Israel in Talks to Sell Surplus Merkava Tanks to Morocco, Defense Official Says

The news was announced by Yair Kulas, director of SIBAT, the international defense cooperation unit of the Ministry of Defense. Speaking to the financial newspaper Calcalist, Kulas said he plans to promote the sale of surplus equipment from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). "There are several hundred million shekels at stake. The world is looking for systems, and production takes time. Not everyone has time to wait," Kulas was quoted by Times Israel.

The Merkava tanks have been the mainstay of the Israel Defense Forces since the 1980s, the same source points out. Recently, the IDF has replaced most of its Merkava Mark 3 models with more recent Mark 4 models. The sale, if it materializes, would likely include the Merkava Mark 2 and some Merkava Mark 3 tanks, introduced in the 1990s. In addition, Kulas announced that other surplus equipment, such as military ships and armored personnel carriers, will also be put up for sale following the acquisition by the IDF of more advanced systems.