Merkava Mk.4M

This page is about the Israeli medium tank Merkava Mk.4M. For other versions, see Merkava (Family).

Merkava Mk.4M

Merkava Mk.4 LIC

Merkava Mk.4M

Merkava Mk.4 LIC

Israel

VIII Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
12.0	12.0	12.0

Class:

Medium tank

Research:410 000

Purchase:1 100 000

Show in game

Description

Following the end of the Second Lebanon War in 2006, where Merkavas were frequently subjected to attacks from anti-tank weapons, a decision was made to equip the tanks with the "Trophy" active protection system developed by Rafael. The system was first presented to the public in 2005 at the LIC-2005 international exhibition in Tel Aviv. It includes a radar that detects and identifies incoming projectiles aimed at the tank. Upon receiving a signal from the radar, launch units are activated, firing countermeasures to intercept and destroy the warhead at maximum distance from the tank. Merkava Mk.4s equipped with this system, designated Merkava Mk.4M (Me'il Ruach, מעיל רוח; lit. "Windbreaker"), were adopted for service in the early 2010s and have already participated in several regional conflicts.

Introduced in Update "Wind of Change", the Merkava Mk.4M is the ultimate subvariant of the Merkava Mk.4. Players can lead assaults into modern battlefields without fear of ATGMs from both ground vehicles and helicopters, thanks to the Trophy APS. The Merkava Mk.4M is a truly modern main battle tank designed for even the most intense conflict, providing the finest protection and firepower to confront any adversary. Players should bear in mind, however, that the Trophy APS does not give unlimited protection, and hence the tank should not stay out in the open for long during combat.

General info

Survivability and armour

Composite armour

Balanced protection against all types of ammunition

Smoke grenades

Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle

ESS

Creation of a smoke screen in the direction of movement of the vehicle

LWS

Notifies about the vehicle's exposure to laser emissions

Armourfront / side / back

Hull50 / 50 / 30

Turret259 / 40 / 20

Crew4 people

Visibility103 %

The Merkava Mk.4M's armour is mainly composed of NERA, which is very effective against chemical munitions. Most HEAT rounds and ATGMs will fail to penetrate the frontal arc of the tank. Notable chemical munitions that can penetrate the front reliably are modern helicopter-mounted ATGMs such as the Hellfire and the 9M133 ATGM on the BMP-2M.

However, the armour does not perform well against kinetic munitions and modern APFSDS sabot rounds will easily go through the hull and turret. This is somewhat alleviated by the good crew placement in the tank, which allows the crew to survive some shots that other contemporary MBTs would not.

The Trophy APS is excellent at neutralizing ATGMs and projectiles that travel under 1,000 m/s which greatly enhances the Merkava's survivability. The addition of a Laser Warning System allows players to also be aware of other laser-guided munitions such as GBUs that the APS cannot intercept, giving the player time to react accordingly.

Armour type:

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	___ mm	___ mm Top ___ mm Bottom	___ mm	___ - ___ mm
Turret	___ - ___ mm Turret front ___ mm Gun mantlet	___ - ___ mm	___ - ___ mm	___ - ___ mm
Cupola	___ mm	___ mm	___ mm	___ mm

Notes:

Mobility

Reverse gearbox

Forward and backward movement is possible at the same maximum speed

Speedforward / back

AB72 / 72 km/h

RB and SB65 / 65 km/h

Number of gears7 forward

7 back

Weight65.5 t

Engine power

AB2 862 hp

RB and SB1 500 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB43.7 hp/t

RB and SB22.9 hp/t

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	72	72	65.5	2,325	2,862	35.5	43.69
Realistic	65	65		1,327	1,500	20.26	22.9

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB4 446 → 7 020

RB4 309 → 6 803

SB5 453 → 8 610

Total cost of modifications291 900

483 000

Talisman cost3 200

Crew training310 000

Experts1 100 000

Aces2 300

Research Aces1 350 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

160 / 200 / 210 %

256 / 256 / 256 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 21 000 Cost: 32 000 460 Suspension Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 260 Brake System Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 260 Filters Research: 20 000 Cost: 31 000 440 Transmission Research: 20 000 Cost: 31 000 440 Engine Research: 20 000 Cost: 31 000 440	Improved Parts Research: 6 300 Cost: 32 000 460 Improved FPE Research: 3 600 Cost: 18 000 260 Crew Replenishment Research: 20 000 Cost: 31 000 440 ESS Research: 20 000 Cost: 31 000 440	Horizontal Drive Research: 21 000 Cost: 32 000 460 Adjustment of Fire Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 260 LWS/LR Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 260 NVD Research: 12 000 Cost: 18 000 260 Elevation Mechanism Research: 20 000 Cost: 31 000 440 Smoke grenade Research: 20 000 Cost: 31 000 440 Artillery Support Research: 20 000 Cost: 31 000 440 120mm_DM_APDS_FS_ammo_pack Research: 20 000 Cost: 31 000 440

Armaments

Laser rangefinder

Reduces the error and increases the maximum measurable distance of the rangefinder

Night vision device

Improves visibility by enhancing natural light or active illumination.

