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A quintessential Israeli symbol is being exported to Europe for the first time: 40 years after they entered service in the Israel Defense Forces, old Merkava tanks manufactured in Israel are expected to be sold soon to two foreign armies, reach Europe, and continue to serve despite their advanced age.

The US Department of Defense should soon approve an Israeli sale of hundreds of Merkava Mark 2 and Mark 3 tanks, that were manufactured in Israel in the 1980s and 1990s and have been decommissioned in recent years, to two foreign countries – one of them in Europe. The sale comes against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine and renewed demand for armored war vehicles. This is the first time that Merkava tanks will be sold to a European country.

The Defense Ministry is not specifying the names of the two countries that agreed on the purchase of more than 200 used Israeli tanks due to the sensitivity of the process, but the deal is on the verge of a final signature and is expected to be completed relatively soon, within about three months. Officials at the Defense Ministry told Ynet that since certain mechanical parts in these tanks are American made, especially the engine, approval from the Department of Defense in Washington is required to carry out the transaction.

According to some estimates, the scope of the deal will reach several tens of millions of dollars for all the tanks, an amount that will enter the state coffers and will probably be transferred directly to the defense establishment. This is an amount that is considered negligible in relation to the purchase of new Western tanks. By comparison, about a decade ago, the Defense Ministry offered a foreign country the opportunity to purchase a new Mark 4 Merkava tank from the production line for approximately $4 million per tank.

Additional details indicate that the two purchased will be divided – one will include the older Merkava Mark 2 tanks, and the other the Merkava Mark 3 that entered service in the 90s and mainly served the fighters of the 188th Brigade. In recent years these tanks have fallen out of use and today all three regular armored brigades – 401, 188 and 7th Brigade – are equipped with advanced Merkava Mark 4 tanks with an active defense system against anti-tank missiles, and computerized command and control systems.

Some of the regular tanks, especially those with are not as old, were transferred to reserve brigades, including the 10th (Harel) brigade instead of the older Magach series tanks. However, more than 200 retired tanks remain in the IDF's maintenance depots.

At first, the defense establishment was pessimistic about the possibility of a foreign army purchasing them, and considered the possibility of selling them to iron recycling contractors. But the logistics officials maintained them well and, at the same time the war between Russia and Ukraine broke out last year, which changed the security needs of European countries. Initial interest in used tanks began in the middle of last year and the Defense Ministry rushed to check the condition of the old tanks, and found that they were serviceable enough to be sold.

Haaretz hat geschrieben:Israel and Cyprus have held talks regarding the sale of Merkava tanks, sources in both countries told Haaretz.

One of the options that was raised during the discussions is that Cyprus will purchase Merkava tanks from Israel and then send older Russian-made tanks to Ukraine. However, Cypriot sources have denied that this is their intent.

Last week, Yair Kulas, the head of the Defense Ministry's export coordination department, said in an interview with the economic daily Calcalist that Israel is in negotiations with two countries, including one in Europe, regarding the sale of older Merkava tanks that are no longer in use by the Israeli army.

If the deal goes through, this would be Israel's first sale of a Merkava tank to a European country. The Defense Ministry refused to name the country that Kulas was referring to.

After Kulas' interview, several websites and various accounts on social media claimed that said country is Cyprus. Last year, the Biden administration removed its arms embargo on Cyprus, enabling such a deal.

The Defense Ministry responded by saying that "Due to the war in Europe, several countries have shown interest in buying from Israel's reserves, including older Merkava tanks that were taken out of service years ago. The negotiations have yet to yield an agreement, and neither the Defense Ministry nor the interested countries have approved."

An official in Cyprus confirmed to Haaretz that negotiations have been taking place between the two countries, but refused to provide specifics about the deal itself or a timetable for completing it.

Last month, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visited Cyprus. During a meeting with his Cypriot counterpart Michalis Giorgallas, said that "Cyprus and Israel have significant partnerships in munitions, through bilateral agreements between our governments. We appreciate Israel's defense industry as a trustworthy partner in our effort to upgrade our security and deterrence."

Earlier this year, several media outlets in the United States and Europe reported that Cyprus had agreed to transfer its older Russian-made tanks to Ukraine, which is desperate for military equipment in light of the Russian invasion and ensuing war, in exchange for newer western tanks.

This may have laid the groundwork for a three-party deal, in which Israeli tanks would replace the older Cypriot ones, and in turn Cyprus would transfer those older tanks to Kyiv. President Christodoulides denied this report earlier this week, adding that his country "will take no action" that would leave it vulnerable to a military threat by Turkey.

John Ioanou, a security analyst and founder of Geopolitical Cyprus, told Haaretz that he believes that the attempt to connect the Israeli-Cypriot negotiations to the war in Ukraine is based on "Russian disinformation on social media." He added that one of Cyprus' considerations in buying Israeli weapons is the probable difficulty in attaining spare parts for Russian tanks over the next few years, due both to the Russian military's operations in Ukraine and international sanctions against Moscow.

According to a report by Apostolos Tomaras in this Sunday's Kathimerini, this evolving scenario will impact Cyprus in several ways, particularly affecting the armament programs of its National Guard. Some of these programs, including the acquisition of Israeli military systems, have been delayed due to the current conflict with Hamas. Additionally, the war in Ukraine is pushing the EU to explore European alternatives for military equipment.

One critical program affected is the modernization of Cyprus' aging T80-U tank fleet. Previously, Cyprus was set to purchase Merkava tanks from Israel. However, the conflict with Hamas has halted Israeli military exports, causing concerns in Nicosia about future spare parts availability.

As a contingency, Cyprus is considering German Leopard tanks, despite past reluctance from Berlin. Military sources indicate progress in negotiations, with the Leopard 2HEL emerging as a viable option. However, there are concerns about the delivery timeline, with potential delays pushing implementation beyond 2027. Meanwhile, the French military industry remains a reliable partner for Cyprus, offering various systems, including H145M helicopters and Exocet missiles.