Military wartime routine includes exercises, some of which the IDF documents and publicizes. Last month, the Nahal Brigade conducted an exercise when its 933rd battalion, which had become the first to receive Eitan armored personnel carriers (APCs) back in May 2023, which showcased the Eitan APCs equipped for the first time with the Iron Fist active protection system manufactured by Elbit Systems.
This system has made headlines in recent years due to a series of sales to various countries. Iron Fist is an advanced "hard-kill" active protection system designed to enhance the survivability and self-defense capabilities of armored platforms against the wide range of threats found on the modern battlefield.
Iron Fist, defined as the next generation of the IDF's active protection systems, combines high performance with a compact design, and low weight, volume, and energy consumption. The system provides 360-degree protection against a variety of anti-tank threats including anti-tank rockets, guided anti-tank missiles, UAVs, loitering munitions (suicide drones), and tank shells in both open terrain and urban environments.
The Eitan APC itself is one of the IDF's newest and most advanced armored personnel carriers. Unlike many of its predecessors, it is wheeled. For decades, Israel utilized M113 APCs (known locally as Zelda), which according to foreign reports have been transformed during the current war into a form of remotely operated loitering munition. In contrast, the Eitan weighs about 35 tons and features technology on par with the best Merkava tanks. It is capable of reaching speeds of up to 90 kilometers per hour and carrying a crew of three plus nine combat soldiers.
Published by Globes, Israel business news - en.globes.co.il - on September 24, 2026.
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