Today we’ll be taking a look at the Sabra Mk.I, a tank that was derived from major upgrades made to the Magach 7 tank, featuring add-on armor modules and a new 120 mm gun!
Sabra Mk.I: A Medium Tank for Israel at Rank VII
At a glance:
- 120 mm gun similar to the Merkava tanks with a good reload speed!
- Effective APFSDS shell.
- Decent protection.
- Average mobility.
Vehicle History
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As part of Magach 7C modernization, Israeli company Israel Military Industries (IMI) developed and created a prototype of the Sabra Mk.I MBT in 2002-2005, coming in as a deep and comprehensive modernization of the Magach series of tanks. The main differences of the project were a new 120 mm smoothbore gun, a set of add-on armor elements for the hull and turret, a new fire control system and an electromechanical turret drive. The Sabra program was proposed to Turkey as a possible modernization program for their fleet of M60 tanks. However, the Turkish had counter-proposals that led to further modifications and the construction of a second prototype under the designation Sabra Mk.II.
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Meet the Sabra Mk.I!
The Israeli Sabra Mk.I is quite literally the ultimate Magach and will provide an interesting alternative when placed in some high-ranking ground force lineups. It features a very similar gun as the Merkava Mk.3 but at a lower Battle Rating, so let’s take a closer look!
Further development of the Magach 7C led engineers to create the Sabra tank. Just by looks, the turret has a familiar silhouette with add-on armor modules, but most importantly there’s a new gun. This 120 mm smoothbore gun is a very close relative of some of the higher-ranking Merkava tanks and can fire three types of ammunition, including HEATFS, HE-TF and an M322 APFSDS round.
The Sabra’s armor is made using the same technology found on the Magach 7C — it consists of modules of combined armor welded onto the standard steel armor of the M60. However, the layout and composition of this add-on armor differs from the Magach. Some differences include more protection at the front of the turret by the gun mantlet, the upper plate and turret sides. How effective is it though? It’s capable of stopping HEAT based rounds, however kinetic shells will pierce straight through without a problem. Besides this, the dense layout and poor location of ammunition stored internally definitely decrease the survivability of the Sabra once it has been penetrated.
Despite all the above mentioned changes, the engine of the Sabra Mk.I is the same as the Magach 7C. In terms of maneuverability, both tanks are almost identical, meaning the overall mobility of the Sabra is somewhat poor. Don’t fret though, as there’s one more positive. The reload speed of the gun can be as low as 6 seconds on an Ace crew — something the Magach can’t do!
That’s it for today’s blog. The Sabra Mk.I will arrive at rank VII in the Israel ground forces tree in the Firebirds major update and is sure to provide extra firepower thanks to its 120 mm gun. Be sure to check out the news for more dev blogs that we’re currently cooking!
Please note that this vehicle’s characteristics may be changed before it is added to the game.
