Magach (Israeli M48/M60 series)
In service 1960s - 1990s as a gun tank
Based onM48 Patton (national designation of)
Israel's rebuilt American Pattons: M48s and M60s re-engined, re-gunned and progressively re-armoured, and the most numerous Israeli tank of the 1973 and 1982 wars.
Built byIsraeli Ordnance Corps rebuild of American Patton tanks
Development history
Magach - a contraction meaning roughly "Patton" in Israeli usage - covers a family of rebuilds rather than a single tank. Israel replaced the petrol engines of its M48s with the AVDS-1790 diesel, swapped the 90 mm guns for the 105 mm M68, fitted a low-profile Urdan commander's cupola after finding the American cupola a fatal weak point, and added Blazer explosive reactive armour from 1982. The tanks fought across Sinai in 1973, where whole brigades were equipped with them, and again in Lebanon in 1982. Later marks received spall liners and improved fire control, and many hulls were eventually rebuilt again as Nagmachon and Puma engineering vehicles.
Variants
One canonical record, 4 recorded variants.
Magach 3
1960sM48 with AVDS-1790 diesel, 105 mm M68 and Urdan cupola.
Magach 6
1970sM60 series rebuilt to Israeli standard.
Magach 6B Gal
1984Blazer reactive armour and improved fire control.
Magach 7
1990sPassive composite armour package and upgraded powertrain.
Notable actions
- Yom Kippur War
- Battle of the Chinese Farm
- 1982 Lebanon War