Infantry Weapons

IWI Negev NG7 general-purpose machine gun

Also known as
  • IWI Negev NG-7
  • Negev NG-7
  • Negev 7
  • NG7

The IWI Negev NG7 is Israel Weapon Industries' 7.62×51mm NATO general-purpose machine gun, introduced in 2012 and built for belt-fed infantry fire support with semi-automatic mode and assault-drum compatibility. The family now includes shorter special-forces and lightweight ULMG configurations, India ordered 16,479 Negev 7.62 mm guns in 2020, and IDF imagery documents NG7 use in the 2023 Israel-Hamas War.

IWI Negev NG7 general-purpose machine gun, 7.62×51mm NATO general-purpose machine gun, Infantry Weapons
Image source: Wikimedia Commons SoI--IDF-Negev-NG7

Role in Conflicts

Indian Procurement And Local Production

India's Negev path is documented both as a 2020 direct procurement and as a later local-production line for the Prahar version.

MilestoneQuantityValue or production noteContext
Indian Ministry of Defence fast-track order16,479 gunsRs 880 crore; about Rs 5.34 lakh each by simple divisionThe March 2020 press release identified the order as Negev 7.62x51 mm light machine guns for the Indian Armed Forces.
Prahar first batch2,000 gunsLocal production by PLR Systems at GwaliorIWI's 2026 report described Prahar as the Indian version of the Negev light machine gun and said larger batches were expected to follow.

The 2020 source reports a direct order from Israel, while the 2026 source identifies a later Indian local-production line for the same Negev family.

Profile / Specs

Profile

Origin
Israel
Type
7.62×51mm NATO general-purpose machine gun
Service note
2012-present
Designer
Israel Weapon Industries (IWI)
Unit cost
About Rs 5.34 lakh per gun (derived from the reported Rs 880 crore / 16,479 contract)
Produced
2012-present
Number built
Not publicly disclosed

Specifications

Caliber
7.62×51mm NATO
Barrel length
508 mm (20 in)
Overall length
1,100 mm extended; 1,030 mm retracted
Weight
7.95 kg (weapon only)
Rate of fire
Approximately 600-750 rounds per minute
Feed
Belt-fed or assault drum
Action
Gas-operated, open-bolt
Operating modes
Semi-automatic and automatic
Variants

IWI's current Negev line separates the 7.62 NATO NG7 into full-length, special-forces, and lightweight ULMG configurations, while the same family includes the 5.56 NATO NG5 and India's Prahar local-production version.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
IWI Negev NG5 light machine gun, 5.56×45mm NATO light machine gun, Infantry WeaponsIWI Negev NG5 light machine gun5.56 NATO family member

IWI groups the NG5 with the NG7 in the belt-fed Negev family; the NG5 uses 5.56x45 mm NATO rather than the NG7's 7.62x51 mm NATO chambering.

Sources: IWI Negev Machine Gun Family Page

Negev NG7 SFShort-barrel 7.62 NATO configuration

The NG7 SF keeps the 7.62x51 mm NATO chambering but uses a shorter 420 mm barrel and lower listed weight than the standard NG7.

Sources: IWI Negev Machine Gun Family Page

Negev 7 ULMGLightweight 7.62 NATO configuration

IWI lists the ULMG as a lighter 7.62x51 mm Negev configuration with a 420 mm barrel and 6.6 kg listed weapon weight.

Sources: IWI Negev Machine Gun Family Page

Negev 7 ULMG SFShort lightweight 7.62 NATO configuration

The ULMG SF is the short lightweight 7.62 mm member of the current Negev family.

Sources: IWI Negev Machine Gun Family Page

Prahar LMGIndian local-production version

IWI describes Prahar as PLR Systems' locally manufactured Indian version of the Negev light machine gun, with the first 2,000 delivered to the Indian Army in 2026.

Sources: IWI First batch of LMGs delivered

Compatible Fire-Control System

IWI's Arbel brochure lists the Negev light machine gun as one of the supported platforms.

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

The Arbel brochure identifies the Negev light machine gun as a supported platform for the computerized trigger system.

Sources: IWI ARBEL brochure

Why this matters

The Arbel system is a hardware compatibility layer, not a separate weapon class, so the link is best read as a supported integration rather than a new firing platform.

Sources: IWI ARBEL brochure

Timeline

IWI Negev NG7 general-purpose machine gun Key Events

  1. NG7 introduced

    IWI says the NG7 was introduced in 2012 and that smaller numbers were already in service by the time of the Indian Army order in 2020.

    Sources: IWI India Orders >16000 Israeli Negev Light Machineguns

  2. Indian Ministry of Defence orders 16,479 guns

    The Indian Ministry of Defence signed a Rs 880 crore contract for 16,479 Negev 7.62x51 mm light machine guns for the Indian Armed Forces.

    Sources: Ministry of Defence signs Rs 880 crore contract for Light Machine Guns with Israeli firm

  3. IDF commando appears with the NG7

    A Wikimedia Commons image from November 2023 shows an IDF commando carrying a Negev NG7 during the 2023 Israel-Hamas War.

    Sources: Wikimedia Commons SoI--IDF-Negev-NG7

  4. Israel orders additional Negev 7 and UX guns

    Israel's Ministry of Defense announced an approximately $20 million order from IWI for thousands of advanced Negev 7 and Negev UX machine guns for IDF ground forces.

