Profile
- Type
- Main battle tank
- Conflict side
- Israel
- Origin
- Israel
- Service note
- Late Cold War to present IDF service
Tanks
Merkava Mk 3 main battle tank
The Merkava Mk 3 is Israel's late-Cold War main battle tank, built around a 120 mm smoothbore gun, modular protection, and a front-engine layout. In the Israel-Hamas War, the IDF linked the Mk 3-equipped 188th Brigade to Gaza operations, keeping the older Merkava variant in active conflict use.
- Conflict side
- Israel
- Built by
- IDF Ordnance Corps
- Built in
- Israel
Service History
- In service
- Introduced in 1989 and later upgraded through Baz and Dor-Dalet variants.
- Used by
- Israel Defense Forces
- Wars
- Israel-Hamas War
Production History
- Designer
- Israel Military Industries
- Designed
- 1980s
- Built by
- IDF Ordnance Corps
- Built in
- Israel
- Produced
- 1989-2003
- Number built
- About 780
- Variants
- Merkava Mk 3 Baz, Merkava Mk 3 Dor-Dalet
Specifications
- Crew
- 4
- Armament
- 120 mm IMI MG251 smoothbore gun, 3 x 7.62 mm machine guns, 60 mm mortar
- Weight
- 63.5-65 tonnes
- Mobility
- AVDS-1790-9AR diesel engine, about 58-60 km/h road speed, 500 km range
- Protection
- Modular armor with improved ballistic protection and later ERA on upgraded Mk 3 variants
Conflict Usage
- Israel-Hamas War
- Side: IsraelRole: Reserve armored maneuver support
During the Israel-Hamas War, the IDF said soldiers of the 188th Brigade gained operational control of the Gaza harbor, and the IDF says that brigade mainly operates Merkava Mark III tanks.
Merkava Mk 3 main battle tank Images
Related Weapon Systems
Merkava Mk 4 main battle tankMain battle tankThe Merkava Mk 4 Barak is Israel's latest digital upgrade to the front-engine Merkava Mk 4 main battle tank, adding a smart mission computer, updated sensors, and VR-based crew training for the IDF's armored corps. In the Israel-Hamas War, IDF-released Barak imagery from Gaza documents the variant's wartime use and the program's later production expansion.
Leclerc tankThird-generation main battle tankThe Leclerc is a French third-generation main battle tank built around a 120 mm smoothbore gun, autoloader, three-person crew, and high power-to-weight mobility. In the Yemen Civil War, UAE-operated Leclercs gave coalition forces heavy protected direct fire during armored pushes around Aden, Al Anad, and later western-coast operations.
M60A1 PattonSecond-generation main battle tankThe M60A1 Patton is a U.S.-origin main battle tank with a 105 mm gun, four-person crew, and improved turret protection over the original M60. Yemen's pre-war army inventory included M60A1s, so surviving vehicles formed part of the legacy armored force available as the Yemen Civil War split state units and front lines.
T-90SA tankExport main battle tankThe T-90SA tank entry covers the export T-90S family as fielded by Azerbaijan in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict. Conflict-loss documentation identifies Azerbaijani T-90S tanks rather than proving a unique subvariant label, so this record uses T-90SA conservatively as the requested export-family designation while grounding the conflict claim in T-90S evidence.
Trophy active-protection systemHard-kill active protection systemRafael's Trophy is an Israeli hard-kill active protection system for armored vehicles, and in the Israel-Hamas War it has been seen on Merkava tanks in Gaza intercepting anti-tank threats.
Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozerArmored bulldozerThe Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozer is an IDF combat engineering vehicle adapted from Caterpillar's large dozer platform and documented in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas War for route clearing, rubble removal, and terrain shaping under fire.Sources
Army Technology Merkava Mk3 BazPublisher: Army Technology | Note: Supports Merkava Mk 3 background, designer and manufacturer context, plus core crew, armament, engine, speed, and service notes. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Tank-AFV Merkava Mk. 3Publisher: Tank-AFV | Note: Supports Merkava Mk. 3 specifications, production period, armor notes, and the MG251 / AVDS-1790-9AR configuration. | Accessed: 2026-06-20IDF Armored CorpsPublisher: Israel Defense Forces | Note: During the Israel-Hamas War, Merkava Mark III tanks were fielded by the 188th Brigade. | Accessed: 2026-06-20IDF Press Releases: Israel at WarPublisher: Israel Defense Forces | Note: During the Israel-Hamas War, soldiers of the 188th Brigade gained operational control of the Gaza harbor. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Wikimedia Commons Merkava Mk III tank 02Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the open-licensed Merkava Mk III tank 02 file. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Wikimedia Commons Merkava Mk III open trackPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the open-licensed Merkava Mk III with an open continuous track file. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Wikimedia Commons Merkava Mk III Golan Heights displayPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the open-licensed Merkava Mk III display in the Golan Heights file. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Wikimedia Commons Merkava Mk III tankPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for the open-licensed Merkava Mk III tank maintenance image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20