TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
Over 2000 of all variants. Around 460 were know to have been delivered of the MkIV with production on going andthe Nammer which is a Merkava 3-4 hull modified to serve as an APC and IFV.They use them as high low combo right? Israel doesn’t have remotely enough Merkava to equip their entire army.
The vehicles you mentioned are at best reserve.
No type 59 can't but then again this is an heavy INFANTRY Fighting Vehicle not a tank.Using the 99A makes sense in order to allow it to tank ATGM and 120mm tank shells, I doubt the Type 59 platform can do this? I could be wrong though
An HIFV would trade off the tank turret for an autocannon turret.
The Type 99 cannot fit an Infantry squad into it without removing the Autoloader and massive changes to the interior. Same for Type 59. You can't duel role a tank into an IFV. It's one or the other.
Merkava can in an emergency carry troops but at a cost it looses ammo. It can also do this because the Merkava is unique among tanks it has a forward engine where everything else uses a rear engine. Most IFV have forward mounted powerpacks the one exception I can think of being the BMP3 But have you ever seen Russian troops load into One? It's not practical.
The T55 conversions have followed one of two roots the Isreali vehicle which was no an IFV but an APC changed the power pack and created a door way to the side of the smaller power pack the russians used this on there BTR-T which is more of a fighting vehicle then An infantry vehicle. The other root taken has been to turn the tank around. This is what the Chinese did with the VN11 vehicle.
The same would apply to any other MBT conversion to a HIFV.
Every HIFV I can think of that enjoyed any real practical value or success has traded off the tank gun and turret for a smaller IFV turret.