Staring death in the face. The roundish thing on the right is the imaging/targeting system...
Unlike older tanks the commander does not have to be outside the tank at any point, the tank advances up a hill until just that bit is sticking up and from there the target can be acquired locked onto the loader can load the shell and then all that’s left is to drive up a couple more feet till the turret peaks over the hill and boom. It gives the Merkava 4 a 20 second + advantage over other tanks enough to fire 2 shells.
After 20 seconds the tank retreats back down the hill because that’s how long it takes for normal tanks to turn their turret over that way lock load and be ready to fire.
The clusters of round things are the mortars and the slit on the right side of the turret is the parallel machinegun accurate for headshots up to 1.5km and uses the same target lock as the turret and can therefore also be used as point defense against incoming anti tank missiles if they are fired at enough range (no the gunner is not THAT fast... its the tank that detects a laser lock and will automatically lock the turret onto the source)
Next generation thermal imaging systems can make an ID on a suspect at 4km and read the label on his coke can. I think that’s what’s in the boxy thing on the left.
The plastic covering is on the commanders’ machine gun mount, which was just greased, and to avoid it getting all dusty/sandy...
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Closer shot of the right side of the turret
View of the left side... the exhaust vent up front.
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Hope you all enjoyed this brief introduction the Merkava 4
And if you didnt figure out where I have been...
I have been in the first months of my three years of active duty in the IDF... peace out all
