March 20, 2008. a Merkava tank during a training day held in the Golan Heights for the 188th Armored Brigade. Photography by Neil Cohen, IDF Spokesperson’s Film Unit.
Israel is in talks to sell hundreds of its used Merkava main battle tanks to two countries, including one in Europe, head of the International Defense Cooperation Directorate in the Israeli Ministry of Defense revealed on June 15.
Yair Kulas told the Calcalist financial paper that his directorate, also known as SIBAT, was advancing more sales of surplus equipment from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
“There is a potential of several hundred million shekels there. The world is chasing systems, and production processes require time, and not everyone has the time to wait,” Kulas said.
The defense official noted that many European countries want to quickly replenish their stockpiles after donating billions of dollars’ worth of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine for use against the Russian military.
The Merkava is a series of main battle tanks used by the IDF and the backbone of its armored corps. The tank began development in 1970, and its first generation, the Merkava Mark I, entered official service in 1979. Four main variants of the tank have been developed as of 2023.
“There are two potential countries with which we are holding advanced negotiations [on a sale of the Merkava tanks],” he said. “I am barred from naming them, but one is on the European continent.”
Kulas said that the potential sales would likely include the older Merkava Mark 2, that entered service with the IDF in 1983, and some of the Merkava Mark 3 tanks, which were introduced in 1989.
Merkava Mark 2 and 3 tanks took part in several IDF operations in southern Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, where they suffered losses as a result of improvised explosive devices, rocket-propelled grenades and anti-tank guided missiles.
“European countries are helping Ukraine and supplying it with systems. The stocks in those countries are being emptied, they are renewing them by purchasing more modern and up-to-date systems, and this is where Israeli industries come into the picture,” Kulas told Calcalist.
It is still unknown which European country is going to purchase the Merkava. The deal is likely meant to allow the transfer of more NATO main battle tanks to Ukraine, like German-made Leopard 2s. The other customer may be Colombia. The Latin American country showed interest in the Merkava in the past.
After the start of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine, Israel sided with the Kiev regime. However, Tel Aviv limited its aid to the Ukrainian forces to non-lethal military equipment and prevented the re-export of Israeli-made weapons to the country.
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