Rolls-Royce Solutions America has announced a significant contract valued at $73.5 million to provide power-pack kits for Israel’s Merkava main battle tanks. This strategic deal will be financed using Foreign Military Sales funds allocated to Israel for Fiscal Year 2026, with the expected completion date set for December 31, 2032.
The contract encompasses the procurement of full and lite Merkava Power Pack Less Transmission kits, metal containers, and extensive contractor-provided engineering and technical support. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, headquartered at the Detroit Arsenal, is managing this contract.
The Merkava Mk 4 tank is powered by a robust 1,500-horsepower General Dynamics GD883 (MTU 883) turbocharged V-12 diesel engine. This advanced powertrain represents a significant enhancement over the earlier Mk 3 versions, which utilized 1,200-horsepower engines.
In addition to the Merkava tanks, this power-pack architecture is also compatible with Israel’s Namer infantry fighting vehicle, which is built on a modified Merkava chassis. The power-pack kits supplied by Rolls-Royce are designed to facilitate sustainment, refurbishment, and lifecycle maintenance, ultimately enhancing the operational readiness of Israel’s armored forces.
A key feature of the power pack is its modular design, allowing for a simple drop-in replacement of critical components, including the engine, cooling system, filtration, wiring, sensors, and additional ancillaries. This design significantly decreases vehicles’ downtime, transforming replacement processes from days to mere hours.
The contract reflects a dual-pronged approach to sustainment. It includes full kits intended for comprehensive depot-level overhauls and resets, alongside lite kits that are intended for field maintenance. The lite kits enable rapid replacement of high-wear components and promote standardization across various Merkava sub-variants, thereby streamlining operational efficiency.
