Mofaz: Merkava 4 tank project goes on

Israel Military Industries unveiled its 120 mm Kalanit shell for use in the Merkava Mark 4. The shell is designed to destroy bunkers and armored personnel carriers.

“The Merkava Mark 4 project has not been halted; it will continue,” Minister of Defense Shaul Mofaz said today in a meeting with employees working in the plant at Tel Hashomer that manufactures the tank.

The Ministry of Defense said that Mofaz had decided to continue the Merkava project, despite the deep cuts in the defense budget. Mofaz said, “The Ministry of Defense bases its decision primarily on defense requirements. The Merkava is essential for Israel’s defense. It is the flagship of land-based projects.”

At the same time, Mofaz added that the Ministry of Defense was aware of economic distress, and the Merkava project employees would therefore have to streamline to enable the project to continue years into the future.

As part of the discussions of the 2004 budget, the Ministry of Finance planned to eliminate the Merkava Mark 4 project, claiming that Israel had no eastern front, after the end of the war in Iraq. The Ministry of Defense and the Israel Defense Forces opposed the decision, claiming that Israel needed the tanks, and the project should be continued in order to preserve its qualitative advantage.

Israel Military Industries today unveiled a new advanced 120 mm shell, called the Kalanit, for use in the Merkava. The shell is designed to destroy a wide variety of targets, such as fortified bunkers, infantry, anti-aircraft units, attack helicopters, and armored personnel carriers.

Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on December 23, 2003

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