TEL AVIV — Israel has decided to significantly cut back production of
the Merkava main battle tank.
The Defense Ministry will reduce procurement of the Merkava
Mk-4 MBT by 20 percent in 2007, in a move that reflected shifting priorities in wake of
the war in Lebanon, officials said.
The ministry's Merkava
Project Administration has informed companies that produce the tank of the
decision, officials said according to Middle East Newsline.
They said the Merkava Mk-4 would continue production until 2010.
But they said the ministry, under Defense Minister Amir Peretz, has concluded
that the MBT would decline in importance over the next three years.
"It's clearly a sign that the program is winding down," an official
said.
Industry sources said about 40 Merkava Mk-4s have been produced annually
since 2005. This represented a drop from the 70 MBTs envisioned for
production when the program began in 2001.
The 34-day war in Lebanon, which ended on Aug. 14, was the first test of
the Merkava Mk-4. The performance of the Mk-4 during war was said to have
been mixed, with the Mk-4 criticized for lack of maneuverability in the
rocky terrain of southern Lebanon.
Officials said the money saved from the reduction in Mk-4 output would
be used to increase protection of MBTs. They said this would include
explosive-reactive armor, active protection systems and smoke grenade
systems.
