Infantry Weapons

IWI Negev NG5 light machine gun

Also known as
  • Negev NG5 LMG
  • Negev NG-5
  • NG5 LMG

The IWI Negev NG5 is Israel's 5.56 NATO light machine gun, part of IWI's belt-fed Negev family and built around open-bolt selective fire with belt, drum, and STANAG magazine feeding. IWI's current series page groups it with the 7.62 NATO NG7 and special-forces variants, while source-backed service examples include Israeli wartime imagery and Georgian ISAF use in Afghanistan.

IWI Negev NG5 light machine gun, 5.56×45mm NATO light machine gun, Infantry Weapons
Image source: File:Operation Gideon's Chariots 11.webp

Role in Conflicts

2006 Lebanon War
Fire Support
Side
Israel

A Commons-hosted IDF Spokesperson's Unit photograph from the 2006 Lebanon War is categorized as showing the IMI Negev in that conflict.

Documented Service Use

The source trail for the 5.56 mm Negev spans Israeli wartime imagery and foreign coalition service rather than a single operator-only record.

ContextDocumented operatorSource-backed detail
2001 War in AfghanistanGeorgian ISAF troops at the Camp Leatherneck areaSmall Arms Defense Journal identified Israeli IWI 5.56x45 mm Negev light machine guns among the Georgian small-arms set.
2006 Lebanon WarIsrael Defense ForcesA Commons-hosted IDF Spokesperson's Unit image from the war is categorized as showing the IMI Negev.
2023 Israel-Hamas WarIsrael Defense ForcesA 2025 Gaza image shows a Golani Brigade soldier firing an IMI Negev 5.

Sources: ISAF Armament of the Georgian Battalion Liaison Soldiers; File:2006 Lebanon War. VIII.jpg; File:Operation Gideon's Chariots 11.webp.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Israel
Type
5.56×45mm NATO light machine gun
Service note
1990s-present
Designer
Israel Military Industries
Designed
Mid-1980s to 1992
Unit cost
Reportedly in excess of US$9,000 per gun

Specifications

Caliber
5.56 NATO
Weight
16.98 lbs
Barrel length
18 in
Overall length
40.16 in (stock extended)
Feed
Belt-fed, drum, standard NATO STANAG magazines
Action
Auto, open bolt, semi-auto
Operating system
Gas on piston head, rotating locking bolt
Rifling
1:7 in, 6 RH grooves
Sights
Picatinny rail, front post sight, rear aperture sight
Rate of fire
About 850-1,050 rounds per minute
Variants

IWI presents the NG5 as the 5.56 NATO branch of the Negev series, alongside a short-barreled NG5 SF and the larger 7.62 NATO NG7 line.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
Negev NG5 SF LMGShort-barreled 5.56 NATO variant

IWI's Negev series material lists the NG5 SF with a 13 in barrel, compared with the 18 in standard NG5 LMG.

Sources: Negev Belt-Fed Machine Guns - 5.56 & 7.62 | IWI US, IWI Negev and ULMG brochure

IWI Negev NG7 general-purpose machine gun, 7.62×51mm NATO general-purpose machine gun, Infantry WeaponsIWI Negev NG7 general-purpose machine gun7.62 NATO family counterpart

The NG7 is the 7.62x51 mm Negev branch, with standard and short-barreled variants listed alongside the NG5 family.

Sources: Negev Belt-Fed Machine Guns - 5.56 & 7.62 | IWI US, IWI Negev and ULMG brochure

Compatible Fire-Control System

IWI and launch reporting show Arbel installed on the Negev platform as a computerized lower-receiver upgrade.

Compatible itemItem typeCompatibility evidence
Arbel computerized fire-control weapon system, Computerized small-arms fire-control system, Infantry WeaponsArbel computerized fire-control weapon systemComputerized fire-control system

IWI's brochure and launch coverage place Arbel on the Negev platform, including an IWI-credited image published by Globes.

Sources: IWI ARBEL brochure, Globes Arbel launch report

Negev Series Snapshot

IWI groups the NG5 with the NG7 and their special-forces variants on its current Negev series page. The NG5 is the 5.56 NATO model, while the NG7 is the 7.62 NATO counterpart.

ModelCaliberBarrelNote
Negev NG5 LMG5.56 NATO18 inStandard belt-fed model with STANAG magazine compatibility.
IWI Negev NG7 general-purpose machine gun, 7.62×51mm NATO general-purpose machine gun, Infantry WeaponsNegev NG7 LMG7.62 NATO (7.62x51 mm)20 inIWI's larger Negev counterpart.
Negev NG5 SF LMG5.56 NATO13 inShort-barreled special-forces variant.
Negev NG7 SF LMG7.62 NATO (7.62x51 mm)16.5 inShort-barreled special-forces variant.

