Defense Ministry unveils multi-year strategy to scale up Merkava tank and APC production, reinforcing military readiness and boosting Israel’s defense industry.
Israel’s Ministry of Defense (IMOD) has announced a sweeping new initiative to accelerate production of Israeli armored vehicles, aiming to bolster the IDF’s maneuvering power and enhance the resilience of the domestic defense industry. Valued at approximately $1.5 billion (over NIS 5 billion), the plan was presented to the Israel Defense Procurement Committee and will now move to the Knesset Joint Committee for Defense Budget for final approval.
The Armored Vehicle Acceleration Project—a collaboration between MANTAK (the Merkava and Armored Vehicles Directorate), the Defense Procurement Directorate, the IDF Ground Forces, and additional defense bodies—sets out a five-year roadmap to significantly expand the IDF’s armored fleet. Central to the plan is the increased production of the Merkava Mk. 4 Barak tanks, Namer armored personnel carriers (APCs), and Eitan wheeled APCs, including turreted variants with 30mm cannons.
In parallel, the initiative will strengthen Israel’s defense-industrial base by investing in production infrastructure across the country, particularly in peripheral regions. Upgrades to the IDF’s depot production facility are also included as part of the Ministry's broader resilience strategy.