Engine Failure on Merkava MK4 Main Battle Tank
IsrealDefense has learned that part of the reserve armor division has been disabled due to engine problems.
Tal Inbar
| 20/02/2015
Merkava 4 Tank (Photo: IDF Spokesperson)
First Report
As of today, the IDF does not possess any working engines for their new Merkava 4 tanks.
After investing billions in faulty engines made by the German MTU company, the IDF invested more money in the company for new engines due to arrive in 2013.
Military officials said that due to the engine problems, tanks already in the field would not continue to travel as originally planned.
In addition, dozens of inoperable engines are waiting for repair in the IDF’s rehabilitation and maintenance center, while even more tanks continue to roll off the manufacturing line.
As a result, the IDF’s reserve division of tanks, composed mainly of Merkava 4s, is inoperable.
Although some Merkava tanks carry engines manufactured by the American L3 company, whose price is estimated at a third of the German engines, and are without any problems (though the American engines have a limited 12 horse power engine), the MoD and IDF purchased an additional 200 units of the German-manufactured 1500 horse power engine at a cost of $800 thousand per engine.
Defense officials told IsraelDefense that beyond the high cost of the engines, the maintenance of the German engine is also considerably high.
With the newly purchased engines due to arrive in Israel in 2013, in the meantime, there are no installable engines for the disabled tanks or the newly manufactured tanks.
Commenting on the issue, the Ministry of Defense and IDF Spokesperson Unit said, “The Merkava Mark 4 was installed with a new engine, which in its initial years, suffered early problems due to planning. However, in the ongoing manufacturing process, those problems were addressed, solved, and successfully tested in the Second Lebanon War and in Operation Cast Lead. Since 2009, some of the engines underwent a process of renovation from wear and tear, upgrades, and other problems that arose. It should be emphasized that the upgraded engines passed a series of tests and operational experience. The MoD recently signed a contract to purchase new engines to be installed in new tanks, and in these engines, the solutions found for previous problems are being implemented.”
First Report
As of today, the IDF does not possess any working engines for their new Merkava 4 tanks.
After investing billions in faulty engines made by the German MTU company, the IDF invested more money in the company for new engines due to arrive in 2013.
Military officials said that due to the engine problems, tanks already in the field would not continue to travel as originally planned.
In addition, dozens of inoperable engines are waiting for repair in the IDF’s rehabilitation and maintenance center, while even more tanks continue to roll off the manufacturing line.
As a result, the IDF’s reserve division of tanks, composed mainly of Merkava 4s, is inoperable.
Although some Merkava tanks carry engines manufactured by the American L3 company, whose price is estimated at a third of the German engines, and are without any problems (though the American engines have a limited 12 horse power engine), the MoD and IDF purchased an additional 200 units of the German-manufactured 1500 horse power engine at a cost of $800 thousand per engine.
Defense officials told IsraelDefense that beyond the high cost of the engines, the maintenance of the German engine is also considerably high.
With the newly purchased engines due to arrive in Israel in 2013, in the meantime, there are no installable engines for the disabled tanks or the newly manufactured tanks.
Commenting on the issue, the Ministry of Defense and IDF Spokesperson Unit said, “The Merkava Mark 4 was installed with a new engine, which in its initial years, suffered early problems due to planning. However, in the ongoing manufacturing process, those problems were addressed, solved, and successfully tested in the Second Lebanon War and in Operation Cast Lead. Since 2009, some of the engines underwent a process of renovation from wear and tear, upgrades, and other problems that arose. It should be emphasized that the upgraded engines passed a series of tests and operational experience. The MoD recently signed a contract to purchase new engines to be installed in new tanks, and in these engines, the solutions found for previous problems are being implemented.”
