Free Republic

Ministry of Defense shows off new APC turret.. (photo credit:DEFENSE MINISTRY) The Defense Ministry has started testing an upgraded version of its Namer heavy armored personnel carrier, fitted for the first time with a 30mm turret to make it better suited for urban combat. “An APC equipped with a turret and cannon gives it an advantage during urban warfare,” stated Brig.-Gen. Baruch Matzliach, head of the Tank Program Administration. “The shortened cannon makes it more maneuverable, and [gives] the ability to provide firepower to infantry soldiers. It also lets infantry soldiers be more independent on the battlefield, with less dependence...

The move ends the dream of extensive collaboration with General Dynamics in mass production of the armored personnel carrier. In October 2010, General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) won the Ministry of Defense tender for the manufacture of the chassis and other key components for 386 Namer (Leopard) armored personnel carriers (APCs). Now, just over three years later, the Ministry of Defense is renegotiating the contract. The IDF's current five-year plan has forced the ministry to more than halve the order to 170 Namers. Israel will have to pay a fine, which could be as high as $17 million, for changing...

Barak to Gates: Buy 'Namer' Vehicles for US Army by Gil Ronen Defense Minister Ehud Barak met with his American counterpart, Robert Gates, in Washington Monday. The two reportedly discussed various issues pertaining to maintaining Israel's qualitative military advantage over its neighbors, the Iranian threat, and the situation in Lebanon, as well as continuing the nations' cooperation on active defense systems against rockets and missiles fired at Israel. Barak also tried to convince Gates that the US military should purchase Israel-produced Namer [pronounced Nuh-MEHR, the word means 'tiger' in Hebrew] infantry fighting vehicles. The Namer IFV is based on a...