Manufacturer catalog

Merkava and Armored Vehicles Directorate (MANTAK)

The Merkava and Armored Vehicles Directorate (MANTAK) is the Israel Ministry of Defense organization responsible for Israel's indigenous tank and armored-vehicle production base, including the Merkava, Namer, and Eitan families.

3 weapons

MANTAK is the Israel Ministry of Defense directorate behind Israel's indigenous tank and armored-vehicle production line. Official ministry material traces the organization to the 1970 Tank and APC Administration, established after Israel chose to reduce reliance on foreign tank suppliers and build national design and production capacity.

The directorate's work combines government program management, IDF depot production facilities, and a network of Israeli defense industries. IMOD describes the organization as responsible for design, development, and production of Israeli tanks while also establishing and expanding related industrial capabilities.

Its public armored-vehicle portfolio centers on the Merkava main battle tank line and the protected troop carriers derived from that industrial base. Recent IMOD announcements identify MANTAK as the lead organization for accelerating production of Merkava Mk. 4 Barak tanks, Namer APCs, and Eitan wheeled APCs.

tank programsarmored vehicle productiontracked APC programswheeled APC programsground maneuver systemsdefense industrial base

Notable Systems

Merkava Mk 4 main battle tank, Main battle tank, Tanks

Merkava Mk 4 main battle tank

Main battle tank

IMOD identifies the Merkava line as the directorate's signature tank program, and its 2025 production plan names Merkava Mk. 4 Barak tanks among the MANTAK-led production lines.

Sources: Merkava and Armored Vehicles Directorate, 2025 armored vehicle acceleration plan
Namer, Heavy armored personnel carrier / infantry fighting vehicle, Armored Vehicles

Namer APC

Heavy armored personnel carrier / infantry fighting vehicle

The 2025 IMOD armored-vehicle acceleration plan explicitly names the Namer APC as one of the production lines led by MANTAK.

Sources: 2025 armored vehicle acceleration plan
Eitan wheeled armored personnel carrier, Wheeled armored personnel carrier, Armored Vehicles

Eitan APC

Wheeled armored personnel carrier

The 2023 IMOD release says the Tank and APC Directorate developed and delivered the first Eitan APCs to the IDF Nahal Brigade.

Sources: First Eitan APCs delivered to the Nahal Brigade

Manufacturer History

  1. Israel establishes the Tank and APC Administration

    The official IMOD history says Israel created the Tank and APC Administration in 1970 to reduce dependence on foreign tank suppliers and build an indigenous production base.

    Sources: Merkava and Armored Vehicles Directorate

  2. First Eitan APCs delivered to the IDF

    IMOD announced that the Tank and APC Directorate had developed, manufactured, and delivered the first Eitan APCs to the Nahal Brigade for operational exercise use.

    Sources: First Eitan APCs delivered to the Nahal Brigade

  3. IMOD approves expanded tank and APC production

    IMOD said the MANTAK-led armored vehicle acceleration project would increase production of Merkava Mk. 4 Barak tanks, Namer APCs, and Eitan wheeled APCs.

    Sources: 2025 armored vehicle acceleration plan

Website links
Official IMOD directorate page2025 armored vehicle acceleration planFirst Eitan APCs delivered to the Nahal Brigade

Official IMOD material uses overlapping English names for the same armored-vehicle directorate lineage: Tank and APC Administration, Tank and APC Directorate, and Merkava and Armored Vehicles Directorate (MANTAK).

Manufacturer Sources

  • Merkava and Armored Vehicles DirectoratePublisher: Israel Ministry of Defense | Note: Supports the directorate's official naming, its 1970 origin as the Tank and APC Administration, and its design, development, and production role for Israel's armored vehicles. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • 2025 armored vehicle acceleration planPublisher: Israel Ministry of Defense | Note: Supports the MANTAK acronym and the 2025 production-expansion plan that names Merkava Mk. 4 Barak tanks, Namer APCs, and Eitan wheeled APCs. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • First Eitan APCs delivered to the Nahal BrigadePublisher: Israel Ministry of Defense | Note: Supports the directorate's development and production role for the Eitan APC and the handoff from development to IDF delivery. | Accessed: 2026-07-11
  • Janes Israel ramps up tank and APC productionPublisher: Janes | Note: Independent defense reporting confirming the August 2025 armored-vehicle acceleration plan, MANTAK's lead role, and the listed Merkava Mk 4 Barak, Namer, and Eitan production lines. | Accessed: 2026-07-11

Produced weapons

Category

Armored Vehicles

Troop carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, and protected mobility.

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Ofek, Heavy armored command and support vehicle, Armored Vehicles2023 Israel-Hamas WarOfekHeavy armored command and support vehicleBuilt in: IsraelOfek is an Israeli Merkava-derived heavy armored command and support vehicle, converted from older Merkava tank hulls to give command, medical, logistical, rescue, and other support teams tank-level protected mobility. Open defense reporting places Ofek vehicles with Israeli forces in the 2023 Israel-Hamas War and describes the type as a protected command-and-control node rather than a frontline infantry carrier like Namer.

Category

Tanks

Heavy armor built around direct fire, protection, and battlefield shock.

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