Tel Aviv: The Israel Ministry of Defence (IMoD) Tank and APC Directorate and the IDF delivered the first series of Eitan APCs to the Nahal Brigade. Additionally, Nahal Brigade infantry soldiers operated the Eitan APCs in various simulated combat scenarios in a first-of-its-kind exercise in northern Israel.
Head of the IMoD Tank and APC Directorate, Brig Gen Oren Giber said that after several years of hard work in developing, testing, and manufacturing, the first serial production Eitan APCs have been delivered to the esteemed Nahal Infantry Brigade.
“The Eitan constitutes a ground-breaking leap forward in the field of wheeled combat vehicles, and is the first of its kind in the IDF. It offers a unique set of capabilities, including superior mobility and survivability for our fighting forces. It has the capability to fight alongside the Merkava Main Battle Tanks (c) and Namer Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs). This milestone achievement is the result of collaborative efforts across numerous industries, most of them domestic and some international, making it an exciting program,” Brig Gen Giber said.
“We are humbled and immensely proud to operationalize the first Eitan company in the Nahal infantry brigade. We recognize that each Eitan delivered to the IDF will replace older M113 vehicles, ensuring that our combat soldiers are equipped with state-of-the-art, highly protected and capable weapon systems, assisting them in securing victory on the battlefield and ensuring their safe return home,” he added.
Commander of the IDF Nahal Brigade, Col Oren Simcha said that the Nahal Brigade is proud to be the first in the IDF to receive the Eitan APC – a tool that will transform the brigade and allow us to become more operational, independent and protected.
“We understand the weight of this responsibility and the professional challenge involved in adopting this tool and thank the hundreds of professionals who took part in the planning, development, production and implementation of the Eitan APC,” commented Col Simcha.
Commander of the IDF Maintenance Centre in the Technological and Logistics Directorate, Col Yaniv Avitan said that the IDF Technological and Logistics Directorate’s maintenance centre is proud to lead the production of the Eitan APC among other key IDF systems and technologies.
” Our unit’s dedicated and professional personnel will continue to work around the clock together with our partners in the Israeli defence establishment and defence industry to ensure the Eitan APC’s operationalization. This will increase the mobility of the IDF ground forces and protect infantry soldiers in various types of combat,” remarked Col Avitan.
The Eitan Armoured Personnel Carrier has eight wheels, can carry twelve combat personnel, and is based on Merkava and Namer technologies. The 750-horsepower Eitan APC, developed by the Ministry of Defence Tank and APC Directorate, can drive at around 90 kilometres per hour, has high all-terrain manoeuvring capabilities, and can be in operational use for multiple days at a time.
Tank and APC Directorate engineers developed the APC incorporating state-of-the-art technologies such as peripheral cameras equipped with day and night vision to ensure security, front calculation and processing capabilities using computerized technology, and touch monitors and processors used for the system of systems.
The Iron Fist Active Protection System will also be implemented in the near future together with additional systems developed with Israeli security industries, the IDF Ground Forces, and the Ministry of Defence Directorate of Defence Research and Development (DDR&D).
The Eitan APC assembly process is carried out in the “Merkava” factory in the IDF’s Technological and Logistics Directorate.
-The writer is an Israel-based freelance journalist. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
