The tank itself is not being protected here, its protection for the crew, a round isnt gonna go straight through the engine like that and spall either, since its already going to have to go through the Merkavas armor, and then a massive Diesiel engine and then another armor plate to get to the crew. Are we forgetting Israel is mostly fighting T-55's, 62's, and 72's btw? These tanks are incredibly dated, and most likely not using top of the line munitions. That wouldn't become a problem unless they're battling shit like the Abrams, Leopards and T-90's. You guys need to realise this tank was built and tailored to their situation, not your own little "oh what if" stuff.

[@tomk3732]

Engine is in front b/c there is a door in the back. Every IFV has front engine and so does Merkava. It has little to do with protecting a crew - it feels such statement is made mostly by marketing arm. Maybe against HEAT but not AP rounds. Engine blocks are routinely shot and disabled by anti material rifles and many modern power packs use a lot of aluminium. There is very little armor value in there. Hiding behind sand bar is not a good idea as well as few meters of sand do not add too much protection - you want to hide in a hole in the ground not behind some obstacle as if the enemy sees your massive heat from the engine they simply shoot through sand, through weak frontal armor into your crew.

[@foley15136]

The tank least likely to catch fire from being hit is the fish tank.

[@mr.coffee6242]

😂

[@phxlt1994]

Every tank has issues. No one tank is perfect.

[@Magarr]

The thing is merkava has too many issues to be called "the best tank".

[@_nocturno]

Except The Freebrams

[@karmallarma5871]

I think you're forgetting the Bob Semple there mate

[@Magarr]

@@karmallarma5871 Do you mean the best tank in history that outclasses every modern mbt?

[@spartan7306]

KV 2 is perfect tank

[@msdos32]

So I might mention, and I’m a year behind, but there’s a couple reasons why the USA sticks to the L/44. DU rounds, like the ones the USA uses and prefers, can’t really go much faster without either losing penetration ability at worst and seeing almost no meaningful gain at best. The USA also prefers the shorter cannon because it has a long barrel life because it doesn’t bend as much as the 55, which also contributes to barrel life. Those are a couple reasons we’ve stuck with the L/44, but for tungsten rounds, the L/55 is certainly better.

[@little_weed192]

Wait tanks still use tungsten I thought they switched to DU cause it’s better in every way

[@msdos32]

@@little_weed192 At higher velocities (above 1800m/s) tungsten rounds do slightly better than DU (I don't know the specifics of the metallurgy). Those velocities are difficult to achieve and the higher energies needed to reach those velocities cause increased system wear, so the US has stuck with DU because it does perform better at velocities modern tanks typically sling rounds at (1300-1700 m/s). Most other countries stick with tungsten rounds because it is cheaper and easier to acquire and does not require buying from the few countries capable of supplying DU or having their own nuclear program. DU actually stands out because it's used primarily by the US.

[@challyho6375]

You have to be circumcised to drive it?i thought that might be the answer to "the problem with the merkava tank" if I'm going down fighting in a tank I'm sure as hell making sure I've still got my helmet on if you know what I mean

[@Painfulwhale360]

Chally Ho real talk, I don’t have my helmet on if you know what I mean and it makes me sad my parents took my helmet off

[@patrickganly5206]

A dirty old man slices your helment off when you're a baby and gives you your first BJ!! Now isn't that just charming indeed! 😵 I never complained about my Catholic upbringing again after I'd heard all that!!😬😟

[@mikhailzavarov4958]

A design so good that no-one else has bothered to copy it

[@dantesixx1155]

But the Indians, Japanese, Chinese, Pakistani, all have copycats mbt of the Abraham

[@talltale9760]

I don’t think these guys got your joke^

[@xAlexTobiasxB]

@@dantesixx1155 Wow your comment is so stupid. None of those coutnries copied the Abrams. Chinese tanks are mostly copied from Soviet/Russia, Pakistan tanks are from China (since arabs can't build their own tanks), the Indian Arjun tank is influenced by German Leopard 2A4 turret (but based on a Soviet T72 chassis), the Japanese Type 90 is also copy of Germany Leopard 2A4 and the new Type 10 is influenced by Leoaprd 2A6.

[@kadar51]

@Jose Raul Miguens Cruz I'm not sure about the Armata. Its active protection covers 180 degrees at the front, while the Merkava-4 Trophy system covers the tank like a bubble - 360 degrees and whatever comes from the top. Besides that, the Trophy tells from where the threat originated and offers it as a target to be destroyed. As far as I know it's something the Armata would wish to have.

[@shywarrior865]

why should they copied it. it design only for israel.

[@christianpuga9424]

I like how some people in arma 3 seem to hate this (technically) because it looks "futuristic-ish" for their taste. Meanwhile, the real-life counterpart:

[@dondelchulia3189]

I hate it cause it’s the worst tank in arma3

[@hanswolfgangmercer]

@@dondelchulia3189 Really? I almost feel like it's OP because of how the reactive armor works. In ARMA it can soak up ATGMs and even tank rounds like no other tank in the game.

