JERUSALEM — Israel will buy lots of of fight automobiles from Israel Aerospace Industries for the nation’s particular forces in a deal price greater than 100 million new shekel (U.S. $28 million), the Protection Ministry mentioned in a latest assertion.
The Directorate of Manufacturing and Procurement is buying IAI’s Negeva automobiles, referred to by the corporate as Z-MAG and ZD. The automobiles will vary in measurement, from 1.5 tons to 2.5 tons.
The manufacturing is being achieved in cooperation with Ido Cohen and The Armored Group, the ministry mentioned in its announcement.
Yoav Tourgeman, IAI vp and the CEO of its subsidiary Elta Methods, mentioned the division producing these automobiles and different floor functions was established three years in the past. He mentioned the Negeva’s growth follows the corporate’s profitable work on Israel’s future armored combating automobile program, Carmel. IAI was chosen by the Protection Ministry because the prime contractor for this system final yr.
The pinnacle of IAI, Boaz Levy, mentioned Carmel will “equip the IDF with probably the most superior tactical floor automobiles on the earth, that are extremely dependable and have distinctive capabilities.” He added that “IAI’s big selection of capabilities within the fields of intelligence, AI [artificial intelligence], distant sensing and communications are built-in in these land automobiles and can present important added worth to the operational capabilities within the subject of fight mobility.”
“Troopers are searching for the flexibility to drive in exhausting terrain with [a] dependable and simple-to-operate automobile,” Tourgeman mentioned in an interview. The IDF, he mentioned, put the Negeva by means of “exhausting exams,” and the brand new automobile didn’t lose its skills.
“They remained operational [in the] circumstances for [which they were] examined, the flexibility to cross land and water in a approach that no different automobile can do. And the flexibility to take a payload equal to the load of the automobile itself,” he mentioned.
Which means the 1.5-ton automobile can take as much as 1.5 tons of payload, and the two.5- and three.5-ton variations of the automobile can take 2.5 and three.5 tons in payload, respectively.
The IDF makes use of different automobiles, comparable to Humvees, and Israel’s Protection Ministry anticipates the IDF’s Nahal Brigade will quickly obtain its first eight-wheel drive Eitan armored combating automobiles. Israel can be buying new unmanned floor automobiles. The Negeva, which is able to go to IDF particular forces, is just not a substitute for the Humvee.
The Negeva can tackle new know-how, together with autonomous capabilities, to serve completely different operational wants, Tourgeman mentioned. The ministry famous in its assertion that the automobile can be utilized to ship provides and evacuate wounded folks.
The deputy director common and head of the Directorate of Manufacturing and Procurement, Avi Dadon, referred to as the Negeva buy a “important procurement deal for strengthening the IDF Particular Units’ power build-up.”
“This settlement will improve the export potential for these distinctive instruments and applied sciences,” Dadon added.
Seth Frantzman is the Israel correspondent for Protection News. He has been masking battle within the Center East since 2010. He has expertise masking the worldwide coalition in opposition to the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, and he’s a co-founder and govt director of the Center East Middle for Reporting and Evaluation.
