Armored Vehicles

Eitan wheeled armored personnel carrier

Also known as
  • Eitan
  • Eitan APC
  • Eitan 8x8
  • Eitan AFV

The Eitan is Israel's 8x8 wheeled armored personnel carrier, developed by the Defense Ministry's Tank and APC Directorate with Israeli final assembly and Oshkosh-produced hulls to replace older M113s. It entered IDF service with the Nahal Brigade in 2023, saw its combat debut during the October 7 fighting, and was later adapted in Gaza for protected troop movement and casualty evacuation.

Eitan wheeled armored personnel carrier, Wheeled armored personnel carrier, Armored Vehicles
Image source: Commons Eitan front-view combat-zone photo

Role in Conflicts

Replacement Context

The Eitan was built as a modernization step, not just a new troop carrier: the Ministry of Defense says each vehicle delivered to the IDF replaces an older M113.

Legacy systemEitan roleWhy it matters
M113, Armored personnel carrier, Armored VehiclesM113Replacement APCThe Eitan brings a wheeled chassis, higher road speed, and a more survivable protected-mobility profile to the same basic infantry-transport mission.
Profile / Specs

Specifications

Wheel layout
8x8
Troop capacity
12 combat personnel
Engine power
750 hp
Road speed
Around 90 km/h
Operational endurance
Multiple days of use
Base technologies
Merkava and Namer
Armament options
Remote turret with 30 mm cannon, Spike guided missiles, and coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun
Active protection
Iron Fist active protection system integration
Situational awareness
Peripheral day/night cameras, computerized processing, touch monitors, and processors
Variants

The Eitan family centers on a wheeled APC chassis that appears in personnel-carrier, armed, command, and medical configurations.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
Turreted EitanArmed remote-turret configuration

Specialist reporting described a turret fit with a 30 mm cannon, Spike guided missiles, and a coaxial 7.62 mm machine gun.

Sources: Defense Update on Eitan armament

Eitan command vehicleCommand configuration

Defense Update described a command vehicle as one of the planned Eitan family variants alongside APC and infantry combat vehicle configurations.

Sources: Defense Update on Eitan armament

Eitan ambulance APCProtected casualty-evacuation adaptation

Gaza reporting described a medical adaptation able to carry two severely wounded soldiers while treatment continued during movement.

Sources: Ynet on Eitan APCs in Gaza

Launched Missiles

Defense Update described the Eitan's armament fit as including Spike guided missiles.

Launched itemItem typeLaunch evidence
SPIKE anti-tank guided-missile family, Anti-tank guided missile family, Infantry WeaponsSPIKE anti-tank guided-missile familyAnti-tank guided missile family

Defense Update described the Eitan's armament fit as including Spike guided missiles.

Sources: Defense Update on Eitan armament

Mounted Machine Guns

Defense Update said some Eitan variants would receive a lighter turret mounting a 7.62 mm machine gun.

AmmunitionAmmunition typeFiring evidence
7.62 mm machine gun, Belt-fed general-purpose / vehicle-mounted 7.62 mm machine gun class, Infantry Weapons7.62 mm machine gunMachine gun

Defense Update said some Eitan variants would receive a lighter turret mounting a 7.62 mm machine gun.

Sources: Defense Update on Eitan armament

Survivability Systems

Elbit and specialist reporting described Iron Fist Light Decoupled integration as part of the Eitan's survivability package.

Compatible itemItem typeCompatibility evidence
Iron Fist Light Decoupled active protection system, Active protection system, Support EquipmentIron Fist Light Decoupled active protection systemActive protection system

Elbit said the Israeli Ministry of Defense selected and contracted for Iron Fist Light Decoupled systems for Eitan wheeled AFVs, and specialist reporting later described Eitan integration testing.

Sources: Elbit IFLD selection for Eitan, Elbit Eitan Iron Fist contract, Defense Update on Iron Fist integration

Timeline

Eitan wheeled armored personnel carrier Key Events

  1. Eitan unveiled

    Defense Update reported the Eitan as Israel's first wheeled armored fighting vehicle and a future M113 replacement family.