[@stuglife5514]

The best tank is the Kuma-52, unparalleled accuracy and mobility. The T-100 is pretty garbage, and the Slammer is pretty damn close. The T-120 is…it exists? It’s cool but, idk. Thing kinda is too slow, and too big. The Kuma-52 also has less reactive armor but better composite armor. Also the Slammer has the nasty habit of being easily disabled due to the engine being in the front. ArmA 3 players don’t hate the Slammer because it’s futuristic, we hate the slammer because why tf is the US military using a Merkerva and not a Abrams? But I agree, the Slammer has the best ERA in the game but that comes with some heavy trade offs, like the engine being much easier to disable, it being much slower then the T-100 or Kuma-52, and having a larger profile then either of them. I have about 400 hours with the Slammer and about 1000 with the K-52. I’d agree it’s got the best ERA but its composite armor is lacking and its engine is a massive weak point. A lot of the times with hull hits that pen my Kumas I’m able to at least retreat, a lot of the times my Slammers just get disabled. I’d rather retreat to cover before bailing. Also, remember guys don’t forget to pack your tanks with spare medkits ammo and weapons. Happy hunting, get them CSAT bastards boys

[@ximiraxelo7375]

The Merkava was designed to fight outdated soviet armor, like t55, t62, t64 and maybe t72s The latter was even the most advanced vehicle in the Soviet arsenal when the Merkava began its development and the Merkava was designed with crew protection in mind.

[@nolga3569]

It was designed to fight stone throwers.

[@winstonchurchill1300]

The merkava was more designed to fight urban battles against heat warheads such as rpg's and atgms, its not designed for tank on tank warfare because israel isnt expecting to fight against a near peer armored force, its not the best tank in the world but its the best tank for israel

[@motorriderd6834]

"Problems with Merkava tank" Me an intellectual: *THE ENGINE*

[@randomuser5443]

I mean, I can carry people now

[@merkavamkivm3373]

@@randomuser5443 ya meant, I can carry people.

[@fouadjaber4111]

Merkava MK IV M how things go in 2006?

[@merkavamkivm3373]

@@fouadjaber4111 *went And it was ok, I mean, yeah, some comrades were downed, but not that much...

[@Nicolay406]

Saving the crew is better than saving the tank.

[@_Matsimus_]

Amazing video!! Why wasn’t I notified KZbin!! 🤬🤬😡 Well done sir! Channel is doing great!!

[@RedEffectChannel]

Thanks a lot man 😀

[@valentinapetrova9675]

@@RedEffectChannel your gay no one likes your videos

[@EiTobi-wg6mc]

@@valentinapetrova9675 *you´re

[@Tacticalgoose666]

@@valentinapetrova9675 my guy it's been 2 years

[@ProdbySharon]

u kno nothing about warfare or weapons, just bedrooms youtubers who never never gonna be in a real situation or gonna understand filosofy behind designing a weapon

[@konosmgr]

The way the turret declines into the top of the vehicle it seems like it will direct incoming projectiles towards the turret ring which is probably a big weakness.

[@jacksanders4424]

yes but it is a necessary sacrifice for the main type of tactics israel uses

[@BiberandDolik]

Every MBTs biggest fear is DJI Mavic 3 Pro

[@Urria110]

4brushless 1 lipo and an rpg7 with duck tape

[@hond654]

I feel you underestimate the principle of IDF: equipment can be replaced, crew can not. So if the fuel tank or engine is damaged but the crew can escape, that is a win. The steel thickness is also irrelevant nowadays. They have active protection systems and active armor when needed. The interesting question if the tower has any bullet traps.

[@JRyan-lu5im]

I feel that there isn't a optimal principle for either - they cant manufacture equipment to satisfy hardware attrition, nor is the population large enough to bridge over substantial losses. If anything, I imagine their real policy is to get other western countries involved before either becomes a problem.

[@acreepykiwi6788]

Another thing that wasn't considered was that by having variants of the same vehicle for different roles costs are greatly saved on maintenance and retraining, which has great long-term benefits

[@exharkhun5605]

Interesting, the engine is something that always bugged me as well. About the L44 gun, can it be that they rather have a shorter gun as they're more likely to operate in cities? After all, the Merk isn't being exported and if Israel suddenly needs extra penn then they can easily press number 2 by having the US fly in some M829A* rounds, which I bet are compatible. (Are they?)

[@dankoz6340]

Exhar Khun my guess is that Israel hasn’t upgraded the gun because extra penetration with standard rounds isn’t a problems since Israel is not getting into combat with other tanks and is more concerned with infantry and argon/hollow charges. There is the possible Syrian or Iranian tank encounter but those tanks aren’t on the same level, protection or gun. The engine possibly interfering with thermals is also interesting but I thought the exhausts at the sides would divert most of the heat.

[@mikeyfisher4256]

I don't think they are, seeing as the Leopards gun is FAR closer to the M1's and they can't share ammo without issues, I highly doubt the Merkava's shorter calibre gun can fire them without serious safety issues or mechanical issues. Red touches up on the "Hurr durr M1 uses the Leopard 2 gun" myth and points out the ammo isn't compatible.

[@_geck]

@@dankoz6340 oh, sorry, what Syrians do you mean? there are 4 factions, one of which is equipped with Russian t 72s and t 90s (by factions I mean, lie 4 different groups that are fighting each other.)

[@jonseilim4321]

@@_geck I'm guessing he's refering to the pro-Iranian legitimate government. Do Kurds even have any modern tanks besides T-90s?

