Israeli Ministry of Defense unveils its new Eitan 8x8 APC armoured vehicle personnel carrier 10108163

Defence & Security News - Israel
 
Israeli Ministry of Defense unveils its new Eitan 8x8 APC armoured vehicle personnel carrier.
Today, August 1, 2016, the Israeli Ministry of Defense (MoD) has unveiled a new 8x8 armoured vehicle personnel carrier (APC) called Eitan. According the Israeli MoD, the vehicle will replace the old tracked armoured personnel carrier M113 in service with the Israeli army since many years.
     
     
The new Eitan has a weight from 30,000 to 35,000 kg and can carry a total of 12 military personnel including commander, driver and gunner. The vehicle will be fitted with a new generation of active protection system based on the Trophy Active Protection System developed by the Israeli Defense Company Rafael to counter RPG and modern anti-tank missile threats.
 

Brigadier General Baruch Matzliah, head of the Ministry’s Tank Production Office, said " The Eitan was developed from the experience of Israeli troop during the Israel-Gaza conflict 2014 and the Operation Protective Edge". "This new vehicle will join the fleet of Namer tracked armoured vehicle personnel carrier to offer one of the most advanced, protected wheeled combat vehicle.", he added.

Israeli MOD, said that the Tank Production Office and the Israeli Ground Forces command have just started field tests to control the performances of the vehicle in various conditions.

The Eitan is motorized with a 750 horsepower engine and will be able to reach a 90 km/h road speed. The vehicle will be fitted with an unmanned turret armed with an automatic cannon of 30 or 40 mm.

As many other armies in the world, IDF (Israel Defense Forces) have make the choice to use wheeled armoured vehicle which offers more mobility with a ground pressure considerably higher than that of their tracked armoured counterparts. Modern wheeled combat vehicle also can offer the same level of firepower of main battle tank, as the Italian Centauro which can be armed with a 120mm gun.