    Sources: Israel MOD Negev procurement announcement

  5. First Prahar batch delivered in India

    IWI reported the first 2,000 locally manufactured Prahar machine guns for the Indian Army, describing Prahar as an Indian version of the Negev light machine gun made by PLR Systems.

    Sources: IWI First batch of LMGs delivered

Media

IWI Negev NG7 general-purpose machine gun Videos

IWI Negev NG7 general-purpose machine gun Images

IWI Negev NG7 general-purpose machine gun, 7.62×51mm NATO general-purpose machine gun, Infantry Weapons - view 1
Source: Wikimedia Commons Iron-Swords Negev NG7 machinegun
IWI Negev NG7 general-purpose machine gun, 7.62×51mm NATO general-purpose machine gun, Infantry Weapons - view 2
Source: Wikimedia Commons NegevILMachinegun
IWI Negev NG7 general-purpose machine gun, 7.62×51mm NATO general-purpose machine gun, Infantry Weapons - view 3
Source: Wikimedia Commons IWI Arbel Negev at IDEX 2025
Related Weapon Systems
IWI Arad assault rifle, Modular assault and battle rifle family, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsIWI Arad assault rifleModular assault and battle rifle familyThe IWI Arad assault rifle is Israel Weapon Industries' modular AR-pattern rifle family, spanning the 5.56x45mm/.300 BLK ARAD and the 7.62x51mm/6.5 Creedmoor ARAD 7 line. Official IWI material describes short-stroke gas-piston operation, ambidextrous controls, quick-change barrels, and accessory rails, while government and defense-industry sources document Israeli procurement, Peruvian assembly, and reported ARAD-7 use by Israeli police and special-forces units during the 2023 Israel-Hamas War.
Type 80/PKM-T80 general-purpose machine gun, 7.62×54mmR general-purpose machine gun, Infantry WeaponsInfantry WeaponsType 80/PKM-T80 general-purpose machine gun7.62×54mmR general-purpose machine gunThe Type 80 is a Chinese PKM-pattern, belt-fed 7.62×54mmR general-purpose machine gun also encountered under M80 and PKM-T80 designations. Direct conflict evidence spans Small Arms Survey documentation of Type 80 guns with South Sudanese anti-government militias in 2011, Conflict Armament Research records of Chinese M80 guns captured from Islamic State forces in Syria in 2014, and AP reporting on Type 80 or PKM-T80 weapons with Hamas fighters in Gaza.

Sources

IWI NEGEV NG7 Product PagePublisher: Israel Weapon Industries | Note: Supports manufacturer background and NG7 technical data, including caliber, barrel length, overall length, weight, rate of fire, and operating layout. | Accessed: 2026-07-01IWI Negev Machine Gun Family PagePublisher: Israel Weapon Industries | Note: Supports the current Negev family and variant structure, including NG5, NG7, NG7 SF, Negev 7 ULMG, and Negev 7 ULMG SF configurations. | Accessed: 2026-07-01IWI Negev BrochurePublisher: Israel Weapon Industries | Note: Supports manufacturer background and technical context for the Negev NG-7, including semi-automatic mode and belt or assault-drum feed. | Accessed: 2026-06-20IWI India Orders >16000 Israeli Negev Light MachinegunsPublisher: Israel Weapon Industries | Note: Supports the NG7 introduction date and Indian Army service context; IWI says the NG7 was introduced in 2012 and that smaller numbers were already in service when the 2020 Indian order was signed. | Accessed: 2026-07-01IWI First batch of LMGs deliveredPublisher: Israel Weapon Industries | Note: Supports the 2026 Prahar local-production context, including the first 2,000-machine-gun batch, PLR Systems production, and description of Prahar as the Indian version of the Negev light machine gun. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Ministry of Defence signs Rs 880 crore contract for Light Machine Guns with Israeli firmPublisher: Press Information Bureau | Note: Supports the March 2020 Indian Ministry of Defence contract for 16,479 Negev 7.62x51 mm light machine guns and the reported Rs 880 crore contract value. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Israel MOD Negev procurement announcementPublisher: Israel Ministry of Defense | Note: Supports the July 2025 Israeli order for thousands of Negev 7 and Negev UX machine guns for IDF ground forces. | Accessed: 2026-07-01IWI ARBEL brochurePublisher: Israel Weapon Industries | Note: Supports the Arbel compatibility note by listing the Negev light machine gun among the system's supported platforms. | Accessed: 2026-06-26Wikimedia Commons SoI--IDF-Negev-NG7Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and direct 2023 Israel-Hamas War conflict use; the IDF image shows a Negev NG7 used by an IDF commando during the Swords of Iron War. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Wikimedia Commons Iron-Swords Negev NG7 machinegunPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance and direct 2023 Israel-Hamas War conflict use; the image is described as an IDF warrior with a Negev NG7 machine gun during the Iron Swords War. | Accessed: 2026-07-01Wikimedia Commons NegevILMachinegunPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a public-domain Negev NG7 photo. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Wikimedia Commons IWI Arbel Negev at IDEX 2025Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a CC BY 4.0 IDEX 2025 photo of an IWI Negev display gun. | Accessed: 2026-06-20