This is certainly interesting, it seems the US and a European country are purchasing around 200 mothballed IDF tanks from Israel, Merkave mk2 and mk3 tanks. I'd assume these will go to Ukraine, or maybe would backfill countries that have given tanks to Ukraine, but that seems less likely. This would fill 2+ new tank battalions for Ukraine. The mk2 seems similar to a Leopard 1, with a 105mm main gun, while the mk3 has a 120 mm smoothbore main gun, so similar to the more modern western tanks.
There seems to be a decent amount of 105mm tanks going to Ukraine with the M-55S', Leopard 1's, and now potentially Merkave mk2's, I wonder if we see a lot more Russian T-55/54's actually in combat situations a year from now, as Russia depletes their T-72 and newer stocks, but that's just a theory. I really wish the US would just commit to a large amount of Abrams for Ukraine a year from now, it seems they could build them, or upgrade stored tanks by then, and would be more versatile, despite their logistical flaws.
https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/skugq500p2
There seems to be a decent amount of 105mm tanks going to Ukraine with the M-55S', Leopard 1's, and now potentially Merkave mk2's, I wonder if we see a lot more Russian T-55/54's actually in combat situations a year from now, as Russia depletes their T-72 and newer stocks, but that's just a theory. I really wish the US would just commit to a large amount of Abrams for Ukraine a year from now, it seems they could build them, or upgrade stored tanks by then, and would be more versatile, despite their logistical flaws.
https://www.ynet.co.il/news/article/skugq500p2