Defense Ministry tests new defense system on advanced Eitan APC
Iron Fist, developed by Elbit, tracks and intercepts incoming missiles; will eventually be deployed on military’s armored bulldozers too
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
The Defense Ministry on Monday announced a successful test of an in-development missile defense system for the military’s new advanced armored personnel carrier, and potentially for its armored bulldozers.
The system, dubbed Iron Fist and developed by Elbit Systems, was fitted on an Eitan APC in the test. The ministry said it would also be deployed to the military’s D9 bulldozers once the development is complete.
The Eitan is an eight-wheeled lightweight vehicle that combines technologies from the Merkava tank and the Namer APC. It was built partially in response to lessons learned from the 2014 Gaza war, and will replace the Israel Defense Forces’ current M113 fully tracked APCs.
The Iron Fist, similar to the TROPHY system currently deployed on the IDF’s Merkava tanks and Namer APCs, blocks incoming anti-tank missiles and rockets.
The new system is made up of a radar and electrooptic detection system that spots incoming missiles and predicts their trajectories, and launchers that fire projectiles, causing the incoming missile or rocket to detonate away from the APC or bulldozer.
The system also pinpoints the source of the attack, allowing the soldiers inside the APC to return fire more quickly.
The ministry said the recent test involved launching antitank missiles at the APC “in various challenging scenarios.”
The Head of the ministry’s Defense Tank and APC Directorate, Brig. Gen. Oren Giber, who has been working on delivering new Eitan units to the IDF, said the Iron Fist was “an important part of this project.”
“It is currently in advanced stages of development and deployment to the Eitan APC and the bulldozer, undergoing rigorous trials to ensure its suitability for the battlefield,” Giber said.
The chief of the IDF Ground Forces, Brig. Gen. Aviram Sela, hailed the test of the system, saying it would “enhance protection measures for forces on the battlefield.”
In the summer, the Defense Ministry delivered the first Eitan to the IDF.
The Eitan is intended to give troops greater speed and mobility — it can reach 90 kilometers per hour (56 mph) — as well as better security.
Each APC requires the production of approximately one million parts, including over 20 tons of steel, 30 kilometers of welding wire, six kilometers of power and communication cable, and about 70 liters of paint.
