Magach 7 Tank (Patton)

MAGACH 7 TANK (PATTON)
STATE MEDAL 5764/2004
10th in the “Tanks that Made History” Series

Just as the Israeli Air Force controls the skies of the country and protects from above, the Armored Corps ensures ground protection. This series of medals is dedicated to the Armored Corps and salutes “the soldier in the tank” – the tens of thousands of men and women who have served and fought in the Armored Corps since the establishment of the State of Israel. After the First Lebanon War in 1982, the Israeli Defense Forces began developing modern ballistic protection packages for tanks, including the Magach 6 Tanks which were originally American-made Patton M60s. Israel had to invest numerous resources in order to develop the required protection solutions. This led to the development of a modern, modular protection package for the Magach 6 Tanks, renamed Magach 7 following the fitting of the protective armor. The tanks were also fitted with higher capacity engines and fire control systems. The Magach 7 Tanks have proven their performance along the Lebanese border, as well as in Judea and Samaria and the Gaza Strip. A Magach 7 Tank is on display at the Latrun “Armored Corps Memorial Site”.

Obverse: The Patton 7 in motion along mountainous terrain; the inscription “MAGACH 7 PATTON (M60)”, appears along the bottom section of the medal in Hebrew and English.

Reverse: A war chariot from the period of Israel’s Kings with the words and source in Hebrew and English “Chariots of Salvation”, “Habakkuk 8”; the Armored Corps emblem appears in the lower part of the medal.

Edge: State emblem with the words "STATE OF ISRAEL" inscribed in Hebrew on the right and in English on the left; the serial number and metal.

Designer: Eliezer Weishoff.

Engraving: Tidhar Dagan.

Mint: Hecht Ltd., Israel