The Armored Vehicle Acceleration Project will be led by the Ministry’s Merkava and Armored Vehicles Directorate, working with the Defence Procurement Directorate, the Planning Department, and the IDF’s Ground Forces and Technological and Logistics Directorate. It aims to expand the inventory and increase production rates of Merkava Mk. 4 Barak tanks, Namer APCs, and Eitan wheeled APCs, including versions fitted with a 30mm cannon.
The initiative will also expand domestic production capacity, with efforts to strengthen defence industries across Israel and improve infrastructure at the IDF’s depot production facility. The Ministry of Defence stated that the project forms part of its broader defence-industrial base resilience strategy.
The decision to procure additional Israeli-made armoured vehicles follows their operational performance in combat. The Ministry reported that these platforms have accumulated more than one million kilometres in service since the beginning of the Swords of Iron War.
“This decision strengthens the defence industries in the periphery and the industrial base in general, alongside strengthening the IDF’s capabilities on the battlefield,” said Defence Minister Israel Katz. “Together with the Ministry of Defence Director General, we are promoting a procurement plan worth NIS 5 billion for the purchase of dozens of Merkava tanks and Namer and Eitan APCs, for the benefit of our soldiers and our security.”
IMOD Director General Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Baram added: “The plan we presented to the Defence Procurement Committee today is designed to provide the IDF with dozens of tanks and APCs in the coming years, while building the resilience of the local defence-industrial base. This is part of a broad plan to build the IDF’s strength, which is underway in the Ministry of Defence together with the IDF.”
The project will now move to the Knesset Joint Committee for Defence Budget for approval. Once endorsed, the Ministry of Defence will proceed with signing procurement contracts with multiple companies worth billions of shekels.
