Magach 6

This page is about the Israeli medium tank Magach 6. For other versions, see Magach (Family).

Magach 6

Magach 3

Magach 6A

Magach 6

Magach 3

Magach 6A

Israel

V Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
8.0	8.0	8.0

Class:

Medium tank

Research:48 000

Purchase:270 000

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Description

The Magach 6 was the Israeli designation for the M60 tanks, while more advanced variants like the M60A1 were called Magach 6A. The Magach 6 was acquired as a response to new Soviet made threats like the T-62 and it's powerful 115mm cannons. The Magach 6 was fielded to the troops after arriving to Israel in 1971 and was liked by it's crew thanks to the extra firepower and it's mobility. However it's lack of protection against chemical weapons like ATGMs and RPGs was evident during the Yom Kippur War, were it suffered very heavy losses.

It was introduced in Update "Wind of Change". The Magach 6 is the same as an M60 tank, it relies on it's good gun and rounds rather than on mobility or armour. The M68 gun and it's APDS round specially can one shot most opponents, the HEAT-FS round meanwhile is better to deal with slightly armoured targets like SPAA and artillery. The improved turret in the M60 allows the gun to have better depression so try to use that to your advantage when pushing trough cliffs and mountains. Lastly, the Magach 6 lacks any sort of ERA common in future Magach tanks, so it's a good idea to stay behind and not in the frontlines, since most APDS and HEAT-FS projectiles would penetrate your armour.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back

Hull93 / 70 / 40

Turret130 / 76 / 51

Crew4 people

Visibility122 %

Armour type:

• Cast homogeneous armour
• Rolled homogeneous armour (Engine roof, engine vents)

Armour	Front (Slope Angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	93 mm (65°) Upper glacis 137 mm (55°) Lower glacis	36-70 mm (27-34°)	25 mm Upper plate 40 mm (26°) Lower plate 28 mm (59°) Lower glacis	93 mm (25°) Front glacis 36 mm (5°) Driving compartment 10-25 mm (10°) Engine compartment
Turret	127 mm (spherical) Turret front 152 mm (21°) Gun mantlet	50.8-100 mm (conical)	46 mm (29°)	24 mm (0-16°)
Cupola	25.4 mm (spherical)

Notes:

• Suspension wheels, tracks, and torsion bars are 20 mm thick.
• Belly armour is 19 mm thick for the front half, 13 mm for the rear half.

Mobility

Speedforward / back

AB53 / 14 km/h

RB and SB48 / 13 km/h

Number of gears6 forward

2 back

Weight46.2 t

Engine power

AB1 431 hp

RB and SB750 hp

Power-to-weight ratio

AB31.0 hp/t

RB and SB16.2 hp/t

Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.

Game Mode	Max Speed (km/h)		Weight (tons)	Engine power (horsepower)		Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
	Forward	Reverse		Stock	Upgraded	Stock	Upgraded
Arcade	53	14	46.2	1,162	1,431	25.15	30.97
Realistic	48	13		663	750	14.35	16.23

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference

AB4 211 → 5 516

RB4 689 → 6 142

SB6 649 → 8 710

Total cost of modifications76 700

129 200

Talisman cost2 000

Crew training78 000

Experts270 000

Aces1 100

Research Aces670 000

Reward for battleAB / RB / SB

130 / 190 / 220 %

190 / 190 / 190 %

Modifications

Mobility	Protection	Firepower
Tracks Research: 5 300 Cost: 8 600 250 Suspension Research: 3 600 Cost: 5 800 165 Brake System Research: 3 600 Cost: 5 800 165 Filters Research: 5 000 Cost: 8 100 230 Transmission Research: 5 200 Cost: 8 400 240 Engine Research: 5 200 Cost: 8 400 240	Improved Parts Research: 3 400 Cost: 8 600 250 Improved FPE Research: 2 300 Cost: 5 800 165 Crew Replenishment Research: 5 000 Cost: 8 100 230	Horizontal Drive Research: 5 300 Cost: 8 600 250 Adjustment of Fire Research: 3 600 Cost: 5 800 165 105mm_usa_HESH_ammo_pack Research: 3 600 Cost: 5 800 165 Elevation Mechanism Research: 5 000 Cost: 8 100 230 105mm_us_M416_Smoke_ammo_pack Research: 5 000 Cost: 8 100 230 Artillery Support Research: 5 200 Cost: 8 400 240 105mm_usa_HEAT_FS_ammo_pack Research: 5 200 Cost: 8 400 240 Rangefinder Research: 5 200 Cost: 8 400 240

Armaments

Rangefinder

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

Main armament

105 mm M68 cannon

Ammunition57 rounds

First-order22 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

8.7 → 6.7 s

Vertical guidance-9° / 19°

105 mm M68					Turret rotation speed (°/s)					Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode	Capacity	Vertical	Horizontal	Stabilizer	Stock	Upgraded	Full	Expert	Aced	Stock	Full	Expert	Aced
Arcade	57	-9°/+19°	±180°	N/A	22.8	31.6	38.4	42.5	45.2	8.71	7.70	7.10	6.70
Realistic					14.3	16.8	20.4	22.6	24.0

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
M392A2	APDS	350	347	333	317	302	287
M156	HESH	127	127	127	127	127	127
M152	HEATFS	400	400	400	400	400	400