[@exharkhun5605]

Thanks for the answer, friends. A bit unexpected to me. I'm fairly well read on older tanks and given Israel's experience in the Yom Kippur war (where the US flew in actual US Army/Airforce inventory to replace Israeli losses) I've considered it kind of obvious that Israel would strive for interchangeability with US materiel. On the other hand, Israeli arms manufacturers have grown immensely since that time. Something interesting to read up on for me. Have a good weekend all.

[@DreyNv03]

How to defeat merkava Solution: Use KV-2

[@stevenardian1485]

The derp king

[@davideyt1242]

A fart from a Merkava VI engine exhaust will most likely smelt your lovely KV-2 , just sayin ;-)

[@zicoayrtonkahfi9190]

Soyuz nerushimi

[@TheLeviathan1293]

2:19 I mean this was true then and still true now, but that tank is made for the environment it fights on. Thermal signature is kinda irrelevant for the most part if the enemy can't detect it and APFSDS protection is also irrelevant if the enemy doesn't have APFSDS.

[@threnn9509]

The Merkava is a tank that was built for defensive purposes which is why the lower front plate seems to be rather weak. The Merkava was meant to stay in cover so that the enenmy can only see the turret or maybe the upper hull as well but the lower plate would be in cover most of the time.

[@kevinchen5823]

That's pretty much every modern MBT. Hulldown is modern doctrine

[@threnn9509]

​@@kevinchen5823 That is true but I mean even the concept behind the first Merkava was that they defend their position against an aggressor and the other modern MBT's are more like allrounders. But I think the Merkava 4 fits the role of an allroader pretty good compared to it's earlier versions.

[@alexdunphy3716]

Which seems to be a problem with modern tanks; they are not so much tanks but mobile bunkers

[@marcus6181]

we really need sane statement and opinion around here!

[@entranced3366]

Bingo

[@nabeelgulli388]

The fact that a $7 million tank being obliterated by homemade rockets costs around $200 is crazy...🤣🤣

[@Akiratoriyama27]

And yet israeli are still there 😑

[@nabeelgulli388]

@@Akiratoriyama27bro Just wait and see them resting in peace...🤣🤣

[@Akiratoriyama27]

@@nabeelgulli388 you think so they been there for almost eternity 😑 hamas and IDF is same never ending conflict.,

[@nabeelgulli388]

@@Akiratoriyama27 It will end with World war 3...🤣

[@creepincreepy261]

This misinformation is crazy...

[@KILLERDEVIL13]

I think trophy system is efficient, at the condition that the crew perceives the incoming ATGM on time. There is plenty of examples in the ongoing Gaza war where the trophy system did nothing facing an RPG Ambush.

[@Magiktcup]

I honestly really like the front engine layout of the Merkava. The back door and its ability to be a qausi troop carrier is a pretty unique design.

[@Wolfy848]

Same , aside from increase of noise level for the crew and A FREAKING FUEL TANK AT THE FRONT , its a quiet unique design, especially if u wanna have space on the back

[@Magiktcup]

@@Wolfy848 Yer that fuel tank placement is pretty insane. You would be hard pressed to place it in a worse spot.

[@Wolfy848]

@@Magiktcup well yeah , its a huge down side for the tank since wen shoot , it demoralized it along with the engine How ever ut makes sense tho Remember , the merkava tank is all about crew protection (RIP driver) If they placed it behind engine , sure the engine would protect it but then it will be exposed in the side which is the weakest part of the tank If that explodes then the crew in the turrent and driver will both probably die in the process

[@K_N.H.]

There is a reason why APCs/IFVs are seperate from Main Battle Tanks in every army in the world.

[@razerez]

6:20 yes you can mount trophy on any tank but you can mount anything on any tank. Trophy is mounted on all new mk4 tanks and it it's most affective way of protecting itself today. It's so affective actually that we consider putting lees armor on our future tanks and more trophy like active protection

[@RockSolitude]

There is 2 big drawbacks to these kinds of hard kill APS: collateral damage and an absolutely giant signature (can't remember if it was radio, radar or electronic).

[@alphagamma4582]

@@RockSolitude most likely a radar signature. I wonder if attack helos can defeat the system by firing their guns to damage the electronics, clutter the radar... clearing the way for the ATGM.

[@UserJoy24]

Then good luck with the APFSDS

[@Noney8078]

@@UserJoy24 Iron fist (elbit's APS system) can, and was tested for countering APFSDS

[@generalirons9789]

Putting this out there: No damn tank is perfect. Not the Merkava, not the Abrams, not the T-90, not the Type 90 or the Leclerc. Every one of those is an unstoppable war machine in one situation, and a lumbering hunk of metal in another. It's the crew that matters

[@epion660]

Yeah. Plus we're getting into the same problem of the early cold war. You have a Heavy tank (let's say, IS-3), the enemy has HEAT rounds that can just go right through. Any armor designed to stop more than an autocannon is pointless weight. Then we got tanks like the Leopard I which didn't have heavy armor, and could be faster than a Heavy tank. Then we figured out how to deal with HEAT, with composites. Our modern day HEAT/Heavy Tank situation is APFSDS vs Armor that just can't be thick enough. You could make armor that will stop APFSDS, but it can't be a composite that resists HEAT, and vice versa. Armor is becoming rather useless again.

