The Israel Ministry of Defense Tank & 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: "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 groundbreaking 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 (MBTs) 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. 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.”

Commander of the IDF Nahal Brigade, Col. Oren Simcha: “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.”

Commander of the IDF Maintenance Center in the Technological and Logistics Directorate, Col. Yaniv Avitan: “The IDF Technological and Logistics Directorate’s maintenance center 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 defense establishment and defense 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.”

Eitan APC - Background Information:


The Eitan Armored 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 Defense Tank and APC Directorate, can drive at around 90 kilometers per hour, has high all-terrain maneuvering 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 Defense Directorate of Defense 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.