Sources: Negev Belt-Fed Machine Guns - 5.56 & 7.62 | IWI US; IWI Negev and ULMG brochure.

Timeline

IWI Negev NG5 light machine gun Key Events

  1. Negev Development Starts

    Small Arms Review says IMI began developing the Negev in the mid-1980s as an experimental machine gun intended to replace the Galil ARM.

    Sources: The Elusive Israeli Negev LMG | Small Arms Review

  2. IDF Approves The Design

    Small Arms Review reports that the IDF approved the Negev design in 1992 after a long development period kept relatively secret.

    Sources: The Elusive Israeli Negev LMG | Small Arms Review

  3. IDF Adoption Reaches Service

    Small Arms Review says the IDF had adopted the Negev by 1996, establishing the family in active Israeli service before the later NG5 catalog era.

    Sources: The Elusive Israeli Negev LMG | Small Arms Review

  4. Negev Documented In Lebanon War Imagery

    A Commons-hosted IDF Spokesperson's Unit image from the 2006 Lebanon War is categorized under the IMI Negev, documenting wartime IDF use of the 5.56 mm family.

    Sources: File:2006 Lebanon War. VIII.jpg

  5. Georgian ISAF Use Published

    Small Arms Defense Journal described Georgian ISAF troops at the Camp Leatherneck area using Israeli IWI 5.56x45 mm Negev light machine guns in Afghanistan.

    Sources: ISAF Armament of the Georgian Battalion Liaison Soldiers

Media

IWI Negev NG5 light machine gun Videos

IWI Negev NG5 light machine gun Images

IWI Negev NG5 light machine gun, 5.56×45mm NATO light machine gun, Infantry Weapons - view 1
Source: File:IDF soldier carrying IWI Negev LMG.jpg
IWI Negev NG5 light machine gun, 5.56×45mm NATO light machine gun, Infantry Weapons - view 2
Source: File:IMI-Negev-machine-gun-batey-haosef-2.jpg
IWI Negev NG5 light machine gun, 5.56×45mm NATO light machine gun, Infantry Weapons - view 3
Source: File:2006 Lebanon War. VIII.jpg
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Sources

IWI ARBEL brochurePublisher: Israel Weapon Industries | Note: Official brochure showing Arbel installed on the Negev platform and describing the platform-compatible computerized lower receiver. | Accessed: 2026-06-27Globes Arbel launch reportPublisher: Globes | Note: Reports Arbel on a Negev machine gun and includes an IWI-credited launch image showing the system in use on that platform. | Accessed: 2026-06-27NEGEV NG5 5.56 NATO - Versatile & Light Machine Gun | IWI USPublisher: IWI US | Note: Supports manufacturer background and NG5 specifications including caliber, weight, barrel length, feed options, selective-fire configuration, and current deployment marketing language. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Negev Belt-Fed Machine Guns - 5.56 & 7.62 | IWI USPublisher: IWI US | Note: Supports the Negev family split, model names, caliber pairings, barrel lengths, feed systems, and Negev NG5 / NG7 variant context. | Accessed: 2026-06-26IWI Negev and ULMG brochurePublisher: Israel Weapon Industries | Note: Official brochure supporting Negev family and variant context, including NG5, NG5 SF, NG7, and NG7 SF model distinctions. | Accessed: 2026-07-01The Elusive Israeli Negev LMG | Small Arms ReviewPublisher: Small Arms Review | Note: Supports the Negev's mid-1980s development, IDF approval in 1992, IDF adoption by 1996, and reported cost in excess of US$9,000 per gun. | Accessed: 2026-06-26ISAF Armament of the Georgian Battalion Liaison SoldiersPublisher: Small Arms Defense Journal | Note: Supports 2001 War in Afghanistan direct conflict use by documenting Georgian ISAF troops at the Camp Leatherneck area using Israeli IWI 5.56x45 mm Negev light machine guns. | Accessed: 2026-07-01File:2006 Lebanon War. VIII.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports 2006 Lebanon War direct conflict use and image provenance; the IDF Spokesperson's Unit photo page is categorized under the 2006 Lebanon War and IMI Negev. | Accessed: 2026-07-01File:Operation Gideon's Chariots 11.webpPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hamas War direct conflict use by showing an IDF soldier from the Golani Brigade firing an IMI Negev 5 in Gaza during the 2023 Israel-Hamas War. | Accessed: 2026-06-20File:IDF soldier carrying IWI Negev LMG.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a Commons-hosted IDF photograph of the Negev LMG. | Accessed: 2026-06-20File:IMI-Negev-machine-gun-batey-haosef-2.jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a Commons-hosted museum photograph of the Negev light machine gun. | Accessed: 2026-06-20