[@combatengineer8575]

Could a composite that can stop APFSDS plus an active proctection system be the ultimate solution?

[@bradleyanderson4315]

The weaker armor might be why they developed Trophy active protection systems. Most of their likely opponents use far inferior tanks.

[@BenyKarachun]

The armor isn't weaker. In fact it's superior to all counterparts. It has ERA integrated inside its armor, and its armor is made of modular, quickly swappable slabs.

[@davideyt1242]

the armor of the Markava IV is not weak. modern ATMs can penetrate the thickest armors you can imagine like butter, without an active protection system it does not matter how thick your armor is you will get popped..

[@nolga3569]

@@introboy1 i haven't seen any combat videos of the trophy system working. only in test videos......

[@youmumyon1880]

​@@introboy1thats quite a red flag already if you do believe

[@Mr.Who3]

Great vid! Merkava is far from the "best" mbt in the world. But I do believe it is the best for Israel and the IDF. Israel's enemies do not field advanced top of the line mbt's that can fire apfsds. Instead, it faces rpg's, atgms, heat rounds, and older apfsds rounds from older tanks. As you mentioned, it appears to be quite effective at stopping these rounds, so the merkava seems to be the best choice for the IDF. Great video, loved it!

[@sniper59jl]

Great true ....!!!!!

[@methcooker6402]

Uhhh, I don’t know right now….

[@Heian21]

Lol yeah right...

[@dunia566]

apparently hamas is having field day with the merkavas

[@7thdivision146]

Nah...this comments didn't age well

[@olafweinzer5746]

Problems exist for all MBTs from Abrams and Leo 2A7 to the oldest ones. These are increasingly powerful RPG, IED and ATGM and in the scenario of urban wars with buildings everywhere MBTs are easy prey

[@ryanh2686]

The M1 was tested with the L/55 gun in which everything thing fitted perfectly, but the stabilization would cut out after reaching 10 - 15 MPH

[@sebs.3917]

m1? abrams? l/55 rhm? wh the stabilization cut out? i mean..in leopard 2 the l/55 works perfect.

[@blasekiller9733]

Nah the reason why the abrams still uses the l44 is because apperantly according to matsimus and some guy who imbestigates all kind of tank ammo, im not sure if it was his abrams or how tank armour works video, the depleted uranium rounds perform better in an l44 than in a l55 while giving the same penetration value as a tungsten round in an l55 gun. So a country which doesnt use depleted uranium, the l55 is better for anti tank purposes and for countries with depleted uranium rounds l44 is better.

[@23GreyFox]

The M1 was build for a 105mm gun. they had to change a lot just for the L44. It isn't like the Leopard 2 that was build with the 120mm L44 from the start.

[@a.t6066]

@@23GreyFox l44 just refers to the length of the gun

[@23GreyFox]

@@a.t6066 I know that.

[@Tunnel_Rat69]

“i have yet to see a tank going into battle backwards!” Archer TD: Uhm excuse me wtf!

[@Ty-yt3lj]

The Archer barely moves to begin with

[@anthonyc4138]

@flip inheck lol

[@owenruff4796]

one of the things I saw to why they still use the L44 gun is because the tank was mean't for more urban environments so having a shorter barrel was nicer to move around in

[@edgeldine3499]

Each respective military prepares for the most likely adversary Israeli forces will most likely face Syrian equipment. I'm guessing its airforce makes up the difference in its tanks weaknesses.

[@SS-ql5mugggggg]

syrians changed their tank doctrine entirely, now it's not considered a tank but a unit that operates with infantry for tactical manoeuvres, in general, in modern day powerful and portable AT equipment, tanks are obselet

[@tomblou1033]

@@SS-ql5mugggggg not obselet at all, with active protection systems tanks can now be immune to atgms and dumbfire rockets , thus any real threats may be only airstrikes and other tanks

[@SS-ql5mugggggg]

@@tomblou1033 you don't really need to destroy it, disable it and that's it. It can only be used effectively if entrenched deep and defended, a tank formation can be held and harrassed by inflicting damage to command tank, a sitting 🦆. Been there done that.

[@tomblou1033]

@@SS-ql5mugggggg been sitting in a command tank taking fire ? Or shoting at it ? Well at that nothing stops armies from just putting aps on command vhicles

[@SS-ql5mugggggg]

@@tomblou1033 no I'm glad I wasn't in a tank. We halted a Turkish leopard platoon advancing to Efrin, Syria. We recked havoc on them with simple SPG9. They withdraw after few hours leaving one tank behind that they couldn't even drag

[@karolprzystupa5344]

Merkava III was absolete , legit for it time . Nowdays well , they need a new idea .

[@Anmaghiz]

Merkava one of the best tanks in the world. (Well, look at the current events how it performs) Enough said.

[@leoacert2865]

How much sloped armour do you want Merkava: Yes

[@SDeww]

give me so much sloped armor that the turrent becomes a shell trap....

[@casematecardinal]

@@SDeww not really. Its like a clam shell not a bird beak.

[@ralphprice7365]

It's nickname was the Buttered Clam - fortunately only had Russian Marshmallows to deal with.