    Sources: Defense Update on Eitan debut and configurations

  2. Oshkosh selected to build Eitan hulls

    Oshkosh said the Israeli Ministry of Defense had selected it to produce Eitan APC hulls, a contract the company described as worth more than $100 million.

    Sources: Oshkosh selected to produce Eitan hulls

  3. IMOD finalizes Oshkosh hull procurement

    The Israel Ministry of Defense said it had signed the Oshkosh agreement for hundreds of Eitan hulls, with hulls to move into Israeli final assembly before IDF operational use.

    Sources: Eitan APC procurement agreement finalized

  4. First Eitan APCs delivered to the Nahal Brigade

    The Israeli Ministry of Defense delivered the first Eitan APCs to the IDF Nahal Brigade and said each vehicle was replacing an older M113.

    Sources: First Eitan APCs delivered to the IDF Nahal Brigade

  5. Gaza combat debut

    Walla reported that Eitan APCs fought near Zikim on October 7, while later Ynet reporting described Gaza use for wounded evacuation and operational incursions.

    Sources: Walla on Eitan APC at Zikim, Jerusalem Post on Zikim Beach battle, Ynet on Eitan APCs in Gaza, IMOD war-efforts conference

Gaza Combat Adaptations

In Gaza, the Eitan quickly moved beyond troop transport. Reporting describes October 7 combat near Zikim, later protected evacuation missions, and a field ambulance APC adaptation.

AdaptationSource-backed detailOperational takeaway
Initial combat useReporting tied the Eitan to the October 7 fighting near Zikim.The vehicle entered the war as an operational combat platform, not only a new procurement item.
Rapid evacuationNahal Brigade soldiers used the vehicles to extract wounded troops from combat areas.The APC filled an armored casualty-evacuation role under fire.
Ambulance APCMedical teams developed an Eitan-based ambulance APC that could carry two severely wounded soldiers while treatment continued in transit.The chassis was adapted into a protected battlefield medical platform.
Scale of useReporting described more than 250 wounded evacuated, 150 blood packs administered, and eight APCs issued directly to Gaza in recent months.The vehicle was being used operationally at meaningful scale, not as a one-off test.
Media

Eitan wheeled armored personnel carrier Videos

Eitan wheeled armored personnel carrier Images

Eitan wheeled armored personnel carrier, Wheeled armored personnel carrier, Armored Vehicles - view 1
Source: Commons Eitan side-view photo
Eitan wheeled armored personnel carrier, Wheeled armored personnel carrier, Armored Vehicles - view 2
Source: Commons two-Eitan combat photo
Related Weapon Systems
M113, Armored personnel carrier, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesM113Armored personnel carrierA lightweight tracked armored personnel carrier that became a long-lived family of troop, command, mortar, medical, missile, and field-conversion vehicles. Its use spans Vietnam-era ACAV combat adaptations, Desert Storm coalition service, U.S. and partner-supplied Ukrainian evacuation and mobility vehicles, Israeli remote explosive conversions in Gaza, Egyptian M113s under IED threat in Sinai, Yemen service, and captured Iraqi Army vehicles used by Islamic State.
IAI Heron TP, Strategic medium-altitude long-endurance UAV, Aircraft & UAVsAircraft & UAVsIAI Heron TPStrategic medium-altitude long-endurance UAVThe IAI Heron TP is the large strategic member of Israel Aerospace Industries' Heron UAV family, known in Israeli Air Force service as Eitan. It is built for long-range, high-altitude intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, reconnaissance, and multi-payload missions, with official specifications listing a 5,670 kg maximum takeoff weight, more than 30 hours endurance, beyond-line-of-sight SATCOM operation, and payload capacity far above the smaller Heron 1. Conflict sourcing ties the type to Israeli Operation Cast Lead ISR, Iron Swords surveillance sorties, and Operation Rising Lion missions over Iran, while official German program sources document a customized German Heron TP configuration for Bundeswehr ISR service.
Walid armored personnel carrier, 4x4 wheeled armored personnel carrier, Armored VehiclesArmored VehiclesWalid armored personnel carrier4x4 wheeled armored personnel carrierThe Walid, also rendered Al Walid or Waleed, is an Egyptian 4x4 armored personnel carrier produced by Kader Factory for Developed Industries. Open sources describe it as a BTR-40-like open-topped APC using a German Magirus-Deutz/UNIMOG-derived truck chassis made under licence in Egypt with a locally produced armored body, two crew, space for about ten troops, a pintle 7.62 mm machine gun, central tire-pressure regulation, and no amphibious, NBC, or night-vision equipment. It first saw combat in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, later appeared in captured Israeli service, and was followed in Egyptian production by the Fahd APC family.

