Re: Merkava.
I found the reference to the individual fire-proof canisters, but I don't think we've seen any pictures of them. The photo with the containers on the road, I'm sure those are just shipping tubes. Somewhere in the tank are the fire-proof canisters, so the rounds are removed from the shipping tube and loaded into the canisters. The upright ammo in the road is probably just some intermediate step, where the rounds have been removed from the shipping tubes, but not been stowed in the fire-proof canisters within the tank yet.
As to the caliber of the ammo, they look like 120mm rounds, but don't have combustible casings. The tank doesn't appear to be a Merk IV, because I don't see the rearward facing camera. I'm pretty sure it isn't a Merk I, also. That leaves Merk II or Merk III. If they are 105mm rounds, it is a II, if 120mm a III. Overall, I don't think it matters.
|