Main battle tank “Merkava” Mk1/2/3/4Historical backgroundIsrael began developing its tank in 1972, development dragged on until 1977, when the first details and photographs of a prototype of the Merkava tank were released to the press. The first public display of the tank took place in July 1979, on Israel's independence day, at the central stadium in Jerusalem. The design of the Merkava tank was influenced by the fact that the Israelis prefer to conduct defensive operations from positions prepared on the slopes of heights. As a result of this method of firing, there is a high probability of shells hitting the tower area. Therefore, when developing a new tank, the main goal was to move the fighting compartment from the turret to the hull as much as possible, as well as to reduce the frontal silhouette of the turret itself.