Eitan Armored Personnel Carrier

History

The Eitan is an Israeli 8x8 wheeled armored personnel carrier developed for the Israel Defense Forces as a modern replacement for aging M113 armored personnel carriers. It was designed to complement the heavier tracked Namer while providing protected troop transport with higher road mobility.

The vehicle was developed by Israel's Merkava and Armoured Vehicles Directorate in cooperation with the IDF Ground Forces. Its design incorporates technologies associated with the Merkava and Namer programs, while using a wheeled chassis with a road speed of about 90 km/h.

The Eitan entered serial production in 2022, and the Nahal Infantry Brigade became the first IDF formation to receive the vehicle in May 2023. By 2026, an Eitan had also been photographed during training fitted with the Hetz Dorban hard-kill active protection system, marketed internationally by Elbit Systems as Iron Fist.

Development and production

Development followed lessons identified after Operation Protective Edge in 2014. The new vehicle was intended to replace part of the IDF's long-serving M113 fleet while complementing the tracked Namer. The first Eitan was publicly unveiled in August 2016. An Army Technology profile identifies the Merkava and Armoured Vehicles Directorate as the manufacturer and describes the platform as an advanced 8x8 APC developed for the IDF.

In August 2019, the Israeli Ministry of Defense selected Elbit Systems' Iron Fist Light Decoupled active protection system for the Eitan following a competitive process. In December 2022, the ministry announced that Oshkosh Defense had been selected to manufacture Eitan hulls in the United States. An Army Recognition technical profile records the 2022 production phase and the subsequent delivery of the first vehicles to the Nahal Brigade in May 2023.

Open-source accounts state that serial production began in 2022. The first batch was delivered to the Nahal Brigade in May 2023, making it the first Israeli infantry formation equipped with the type.

Design

The Eitan uses an 8x8 wheeled configuration. The engine and driver are located toward the front, the combat module occupies the central part of the vehicle, and the troop compartment is at the rear. Infantry enter and leave through a hydraulically operated rear ramp.

The vehicle is designed for a crew of three and nine infantry passengers, for a total of 12 personnel. Reported combat weight varies by source between about 30 and 35 tonnes. The wheeled driveline and run-flat tires allow the vehicle to continue moving after tire damage under limited conditions.

Protection

The hull combines passive armor modules with a raised and protected floor intended to reduce the effects of mines and improvised explosive devices. The design also incorporates composite armor technology. Earlier descriptions of pre-series vehicles did not consistently show an active protection system, but the Israeli Ministry of Defense selected Iron Fist Light Decoupled for the Eitan in 2019.

Images published by the Israel Defense Forces in August 2026 showed an Eitan of the 933rd Nahal Infantry Brigade fitted with Hetz Dorban during a training exercise. Hetz Dorban is the Israeli designation associated with Elbit Systems' Iron Fist family. According to a September 2026 report, the system uses radar and optical sensors to detect incoming threats and launches a countermeasure intended to intercept or divert them before impact.

Mobility

The Eitan is powered by a diesel engine rated at about 750 horsepower. Reported maximum road speed is approximately 90 km/h, with some sources describing it as exceeding 90 km/h. Open-source technical data give a road range of about 1,000 km. A separate equipment database identifies the engine as an MTU 6V890 diesel coupled to an Allison 4800 SP transmission.

Armament

The armored personnel carrier configuration is equipped with a remotely operated weapon station carrying a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun. Some published configurations also show or describe an additional 7.62 mm machine gun. The platform was designed to accept heavier remotely operated turrets for an infantry fighting vehicle configuration.

Operational history

The Nahal Infantry Brigade received the first Eitan vehicles in May 2023. Open-source accounts report that the brigade used the Eitan in combat during the Battle of Zikim on 7 October 2023 and later during operations in the Gaza Strip. The vehicle has since continued to appear in both operational and training use.

By August 2026, IDF imagery showed an Eitan taking part in a training exercise while fitted with the Hetz Dorban active protection system. This provided visible evidence that the protection system selected in 2019 had been integrated on at least one Eitan used by an operational IDF brigade. An open-source chronology also records the 2016 unveiling, 2022 serial-production start, and 2023 introduction with the Nahal Brigade.

Variants

• Eitan APC: Armored personnel carrier configuration for a crew of three and nine infantry passengers. The standard published armament is a remotely operated 12.7 mm heavy machine gun.
• Eitan IFV: Infantry fighting vehicle configuration described with a remotely operated turret carrying a 30 mm or 40 mm automatic cannon and provision for Spike anti-tank guided missiles. Available sources indicate that this configuration had not entered IDF service.

Operators

• Israel: Israel Defense Forces. The 933rd Nahal Infantry Brigade became the first unit to receive the Eitan in May 2023.

Specifications (Eitan APC)

General characteristics

• Configuration: 8x8 wheeled armored personnel carrier
• Crew: 3
• Passengers: 9 infantry personnel
• Total personnel: 12
• Combat weight: approximately 30-35 tonnes
• Length: approximately 8.0 m
• Engine: diesel, approximately 750 hp
• Drive: 8x8

Performance

• Maximum road speed: approximately 90 km/h
• Reported road range: approximately 1,000 km
• Tires: run-flat system

Armament and protection

• Main armament: remotely operated 12.7 mm heavy machine gun
• Armor: modular passive and composite armor with protected floor against mine and IED blast effects
• Active protection: Hetz Dorban / Iron Fist family system selected for the Eitan in 2019 and observed fitted during IDF training in 2026

Related equipment

The Eitan was developed to replace part of the Israel Defense Forces' M113 armored personnel carrier fleet. It complements the tracked Namer armored personnel carrier, which provides a heavier protected troop-transport capability.