[@gamingkingdom1146]

the merkava doesn't need to be protected from apfsds because it wasn't designed to fight modern mbts but old ones with weak shells and infantry with missiles/ its the best tank in the world because it fulfills its design purpose in the best way possible

[@זהסודי-ה7מ]

I can also say the same about the Abrams. I don't think there is a definitive "best MBT" since each tank is built to fulfill the role it needs to. The merkava MK4 will perform extremely well against middle eastern enemies such as Hezbollah, Hamas or Iran that still use old soviet tanks (or M60 tanks in the case of Iran) but the moment it sees a modern MBT it won't perform as well (though probably still better than the god awful T-90)

[@damienblock6998]

This is a very detailed video, Thank You very much for sharing.

[@dasbidrohi]

Don't try to fit your template on others .. they made their tank as they needed..

[@yourlordandsavior6940]

The perfect rank for israel

[@IKMojito]

What? A tanks a tank, doesnt matter who made or designed it, as such it can still have flaws and issues as pointed out

[@Phagastick]

Yes, the merkava is quite good at killing Palestinian civilians

[@JohnnyFromFireArms]

@@Phagastick dont think people that carry ak47 are civilians

[@Phagastick]

@@JohnnyFromFireArms What, is open carrying illegal now?

[@voltex9157]

H@m@s:* hit engine* isre@l: haha, you can't hit me, the engine protect me H@m@s: but your engine is down now and on fire, where you can hide or go? isre@li: well sh*t, i didn't think about this

[@ThatRandomEstonian]

well, atleast the crew is alive and its still able to shoot back also, the fuel tank can be shot because its just an external one, the main fuel tanks are behind the engine on the floor if i remember correctly other tanks also use external fuel tanks as protection

[@jeskler]

@@ThatRandomEstonian If combat footage from Gaza has anything to say, they won't be able to hit anything that's not an unarmed child or empty building

[@ThatRandomEstonian]

@@jeskler how tf do you know the buildings are empty?

[@jeskler]

@@ThatRandomEstonian true

[@notjamesstockdale3563]

The modern US 120 mm L/44 gun operates at up to 760 mPa compared to about 580 mPa for the L/55 gun and 520 mPa for the older L/44 gun. Between increased chamber pressure and the American DU penetrators, US tanks have far better anti-armor performance than other tanks with 120 mm guns.

[@rustykilt]

The bottom line, The Merkeva has served Israel well in real war conditions, and the design would have been dropped if found to be impractical.

[@manofchaitea6904]

Hamas begs to differ, using russian anti tank weapons, they took out quite a few.

[@haimlamash6371]

@@manofchaitea6904 on what are you talking about? lol a few? for as i know not even one so far the only one who did was Hezbollah and it was an old version

[@justinwaters8679]

@@haimlamash6371 Hezbollah took out several in 2006, different models both current and older, and they proved to be easily destroyable with modern Russian weapons like the Rpg- 29, then again so are most tanks.

[@justinwaters8679]

@Noam Sviri The new Merkava? yeah, I'm sure it has upgraded armor, the IDF have tons of combat experience to build a better tank. The only viable weapons that may defeat new tanks would be the Kornet missile and maybe the RPG 30. The Merkava is an interesting design, and I like to watch as it is improved. All the best.

[@theblitz6838]

The design is obsolete compared to the Leopard 2 and the Abrams but it does It's job

[@MrJonifishpt]

If this tank wasn't from like the 70's/80's i'd say the creators saw the war thunder t-34 tactics of driving backwards because the engine stops enemy shells and protects the crew/ammo/vital parts and decided that it was a good idea to make something like that irl xd

[@Jonathan-Eli]

The merkva has a back door the crew can use to get out of the tank if it gets hit from the front. It is another reason why the engine is in the front, I'm a merkva mechanic and know the tank pretty well.

[@grigss3027]

Not to say you are wrong but that is an is2 tactic

[@stc2828]

Merkava has paper-thin armor protecting its engine. Other tank doesn't use the engine to protect the crew, but they have much, much thicker front armor that protects everything.

[@winstonchurchill1300]

The merkava isnt designed to fight other tanks, the paper thin engine armor is due to the engine's ability to absorb the heat jet from chemical warheads, the most common threat to a merkava

[@anttihuhtala5840]

Every benefit has its downs too. In case of merkava, i belief that they still have a very good tank for their needs. Its quite much like S-tank, what suits one doesn't necessarily fit others. Also... IFVs in general have their engines at front too so do these IFVs have problems with their thermals and heat signature? Also leopard and chally have their ammo's on hull like most IFVs . Blow up panels seem to be rare thing when you think of it. Does anyone wonder why these things are like this on most other western fighting vehicles?

[@Powerof7even]

Keeping volatile rounds in the hull is technically safer due to the hulls of mbts having lower hit probabilities than the turret. In case of challenger it has armoured ammo bins for its propellant charges and with leopard it incorporates a mix of hull stored ammo and turret blowout panels. Blowout panels do not work 100% of the time due to the steel bulkhead having to be closed meaning if the loader has it open for reloading and the tank is hit everyone dies. Also if the bulkhead is penetrated by something and the ammo ignites everyone dies.

