Key Points – For decades, Israel maintained a strict policy against exporting its renowned Merkava main battle tank to preserve its unique military advantages.
-This changed in principle in 2010, leading to a first-ever, undisclosed export deal for the Merkava Mark 4 in 2014.
-In 2023, negotiations began to sell retired Merkava Mark 2 and Mark 3 tanks to two more unnamed countries, one European and one South American, though these plans were halted by the outbreak of the “Swords of Iron War.”
-Given the current conflicts in Gaza and with Iran, Israel is likely to retain all available armor for its own needs.
Did Israel Export its Merkava Main Battle Tank? Maybe—but Maybe not
The latest variant of the Merkava is held in high regard in Israel, but the country won’t openly say if it has sold it to other countries or not.
The Israeli Merkava tank is currently considered the most advanced tank in the world, and few tanks come close to matching its capabilities.
One might expect that the State of Israel would want to exploit the inherent economic advantage of this and export the tank to other countries, but from the very beginning of Merkava tank production, its sale to foreign countries was prohibited in order to maintain the Israeli Armored Corps’ unique advantage.
Shifting Geopolitical Realities and Strategic Independence
Israel relies heavily on the United States and, to a lesser extent, several European countries to supply its military needs, particularly in the areas of combat aviation. In addition to the F-35I, a highly specialized variant of the F-35A tailored to Israeli Air Force specifications (the jet’s wings are manufactured domestically in Israel, and the jets rely on domestically developed electronic warfare technology), the IAF also counts F-15I and F-16I fighter jets.
In the area of main battle tanks, however, Israel enjoys a high degree of strategic autonomy, largely prompted by the export of T-62 tanks to several Arab countries in the 1960s and Western countries’ hesitancy to export newer and more advanced platforms to Israel. Beginning with the Merkava 1, increasingly sophisticated iterations of the tank have been built in Israel, culminating in today’s Merkava 4 main battle tank.
“Besides its uniqueness, another source of pride lies in the fact that approximately 80% of the tank’s components are manufactured in Israel, so the project provides a source of livelihood for tens of thousands of Israelis in more than 200 factories nationwide,” the IDF explains.
“Nowadays,” they added, “when there is much talk about the importance of self-development of weapons and combat equipment, it is good to remember the strength of the Israeli defense industry and the immense potential of domestic production.”
To Export or not to Export? That Is the Question
Israel has a clear interest in maintaining a qualitative military edge over other countries, a strong reason that should, in theory, put the kibosh on exporting the tank to other countries — logic that held for nearly half a century.
“It was only in 2010 that the Ministry of Defense decided to permit, in principle, the sale of the Merkava Mark 4 tank to “select customers” the IDF explained.
“In 2014, the Ministry of Defense signed the first Merkava export deal with a foreign country, whose name is prohibited from publication. In 2023, negotiations were held to sell Merkava Mark 2 and Merkava Mark 3 tanks, which are retired from IDF service, to a European country and a South American country whose names were also not disclosed, but these plans were halted due to the Swords of Iron War. So, to date, the State of Israel is probably the only country in the world, or one of the few, in possession of the Merkava tank.”
Merkava Tank For Sale?
Given Israel’s ongoing conflicts in Gaza and the potential for a land campaign in Iran, it stands to reason that the country would like to keep all available armored vehicles, tanks, and other materials close at hand for any contingencies.
Recent reports indicate that barring American involvement in targeting Iranian nuclear facilities, Israel chose to destroy the facilities not with air-delivered munitions but with explosives delivered by hand deep underground.
Protecting those assets on the ground by establishing protected perimeters would be of high importance. Main battle tanks would be highly important to that mission. So, will we see Merkavas in foreign armies?
Only time will tell.
About the Author: Caleb Larson
Caleb Larson is an American multiformat journalist based in Berlin, Germany. His work covers the intersection of conflict and society, focusing on American foreign policy and European security. He has reported from Germany, Russia, and the United States. Most recently, he covered the war in Ukraine, reporting extensively on the war’s shifting battle lines from Donbas and writing on the war’s civilian and humanitarian toll. Previously, he worked as a Defense Reporter for POLITICO Europe. You can follow his latest work on X.
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