| IMI 120 mm MG251 tank gun | |
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MG253 tank gun |
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| Type | smoothbore tank gun |
| Place of origin | Israel |
| Service history | |
| In service |
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| Used by | see the operators section |
| Production history | |
| Manufacturer | Israeli Military Industries |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 3,300 kilograms (7,300 lb) (gun mount) |
| Length | 5.56 meters (18.2 ft) |
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| Caliber | 120-millimeter (4.7 in) |
The IMI 120 mm gun is a smoothbore tank gun designed and produced by the Israeli Military Industries company. It is widely confused as a licensed production of the Rheinmetall L44 tank gun, however developed by Israeli Military Industries from 1983 to 1988, to meet the requirements of the Israel Defense Forces' Merkava Mark III main battle tank.
First revealed in 1989 when it was shown to be the main armament of the Merkava Mark III. In 1998 the Israel Defense Prize was awarded to Israeli Military Industries for this development, which gave Israel the means to produce tank guns independently.
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This tank gun is very similar to the Rheinmetall L44 versions installed on German Leopard 2, United States' M1 Abrams, South Korean K1A1 and Japanese Type 90 main battle tanks. Though, it has a different recoil system, consisting of an optimized concentric retarder and pneumatic recuperator, and more compact overall dimensions, not exceeding those of the existing 105 mm Royal Ordnance M68 105 mm rifled gun of the Merkava Mark I and II, and M60 Patton.
There are two versions of IMI 120 mm gun: MG251 and MG253, the first of which fitted with a thermal sleeve, developed by Vishay Intertechnology, provided with a fume extractor which can be removed for maintenance without disturbing the actual sleeve, while the second also features a new compressed gas recoil system and a thermal sleeve developed by Vidco Industries.
Both versions fire a family of ammunition developed by IMI but can also fire French, German or US proper 120 mm NATO ammunition if required, may also fire LAHAT ATGM.
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