[@roryforham]

@@Powerof7even challanger has the advantage of 2 part ammunition meaning you only have to store the propellant and hesh rounds in armoured bins or blowout pannels. as you can leave the apfsds anywhere you want as there is no danger of them catching fire or detonating. i know challanger 2 can take a massive load of 62 rounds total im pretty sure it does have blowout pannels on the back ive seen footage of loaders taking propelant out of the rear of the turret.

[@MuhmmedNadeem-cy2tj]

Good question on the Hull being in front for IFVs! Actually no! Merkava used a Turbocharged diesel engine, unlike most IFVS! Especially the BMP series, Bradley, and other types! Like the Abram's Turbine, this type produces a shit tonne of hp, unlike the Russian Tanks (excluding the T-80) at the expense of higher fuel consumption!! As a result, they will produce an enormous amount of Heat that comes along with a large amount of Air blown out of the engine! Simple mechanical engineering here actually!! The heat graduation between the IFVs in general to the Merkava is what sets them different! Hope it helps! If i am incorrect, pls be free to correct me!

[@NOGRIZZGUY]

Its entire design is based on crew survivability, in that case, I find it to be an excellent design. throw in some blow out panels and it would be hard to improve.

[@Powerof7even]

@@roryforham Nah that's not a thing, there should never be propellant in the turret, in fact I believe they can come down pretty hard on you for having anything volatile in the turret. You're right about the apfsds heads though with them being inert DU and no danger to the crew. The heads of HESH rounds are still dangerous though.

[@omarjassar4650]

They originally were designed to combat rock throwers

[@Grandizer8989]

Tank was designed for urban warfare and not to take on hordes of T 72s etc.

[@kemalsurmeli7722]

Deja Voodoo well thats a very poor desicion if all your neighbours use t72 Tanks in Hordes even challenger and m1 Tanks

[@Grandizer8989]

Kemal Sürmeli true.. but when your fighting in urban areas against Hamas,etc, you want to be in a Merkava

[@kemalsurmeli7722]

Deja Voodoo merkava is well protected against atgms and heat ammunition but the Crew is located AT the back of the Tank wich is the worst protected area of all Tanks a Hit from the side or back will penetrate

[@user-ml8kh1bm9h]

@@kemalsurmeli7722 Well I guess you, my friend, forgot about Israel's Air Superiority in it's area.

[@kemalsurmeli7722]

Another Man well against syria and egypt yes

[@vahlevieacep7616]

The price of a Merkava tank is not comparable to the Hamas missile that destroyed the tank💥

[@gafeleon9032]

Just as a speculation from someone who knows little about modern tank warfare, the engine in front still seems like a decent idea, as if you're hit there and for some reason the projectile doesn't destroy more than the front part (shot from the side or HEAT round) I much prefer for the tank to not be able to move than for me to be dead Please feel free to correct me if there's something I'm missing in that sense

[@zorans5200]

You will be shot to death as soon as you havto evacuate the smoke filled tank... The enemy will be waiting with snipers and machine guns.... Or better yet.. if the tank is immobile they will just hit the tank with rockets repeatedly untill nothing is left... So no. The engine being in the front is NOT better.

[@Ballin4Vengeance]

@@zorans5200 The point is you have a chance of getting out. How often do tanks operate alone or better yet how many expensive anti-tank rockets are palestinians willing to use on a single tank

[@zorans5200]

@@Ballin4Vengeance again, snipers will most likely take you out as soon as the hatch opens, RPG-7 is widely used in the middle East and can cause severe damage to an imobilized tank, defening of the crew, sound and pressure build up in the hull causing internal damage.. not to mention anti-aircraft machine guns sitting in the back of pick up trucks would create Swiss Cheese out of the tank and the crew.

[@kimdav111]

The Merkava tank uses the hot exhaust generated by its front engine to vent forward as required to confuse enemy's infrared targeting during battle. It functions like a smoke bomb!

[@m.streicher8286]

What about the thermal sight on the merkava? Lmao

[@Frosty_357]

So it has magnet effect on javelin.

[@AJ_on_One1]

@@Frosty_357 trophy system will negate the javelin entirely so no biggy

[@leonardoorellano6652]

@@AJ_on_One1 how about to hornets in a row.. say 1/10 sec diff. what is the reload speed on the trophy?

[@leonardoorellano6652]

@@AJ_on_One1 besides.. i have wondered what happened with the infantry soldiers around the tank if the trophy gets activated ?

[@611ff59b]

Algorithm moment

[@Karthagast]

It would have been nice you mentioned that the idea of placing the engine in the forward compartment of the vehicle was first implemented in history by the Spanish VERDEJA tank, designed at the end of the Spanish Civil War, 1939. Being the Israeli Merkava tank the only design following the Verdeja concept "tank crew is by far more valuable than the tank itself, so protect the crew comes first".

[@dointh4198]

Well, for Israeli demands this tank made some really good choices and compromises. But it will never be a great export-vehicle.

[@SCComega]

Except they have exported the Merkava 4 to Singapore and Columbia.

[@James-dq7oi]

Yeah and those countries would probably import a piece of paper with the word tank written on it

[@NexusWarior211]

@@SCComega Failed deals from what i saw.

