Through the Yom Kippur War, in 1973, the backbone of Israeli armored troops was formed by the American tanks M48A3 and M60A1. However, the significant losings suffered during the battles, launched a marked improvement program to boost the working effectiveness plus the reliability of Israel's tanks. Through the 1970s, more in detail, the Magach 6 was created on the basis of the American M60. Among the list of many modifications, such as the installation of a new fire control system while the improvement of this primary armament, probably the most visible modification ended up being the adoption of ERA (explosive reactive armor) protections, suited to reduce the effects of anti-tank tools and missiles adopted by the enemy armies. Between 1980 and 1990 the Magachs happen gradually changed by the absolute most modern and advanced Merkava tanks as Israel's front-line MBT (primary battle tanks). But the Magach 6, through continuous upgraded, has prepared several Israeli armored units until the mid-1990s.