Thermal imager

Allows to see thermal radiation in the infrared range day and night

Main armament

120 mm IMI MG251 cannon

Two-plane stabilizer

Reduces the swing of the gun in two planes while moving

Ammunition46 rounds

First-order10 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

6.5 → 5.0 s

Vertical guidance-7° / 20°

120 mm IMI MG251					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	46	-7°/+20°	±180°	Two-plane	32.4	44.8	54.4	60.2	64.0	7.80	6.90	6.36	6.00
Realistic					20.2	23.8	28.9	32.0	34.0

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
		10 m	100 m	500 m	1,000 m	1,500 m	2,000 m
M325	HEATFS	480	480	480	480	480	480
M339	HE-TF	65	65	60	58	53	50
M322	APFSDS	589	586	577	565	553	541
M338	APFSDS	611	608	597	585	573	560

Shell details
Ammunition	Type of warhead	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Fuse delay (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (kg)	Ricochet
							0%	50%	100%
M325	HEATFS	1,078	15.81	0.05	0.1	2.36	65°	72°	77°
M339	HE-TF	900	17	1.5	3	3.66	79°	80°	81°
M322	APFSDS	1,705	5.6	-	-	-	78°	80°	81°
M338	APFSDS	1,680	5.06	-	-	-	78°	80°	81°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Merkava Mk.4M

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
46	30 (+16)	13 (+33)	11 (+35)	1 (+45)	No

Machine guns

12.7 mm M2HB machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition1 000 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate575 shots/min

7.62 mm FN MAG 60-40 machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition6 000 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate1 001 shots/min

7.62 mm FN MAG 60-40 machine gun

Ammunition1 800 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate1 001 shots/min

12.7 mm M2HB
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	1,000 (200)	575	-	-

7.62 mm FN MAG 60-40
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	6,000 (200)	960	-	-
Pintle	1,800 (200)	960	-5°/+50°	-60°/+120°

Usage in battles

Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Powerful APFSDS round
• Trophy System will stop most missiles
• HE-TF can help with fighting against helicopters
• Generation 2 thermals for gunner and commander
• 200 mm of NERA on the turret roof will protect against HE shells striking the optics and sometimes even against artillery
• 400 mm of NERA side armour above the tracks, enough to stop most HEAT-FS and autocannons
• Can reverse at 64 km/h

Cons:

• Engine is at the front of the tank and any penetrating hit to the UFP will result in a stranded tank
• Upper front plate is weaker than those of other nations' tanks
• Slower reload than most top tier manual loaded tanks
• Gun depression of only 7°

History

Due to the relatively small size of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) compared to some of its potential opponents, Israel's military doctrine is ever focused on protecting its highly-trained personnel from harm during combat. This is typically achieved by fielding advanced technology designed to reduce casualties. Nowhere is this seen more clearly than in the design of the Merkava tank. Beyond its rare configuration, which places the engine at the front to soak up penetrating rounds, as well as the "Hairs of Shulamit" passive protective chains around the rear of the tank's turret, in the early 2000s Israel began simultaneous development of two Active Protection Systems (APS) designed to intercept and destroy incoming anti-tank weaponry.

One of these two systems is called "Me'il Ruach" (Windbreaker Jacket, or simply Windbreaker), which was developed by Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. The Windbreaker system contains a high-precision radar and four flat-panel antennas, designed to detect incoming projectiles such as HEAT rounds, ATGMs, RPGs, and any other "slow" chemical warheads. Once an incoming projectile is detected, the system quickly calculates its exact flight trajectory and determines the optimum timing for interception. Two launchers on either side of the turret can quickly rotate in any direction to fire a pack of Explosively-Formed Projectiles (EFP) at the warhead and detonate it before it can hit the tank. This is effectively a very tight shotgun blast of tiny pellets that triggers the warhead by directly hitting it. If the system determines that the enemy projectile will not hit the tank, it does not fire the pellets at all.

The extreme accuracy of the radar, the precise trajectory calculation and the tight cone of pellets not only increase the chance of detonating the warhead to approximately 90-95% (100% in operational history), but also significantly reduce the risk to any friendly infantry who may be near the tank when the system fires. This was set as a prerequisite before development ever began. Furthermore, the system alerts the tank crew to the direction the attack came from, allowing them to return fire quickly and effectively.

The Windbreaker system was first installed onto a platoon of operational Merkava Mk.4 tanks in 2009. The upgraded model was renamed Merkava Mk.4M, with the M being the first letter in the system's Hebrew name ("Me'il Ruach"). The IDF's 401st Armored Regiment was the first to be fully equipped with Merkava Mk.4Ms in 2012. Today, all new Israeli-produced tanks are Merkava Mk.4Ms; all Merkava Mk.4 tanks in service in the IDF have been upgraded to Merkava Mk.4M standards; and the Windbreaker system is also known to feature on some older Merkava Mk.3D models.

Windbreaker became the first fully-operational hard-kill APS in any Western-aligned army, and to this day is the only mass-produced system of this type outside of Russia and China. It was first tested in battle in 2011, when it intercepted an RPG fired by Hamas combatants at a Merkava Mk.4M on the border of the Gaza Strip. During Operation Protective Edge in 2014, Windbreaker systems reportedly intercepted a total of 15 enemy warheads, including Metis, Konkurs and Kornet ATGMs. As of 2023, the system has maintained a 100% operational success rate in combat.

Windbreaker's development quickly drew the attention of the United States Army, which first purchased a light version of the system for protecting its Oshkosh M-ATVs. In the United States military, the system is named "Trophy". In 2017, the U.S. Army ordered 100 heavy-model Trophy units for installation on M1A2 Abrams tanks, enough to outfit an entire regiment. In 2019 the Army ordered enough systems to outfit three additional regiments. Germany was also an early adopter of the Trophy system, installing it into its state-of-the-art Leopard 2A7A1. Reportedly, the British army is currently planning on installing the Trophy system into its future Challenger 3 tank, though trials are proceeding concurrently for other APS systems.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Merkava Mk.4M from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

The Shooting Range #298 - Metal Beasts section at 00:30 discusses the Merkava Mk.4M.

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

• reference to the series of the vehicles;
• links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

• [Devblog] Merkava Mk.4B & Mk.4M: The chariots of modern warfare