[@entranced3366]

This tank was made to be hull down and defensive and to provide for crew survival until the US could resupply the Israeli army with more tanks. The US cant suppy crews unless we went to war

[@slkjvlkfsvnlsdfhgdght5447]

@Pancho Villa wow dude calm down, why are you so angry? also, tanks *are* useful in jungles, I whink WW2 proved that pretty well

[@ambush_akula5261]

I’ll give the Merk it’s credit, it is a tough tank one way or another, despite its weaknesses, every tank has its weaknesses. I would actually love to see a video on the K2 black panther when you get the chance

[@slugg8823]

Where did you initially gain your knowledge about tanks? I am always impressed by your wide range of knowledge and understanding of practical concepts regarding tank design.

[@johnjohannson7143]

Bro played Warthunder

[@davideyt1242]

according to the amount of bullshti he mentions during the video.. I assume he gained his "knowledge" from playing computer games

[@slugg8823]

@@davideyt1242 like what?

[@davideyt1242]

@@slugg8823 Guy's almost entire monologue about the tank is filled with misunderstandings and disinformation. just play the clip twice and listen slowly. It is almost like the argument of somebody doing a review of a luxury car, and complaining it is not a good car because of fuel efficiency or the color of the leather sits

[@WORKERS.DREADNOUGHT]

We also heard how Mossad & the IDF were also the "best in the Worlds" & look how that turned out.

[@DavidFMayerPhD]

No tank is perfect. Merkavah is a decent compromise for the conditions that Israel expects to face on the battlefield. M1 Abrams was designed with Europe in mind, and would not be optimal for Israeli terrain. Merkavah inherited design features from previous versions. There is no perfection in engineering, only trade-offs.

[@scottadler]

Precisely.

[@southpaw8040]

The US is not a defensive military unlike Russia and Israel, so the US doesnt throw its money at defensive/conventional weapons like tanks and SAMs. The US spends its money on evading, disrupting, and destroying these types of defensive weapons. If the US wanted to upgrade the Abrahams or the Patriot system, we would but there is no need . We have bases all over the globe surrounding all of our enemies and can project force on any continent. The best of the US weapons are still secrets and will only be used when necessary. Remember in the Iraq war and all of the talk Iraqi soldiers bodies that were being cooked by direct energy weapons?

[@danielmarshall4587]

Thank you for the vid. Good points, when looking at any weapon system an adversary will look for the weak points to be exploited. Constructive criticism does not detract from the service that the Merkava has brought to the State of Israel again thank you, you have a new subscriber.

[@jjmanagement7956]

Just letting you know that there is a new merkava model that has came out and has been handling those errors pretty good. The merkava MK4 Barak has handles those situations quite good, the termal visions is one of the best and the commander has a vision of 360 degrees with his special helmet and the fire extinguisher system is not really failing anymore, However the armour has stayed the same as before, but you have quite missed the purpose of the tank itself, is was created in the first lebanon war and the the tank is designed to be in an urban areas and handle threats like AT rockets. Btw the merkava itself can be brought down by the engine, but the turret is still oporational and that give is the win of the 1 on 1 situation, maybe even 1 on 2 or 3. Great video btw, i enjoyed it a lot ~Crew memer of a merkava mk4 barak

[@Nomadic_Inquisitor]

Cool~

[@peterpeter3664]

JJ management you are a babykiller and Hezbollah already teaches you your lesson in 2006, so just stfu

[@ACastillo2020]

@@peterpeter3664 wtf?

[@peterpeter3664]

EmceeDoctorB better to be on the side of what you western neanderthals call terrorists than to be on the side of mass murders which are nothing else than the real terrorists (you westerners)! YOU created isis, WE destroyed them so just STFU MORON

[@abrahkadabra9501]

Well thanks for giving your enemies some new insights on Merkava and endangering the lives of your comrades. Well done!

[@donsilkco70]

They had this problems before. there are lots of photos of their tank falling off from hills. It’s the design flaw of their tank merkava driver sit on left, because engine is mounted on front. Most tank driver sit on the center. They have hard time looking down.

[@darthtrudeau4907]

You have to think about the design of merkava it doesn’t need to be able to go toe to toe with the most advanced modern mbts 95% of what the merkava is going against is old Soviet Cold War surplus tanks that are mostly outdated compared to the merkava

[@johnknapp952]

Some of the design philosophy of the Merkava was crew protection over tank protection and who their opponents were going to be. In a small country like Israel it is easier to replace a damage tank than to replace the crew. And for a small country to home design and build a world class tank that actually works is no small feat in itself. In the end does the Merkava help Israel win its wars with those who are trying to destroy Israel.

[@llllavemder]

My brother loves tanks, I don't know why. But he keeps on yelling at me every time he sees it.

[@adude8424]

I'd be yelling too if a tank is charging at me and my infantry buddies.

[@rondohunter8966]

So you know what not to get him for his birthday. Especially one with weapons intact.

[@llllavemder]

@@rondohunter8966 He has toy tanks. ;)

[@xdeville1]

Your bro don´t know why you yelling all the time you see a damn horse...

[@rondohunter8966]

@@llllavemder Whew. For a minute there I was tempted to ask what political party he supports. But with a sister like you I'm sure he'll be well guided when those times near.

[@abbbb5625]

Thank you for the clear journalistic correct information you provide. You do a good job. Appreciate it.