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%
M392A2	APDS	1,478	4	-	-	-	75°	78°	80°
M156	HESH	731	11.4	0.1	4	3.17	73°	77°	80°
M152	HEATFS	1,174	10.5	0.05	0.1	1.27	65°	72°	77°

Smoke shell characteristics
Ammunition	Velocity (m/s)	Projectile mass (kg)	Screen radius (m)	Screen deploy time (s)	Screen hold time (s)	Explosive mass (TNT equivalent) (g)
M416	732	11.6	16	5	25	50

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Magach 6

Full ammo	1st rack empty	2nd rack empty	3rd rack empty	4th rack empty	5th rack empty	Visual discrepancy
57	49 (+8)	34 (+23)	23 (+34)	17 (+40)	1 (+56)	No

Notes

• Shells are modelled to deplete in groups of two or three
• The last shell in rack 2 is grouped with the last shell in rack 3, and only disappears once rack 3 is depleted

Machine guns

7.62 mm M73 machine gun (coaxial)

Ammunition6 000 rounds

Belt capacity250 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate500 shots/min

2 x 7.62 mm FN MAG 60-40 machine gun

Ammunition3 600 rounds

Belt capacity200 rounds

Reloadbasic crew → aces

10.4 → 8.0 s

Fire rate1 001 shots/min

7.62 mm M73
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Coaxial	6,000 (250)	500	N/A	N/A

7.62 mm FN MAG 60-40
Mount	Capacity (Belt)	Fire rate	Vertical	Horizontal
Commander's hatch	1,800 (200)	600	-10°/+50°	±120°
Loader's hatch	1,800 (200)	600	-10°/+50°	±120°

Usage in battles

When playing the Magach 6, try not to be at the frontlines of the battle too often and instead, stay a bit farther back, supporting your teammates that are on the frontline or provide flanking cover, where the enemy will least expect you to be. Make sure to move from cover to cover if possible, and hide behind hills to reduce the likelihood of being shot at. The Magach 6 is quite a tall tank and can be easily spotted moving across terrain. Equipped with the 105 mm M68 cannon, the Magach 6 can damage any tank. Usually your main shell will be APDS, as it offers the best overall performance, though HEATFS does offer more penetration but has its own set of disadvantages.

If on a map with close quarters battles/urban environments, try to stay away from confined spaces, and stay on the flanks to find a position where ambushing enemies are possible. Be aware that most light tanks and certain medium tanks/MBTs can get to a position before you as they have better mobility than you. If you prefer being near the epicentre of the battle, hang back a bit and support your teammates from the rear, and guard their flanks if needed. Your armour at very close range is usually negated, and while you can shrug off a few AP rounds, medium and heavy tanks can still aim at your weak spots and put you out of combat. Try to have an ally nearby if aiming for an objective to reduce the chances of you being surprised/flanked. Be aware of lightly-armoured vehicles such as BMPs or the R3 T106, as the Magach 6 does not have a .50 cal HMG to gun them down, and will require you to time your shots correctly. HEATFS or HESH would be the best to knock out these light tanks, especially with HESH being able to overpressure light tanks.

With the Magach 6 lacking a HMG, it will be hard to shoot down air targets with only 3 x 7.62 mm machine guns.

Pros and cons

Pros:

• Great protection from the front hull against most solid AP rounds.
• Good mobility
• Great handling and turning manoeuvres
• Good gun handling
• Great gun at its tier

Cons:

• No .50 cal HMG to kill lightly-armoured vehicles or low-flying aircraft
• Turret mantlet isn't heavily armoured and can be penetrated easily
• Turret ring is a noticeable weak spot
• Vulnerable to HEATFS and APDS shells
• Cupola is a weak spot and APHE can knock out your turret crew

History

Israel had a big history using American made M48 tanks, however this tanks proved unsufficient to combat more modern threats like the T-62 fielded by the Arab nations with it's powerful 115mm gun. Thus, the IDF adressed this issue acquiring some of the best tanks at the time, the M60 and M60A1 tanks.

The M60 was designated Magach 6, with 150 units bought and delivered in 1971 at port Haifa. Some M60A1s (Magach 6A) were also acquired in the following years. Compared to the M48 Patton and it's different versions in Israeli service, the M60 included a much more powerful gun, specifically, a 105mm M68 cannon. This gun was also fitted in older M48 models modified to use the new gun, however in this version it had a better depression angle, with (-10/+20 degrees) and more ammo capacity (63 rounds maximum)

These upgrades were allowed thanks to a new turret that also replaced the old commander sight using a 50.cal HMG in a separate turret. The Israeli soldiers loved the new vehicle and it's mobility, even tough it used the same engine as older Sho't and Magach models, the 750hp Continental AVDS-1790-2A engine.

The Magach 6 suffered heavy losses in the Yom Kippur War of 1973, issues came to light like the burning hydraulic fluid issue that affected all M60 tanks and caused reliability problems, however the biggest issue was the poor crew protection, with half of the Magach tanks (including M48s) being lost in the war. The new turret, hull and armour proved more safe than that in the M48, but many examples were lost to ATGMs and RPGs used by Egyptian forces, which led to the development of ERA kits for future models.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the Magach 6 from live.warthunder.com.

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

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

• topic on the official game forum;
• other literature.