Merkava

"The borders are drawn where the treads stop."

– IDF Armored Corps Motto

The Merkava was a third generation MBT designed to replace the ageing Magach 6. Equipped with a licensed M68 105mm main cannon: the same gun from the Patton. It is equipped with up to three FN MAGs, with one MG mounted coaxially. A uniquely Israeli invention, the Merkava compromises on battlefield survivability and speed in favour of armour and crew survivability.

IRL

As Israel's homegrown tank, the Merkava takes many liberties with conventional tank design. For starters, instead of having the driver in the front, turret in the middle, and engine in the back, the Merkava places the engine forward to act as an extra buffer against shrapnel, leaving the back available for a rear entrance for emergency exits. In a pinch, they were even used as APCs and medical evac units, with space for ten men if ammo racks were removed (actual APCs based on the Merkava are called Namers). It served well against enemy T-62s and was largely immune to infantry AT weapons at the time, though later Merkava models were upgraded to use the advanced Trophy active defense system.

Israeli Forces in Team Yankee
Tanks:	Merkava - M60 Patton
Transports:	M113 Armored Personnel Carrier
Troops:	IDF Infantry Platoon
Artillery:	M109 Howitzer -M106 Heavy Mortar Carrier -M125 Mortar Carrier
Anti-Aircraft:	M163 VADS - ZSU 23-4 Shilka - M48 Chaparral - Redeye SAM Platoon
Tank Hunters:	Pereh - M150 TOW - Jeep TOW
Recon:	M113 Recce - Jeep Recce
Aircraft:	AH-1 Cobra Attack Helicopter - A4 Skyhawk