[@Huckleberry68]

Still by far one of the cooler looking MBTs

[@GTBANNA]

It doesn’t matter how good a tank is on paper, rather how good it’s crew is in combat.

[@chotob8458]

This tank was a target practice in 2006 war , many merkavas were destroyed , I went to see them in a tank graveyard museum like place in south Lebanon , this tank is a meme in Lebanon lol

[@אוריה-ז7ע]

Now they equipped them with "Windbreaker" Which is a Anti AT System. It shoots down AT Rockets fired at the tank.

[@chotob8458]

@@אוריה-ז7ע yes but the problem is that it's not efficient enough 15/ 20 % chance of success , before that they add high frequency laser ,but turned out it's not good too , the Russians knows exactly what they are doing.

[@אוריה-ז7ע]

@@chotob8458 They're developing a new modern series of Merkava tanks. Merkava 4 "Barak" Which is equipped with the most advanced Anti AT System . It's accurate and was developed by "Rafael" The Tank Is expected to start it's service 2021

[@אוריה-ז7ע]

@@chotob8458 Every tank has problems but the Merkava is proven to be one of the finest tanks. This Russian guy clearly is mad or against Israel. He could've talked about the trashy Russian Anti Aircraft systems whose proven useless against IAF's planes in Syria . But he didn't.

[@chotob8458]

@@אוריה-ז7ע only one way to find out who got the better equipments I guess under the pressure of a certain war

[@Bruhsound4.0]

Commander in thumbnail: *THE ENEMY IS UNDER US!* Driver: *Hold my beer*

[@kobusdowney5291]

Nice vid. I love the Merkava IV, but it is good to hear criticisms of it such as this. Israel's greatest threats are ATGMs and RPGs, and the tank performs well against those.

[@kobusdowney5291]

@TJ Murphy that was earlier Merkava's, which didn't include the trophy system. Besides, they destroyed only 2 Merkava Mk IV's, the rest being older tanks. BTW an IED knocks out any tank, including M1 Abrams. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Lebanon_War

[@thenasiudk1337]

"We know every tank weak spot is in the back" **shot RPG to the back** "Well that must burning right now but why?"

[@LordAlacorn]

If you shoot Merkava in the ass-hatch with RPG-7 - it goes right in to the loader compartment with all of the ammo.

[@rayotoxi1509]

@@LordAlacorn And that means 2 things OMEGA KAABOOMM Or a burn out and burning the crew alive

[@alakeshboruah1751]

For Israel the cost of a tank is lesser than the life of a Soldier. And the purpose of the engine in the front is merely for the protection of the occupants of the Merkava. All the citizens of the country are literally soldiers and during war anyone and everyone can be summoned to participate in war. So this tank system was developed to increase the survivability of the crew and not the tank itself. Don't worry the Israeli are intelligent they thought about the whole thing before hand.

[@houndoftindalos9580]

Does that include the Arab are they not citizens?

[@jasonbrewer6714]

@@houndoftindalos9580 most dont wanna be citizens but some do

[@razbiton173]

@@houndoftindalos9580 most of them dont serve in the millitary, they can choose. For me? Nah, I jave no choice, in few month now ill be in the artillery section operating a m-109 lol

[@alanwatts8239]

Maybe not the best performance, but it without a doubt is the best looking

[@cobalt2361]

Leo 2A7 is still the sexiest imo

[@ilikesnow7074]

cobalT m1a2 sep V3

[@Salty_Kanchou]

@@cobalt2361 nah Merkava mk 4 still better looking

[@junkers66]

Leo 2A7

[@nilasferm8025]

what about the strv 122b

[@RR-us2kp]

Good looking tank. I like the aesthetics. And the radical front engine idea.

[@midknight23]

They put the engine in front to get extra protection for the crew bcoz they are a small country so soldiers life is always a first priority.

[@Jonathan-Eli]

I'm a merkava mechanic and I can tell you that there is no fuel tank in the front only at the back of the tank. There is no problem with the thermal vision due to the engine being in the front.

[@PsYDaniel]

This guy is a joke, he got his sources from a Russian website according to other comments. Nothing but a war thunder nerd

[@start2957]

@@PsYDaniel so everything related to russia is propaganda and lies? Got it

[@tungstenwall474]

So basically ... Merkava: Bringing a flak jacket to a a knife fight?

[@The_Crimson_Fucker]

Given that flack jackets are meant to stop sharp projectiles, that's a pretty good idea.

[@tungstenwall474]

fair enough @@komradearti9935

[@carrot92]

The Crimson Fucker a knife will go through a flak jacket

[@The_Crimson_Fucker]

@@carrot92 It really shouldn't, flack jackets are meant to stop sharp objects - such as shrapnel - they're usually composed of several layers of pressed nylon or the like. Stab vests are often made of the same materials. Plus, flack jackets are usually pretty thick and having all of that extra material there is very effective for protecting against slashes and stabs with shorter weapons. A balistic vest wouldn't do much against a stab, this is true, but a flack jacket should. At least so far as I'm aware.

[@jonathonspears7736]

yes a flak jacket could stop some sharp objects, but just like plate armor of old it has its limitations. fun fact: when i was in the army and doing some inventory we found an unlabeled box of flak vests, they are quite heavy.