Sources

First Eitan APCs delivered to the IDF Nahal BrigadePublisher: Israel Ministry of Defense | Note: Supports Eitan APC specifications and development background, including the eight-wheel layout, 12-person capacity, 750 hp engine, 90 km/h speed, sensor/control fit, and Merkava-factory assembly. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Eitan APC procurement agreement finalizedPublisher: Israel Ministry of Defense | Note: Supports manufacturer and procurement background: IMOD signed the Oshkosh agreement for hundreds of Eitan hulls, developed by the Tank and APC Directorate, with final assembly and operational transfer in Israel. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Oshkosh selected to produce Eitan hullsPublisher: Oshkosh Defense | Note: Supports manufacturer background: Oshkosh Defense was selected by the Israeli Ministry of Defense to produce Eitan APC hulls for the IDF. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Elbit IFLD selection for EitanPublisher: Elbit Systems | Note: Supports Eitan integration with Iron Fist Light Decoupled active protection and describes its optical sensors, tracking radar, launchers, countermeasure munitions, and 360-degree coverage. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Elbit Eitan Iron Fist contractPublisher: Elbit Systems | Note: Supports the Israeli Ministry of Defense contract for Elbit to equip IDF Eitan wheeled AFVs with Iron Fist Light Decoupled systems. | Accessed: 2026-07-03IMOD war-efforts conferencePublisher: Israel Ministry of Defense | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hamas War direct-use: the Eitan APC was used by the IDF in Gaza combat operations, and the war marked its combat debut. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Ynet on Eitan APCs in GazaPublisher: Ynetnews | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hamas War direct-use: the Eitan APC was used by the IDF in Gaza for rapid wounded evacuation, an ambulance variant able to carry two severely wounded soldiers, and later operational incursions during the fighting. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Walla on Eitan APC at ZikimPublisher: Walla | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hamas War direct-use: the IDF used the Eitan APC in the October 7, 2023 fighting near Zikim. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Jerusalem Post on Zikim Beach battlePublisher: The Jerusalem Post | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hamas War direct-use: Nahal Brigade reinforcements deployed to Zikim Beach in Eitan AFVs on October 7, 2023, and the battle involved the Eitan AFV's first combat use. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Commons Eitan front-view combat-zone photoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and CC BY-SA 3.0 licensing for the IDF-released Eitan APC front-view combat-zone photo. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Commons Eitan side-view photoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and CC BY-SA 3.0 licensing for the IDF-released Eitan APC side-view photo. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Commons two-Eitan combat photoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and CC BY-SA 3.0 licensing for the IDF-released photo showing two Eitan APCs in combat. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Defense Update on Eitan armamentPublisher: Defense Update | Note: Supports the Eitan turret fit described with a 30 mm cannon, Spike guided missiles, and a coaxial 7.62 machine gun, plus APC, command, and infantry combat vehicle family variants. | Accessed: 2026-07-03Defense Update on Eitan debut and configurationsPublisher: Defense Update | Note: Supports background on the Eitan's 2016 unveiling, wheeled APC role, replacement context, and planned family/configuration logic. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Defense Update on Iron Fist integrationPublisher: Defense Update | Note: Supports background and specifications for Eitan integration with the Iron Fist active protection system. | Accessed: 2026-07-01