Sabra

The Sabra is a family of main battle tank upgrade packages developed by Israel Military Industries (IMI) for the export market. Evolving from the Magach 7C, the Sabra was designed to improve the ballistic profile of existing armored vehicles and integrate the IMI MG253 120 mm gun. The Turkish government selected the Sabra Mk II variant for its M60 modernization program as a stopgap measure, signing a contract in March 2002. The first Mk II was delivered for Turkish trials in 2005 and passed qualifications in May 2006. Upgrades were conducted between 2007 and 2009 by the Turkish Army’s 2nd Main Maintenance Center Command using kits supplied by IMI.

The Sabra Mk I features improved appliqué armor and the Elbit Systems Knight fire control system. It replaced the hybrid electric and hydraulic turret traverse system of previous models with an all-electric system and utilized upgraded running gear for cross-country mobility. The Mk II variant, designated M60T in Turkish service, incorporates explosive reactive armor and a Commander’s Independent Thermal Viewer (CITV). It retains the M19 cupola with a 12.7 mm M85 machine gun and uses a diesel engine built under license in Turkey, paired with a Renk transmission featuring four forward and two reverse gears. The Sabra Mk III incorporates armor technology, cannon systems, and tracks from the Merkava Mk IV, along with Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) and Infrared (IR) warning systems.

The primary armament for the Sabra is the 120 mm MG253 smoothbore gun, supported by a payload of 42 rounds. Secondary armament consists of 7.62 mm coaxial machine guns, a 12.7 mm machine gun, and a 60 mm internal mortar. Most systems for the M60T, excluding the armor package, were built under license in Turkey through technology transfer.

The Turkish Land Forces operate the Sabra Mk II, having modernized its M60A1 fleet with Israeli cooperation. These vehicles have seen combat in Turkish military operations in Syria, including offensives against Kurdish forces.