Rolls-Royce Solutions America has secured a $73.5 million deal to deliver propulsion system kits for Merkava main battle tanks operated by Israel.
Financed through FY2026 Foreign Military Sales funding, the contract runs through the end of 2032. It covers full and lite Merkava Power Pack Less Transmission kits, transport containers, and associated engineering and technical assistance. Oversight is being handled by the US Army Contracting Command at Detroit Arsenal.
The Merkava Mk 4 utilizes a 1,500-horsepower General Dynamics GD883 (MTU 883) V-12 turbo-diesel engine, offering a 25 percent power increase over the 1,200-horsepower units fitted in the earlier Mk 3 generation. This propulsion configuration is also compatible with the Namer infantry fighting vehicle built on a modified Merkava platform.
Rolls-Royce’s modular power-pack systems are intended to streamline sustainment and refurbishment cycles, improving fleet availability. The integrated unit combines the engine and supporting subsystems into a single replaceable module, allowing rapid swaps at the unit level and sharply cutting maintenance downtime.
The inclusion of both full and lite kits reflects a dual sustainment approach: comprehensive packages for deep maintenance and reset activities at depots, and lighter kits optimized for frontline servicing, high-wear component replacement, and configuration standardization across vehicle sub-variants.
