Eastern Mediterranean Security: Israel’s Sale of Merkava Tanks to Cyprus

In early June, it was reported that Israel was prepared to sell the earlier versions of their main Merkava battle tanks. Two countries, one of which is European, will receive a large quantity of the tanks.

According to a recent Haaretz report, Cyprus is the European country that will receive over a hundred Merkava main battle tanks. The proposed sale of the main battle tanks from Tel Aviv to Nicosia is very opportunistic as Cyprus and Israel look to enhance their military capabilities.

https://youtu.be/ENY7npOReOs

What is Merkava?

The Merkava is the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) ‘s main battle tank. Developed domestically, most of the tank’s components rely on the Israeli defense industry, which mitigates bureaucratic practices of requesting permission for vital technological imports for the tank.

Current plans of the Israeli army are to phase out and sell the Merkava II and III variants while focusing on the existing IV and V newest generation models. The Merkava III has the highest number of tanks in the Israeli fleet.

Performance of the Merkava

A primary performance factor of the Merkava tanks is that they are incredibly durable in combat, and if they take a hit, the crew has a high survivability rate. Learning lessons from tank losses in the Yom Kippur War, the Israeli defense industry wanted a doctrine of preserving the lives of their relatively small army while maximizing the damage to their foes.

In combat, the Merkavas performed well during the two-decade intervention and occupation of Lebanon, destroying much of the Soviet-made T-62s under the Syrian fleet. During the 2006 Lebanon War, 50 tanks suffered damage from Hezbollah anti-tank missiles, but most crews survived the hits.

Hezbollah’s advantage in the war over the Merkava’s came from advanced Russian rockets sold through the black market, third-party transfers, and Southern Lebanon’s rigid terrain. The Merkava IV was the most successful in locating and liquidating the militants while suffering minimal losses compared to the variant II and III types.

The Merkava IVs became more frequently used as the IDF changed its doctrine to adapt to asymmetric warfare as their biggest threats became militant groups rather than conventional armies. Merkava’s IV variation, the MK 4M, played a significant role in Operation Protective Edge. Under the 401st Brigade, the MK 4M had at least 120 confirmed kills of Hamas militants.

Growing Relations Between Israel and Cyprus

Cyprus is an ideal nation for Israel to sell their older Merkava variants to. With both countries having a desert climate, Cyprus, which also geographically sits on the Eastern Mediterranean and has key terrain akin to Israel, makes perfect sense for combat performance.

Israel and Cyprus have grown their relations in the past decade, especially in place of heightened rhetoric and threats by Turkish President and autocrat Tayyip Erdogan. Tel Aviv and Nicosia have increased bilateral ties in diplomacy and military cooperation.

The proposed EastMed Pipeline between Israel, Cyprus, and Greece and enhanced maritime trade and understanding have become essential in countering Turkish and Iranian aggression. The three Eastern Mediterranean nations are on a path toward a connected energy grid, which the European Union will sponsor.

Relations between Israel and Cyprus were also solidified this summer at the Israel-Hellenic Forum in Nicosia on June 21st. Four days later, Cyprus’ intelligence services foiled a terrorist attack aimed at Jews by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.

A Chance for Cyprus to Grow Its Defensive Capabilities

Cyprus, which had a several decades-long arms embargo, has a vital opportunity to reinvigorate its defensive capabilities. With the Biden Administration partially lifting the Cypriot arms embargo, Nicosia now has the opportunity to purchase more efficient modern arms compared to the older Soviet stockpiles.

Nicosia has looked to phase out their T-72 tanks, with a plan to potentially give them to Ukraine in return for modern weapons and enhanced ties with the United States that have been shaky since the 1974 Turkish Invasion. Turkey, which doesn’t recognize the internationally recognized government of Nicosia, has heightened threats of formally uniting the occupied north with their country. Ankara has also threatened to send more troops to the occupied areas and conducted illegal drilling, inflaming tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Compared to the past several decades, the United States has gradually become more in favor of the Cypriot government, and one of the reasons for this is Nicosia’s U-turn from being a Russian money laundering haven to its growing Western partnership. The bilateral ties between Cyprus and Israel have been vital to America’s more favorable stance in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

With a potential Merkava purchase, Cyprus has a chance to reinvigorate its stagnant defensive posture and national guard finally. Israel’s growing partnership with Cyprus in the diplomatic, energy, technology, and military sectors has put the island nation on the path of self-sustainment that Nicosia has struggled with since its independence from the United Kingdom.