Eitan APC (Tank and APC Directorate, Israel Ministry of Defense)
Israel is known for its defense industries and for innovating many foreign made arms such as fighter planes as well as developing its own weapons systems. But sometimes it must acquire what it needs from abroad. And so, following a process led by the Ministry of Defense’s Procurement Mission in cooperation with the Tank and APC Directorate, the American corporation Oshkosh Defense was selected to produce hundreds of “Eitan” APC hulls.
The deal between the procurement mission and “Oshkosh Defense” is estimated to be over 100 million dollars, financed by American aid funds.
Israel took the American made Patton tanks and added all new cannons with computerized firing systems as well as additional armor specially developed in Israel. But then Israel developed its own tank called the Merkava. And Israel Aircraft Industries also made innovations on a number of American made fighter jets.
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Developed by the Merkava and Armored Vehicles Directorate in the IMOD, the “Eitan” APC (armored personnel carrier) is also known as an AFV (armored fighting vehicle). It is the first vehicle of its kind on wheels and it looks from the top like a tank, but without the cannon.
The hulls that will arrive in Israel in about a year and a half will immediately join the production line. Once fully assembled, the vehicles will be transferred for operational use, thus significantly expanding the number of armored APCs used by the IDF.
The “Eitan” is the most advanced wheeled APC of its kind in the world. It can carry 12 personnel at maximum-level protection, incorporates the “Iron Fist” active defense system, and includes advanced fire and control systems. This month, the Ministry of Defense will deliver the first operational APCs to the IDF’s “Nahal” Brigade.
Head of the Tank and APC Directorate in the Israel Ministry of Defense, Brig. Gen. Oren Giber said, “The contract with Oshkosh Defense is an important milestone in the ‘Eitan’ project. This step allows us to expand the project’s production resources to provide advanced APCs to the IDF.”
“This agreement may also present further opportunities for the Ministry of Defense and Israeli defense industries to export the ‘Eitan’ APC and its deployed systems,” he added.
Head of the IMoD Procurement Mission, Brig. Gen. (res.) Michel Ben Baruch:
“The tight-knit and fruitful cooperation between the procurement mission, led by the head of the delegation’s land procurement division, and the Tank and APC Directorate made this successful process possible. This agreement, like many others, is thanks to our ironclad alliance with our American partners.”
Founded in 1917 and based in Wisconsin, Oshkosh Defense produces military vehicles and mobility systems. Oshkosh develops and applies emerging technologies that advance troop safety and mission success.
