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Namer (vehicle)
Encyclopedia
Namer is an Israeli armored personnel carrier based on an Israeli Merkava
tank chassis. Namer was developed by and is being assembled by the Israeli Ordnance Corps
. In limited numbers, it has entered service with the Israel Defense Forces
(IDF) since summer 2008.
) and combat engineering vehicle
s (Puma
, Nakpadon
), followed by the successful conversion of many T-54 and T-55 tanks into Achzarit
infantry fighting vehicles pushed the idea of converting Merkava tanks into heavily armored APCs / IFVs. The concept held great promise, because many of the 250 Merkava Mark Is were being gradually withdrawn from service and it was also made clear that the 105 mm armament of the Merkava Mark IIs could not be upgraded to the more modern IMI 120 mm gun
.
The development did not progress much in the 1990s
due to lack of funds, but following 2004 Israel–Gaza conflict, which exposed the vulnerability of the M113 armored personnel carrier
to improvised explosive device
s and rocket-propelled grenades, the IDF re-opened the development. At that point domestic production of Namer was preferred over purchasing the Stryker
armored personnel carrier.
developed infantry fighting vehicle prototypes based on the Merkava Mark I chassis, and also a handful of IFVs based on the Merkava Mark IV chassis. The vehicle was initially called Nemmera (Hebrew
: leopardess), but later renamed to Namer.
On February 15, 2005 Maariv
reported that a running Namer prototype based on the Merkava Mark I was fielded by the Givati Brigade
for trials and evaluation. It was equipped with a Rafael Overhead Weapon Station
, which is remotely controlled and loaded from within the vehicle. This same unit was demonstrated at the Eurosatory
2005 military exhibition with possible export customers showing interest.
Lessons learned in the battles of the 2006 Lebanon War also largely verified this program. Consequently, in 2007 it was reported that the first fifteen Namers would be delivered in 2008, and over a hundred more will finally equip two combat brigades. However, conversion plans were abandoned in favor to newly built Merkava Mark IV chassis.
On March 1, 2008 an operational, started from scratch and fully developed Namer IFV based on Merkava Mark IV chassis was officially presented by the IDF. Reportedly, the construction was urged on May 2008 by importing parts from the US. On September 15, 2008, the Namer was unveiled to the general public at an exhibition in Rishon LeZion.
On October 25, 2010, it was announced that General Dynamics Land Systems
had been chosen to negotiate a contract to manufacture and integrate an unspecified number of vehicle hulls at the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center
in Lima, Ohio
.
. As of June 2009, the IDF approved the acquisition of Israel Military Industries
' Iron Fist active protection system
for the Namer.
mounted on a Samson Remote Controlled Weapon Station
, a 7.62 mm (FN MAG
) machine gun, a 60 mm mortar
. Smoke grenade launchers are also carried. Mounting an external remote controlled 30-mm autocannon and Spike
anti-tank guided missiles is also being considered.
air-cooled
diesel engine
of the Merkava Mark III. Namer is able to carry up to 12 troops (crewmen and fully equipped infantrymen) and one stretcher, or two stretchers and medical equipment on a Namerbulance MEDEVAC version. The original Merkava Mark IV rear entrance was redesigned to be a wider door ramp with a sniper port. Two hatches are fitted on the roof, which is higher than Merkava's hull roof. Namer also shares a digital battlefield management system with Merkava Mark IV.
Export:
, Achzarit, Nakpadon
- BTR-T
, BMPT
- Puma
|
Spain - ASCOD AFV
Merkava
The Merkava is a main battle tank used by the Israel Defense Forces. The tank began development in 1974 and was first introduced in 1978. Four main versions of the tank have been deployed. It was first used extensively in the 1982 Lebanon War...
tank chassis. Namer was developed by and is being assembled by the Israeli Ordnance Corps
Israeli Ordnance Corps
The Israeli Ordnance Corps is a combat-support corps in the IDF GOC Army Headquarters. Before the Israeli Technological and Logistics Directorate was dismantled, it fell under its jurisdiction. The corps is responsible for the development and maintenance of war materiel, combat-support materials,...
. In limited numbers, it has entered service with the Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
(IDF) since summer 2008.
History
1990s-2004
The experience of converting Centurion tanks into armored personnel carriers (NagmachonNagmachon
Nagmachon is a heavily armoured armoured personnel carrier fielded by the Israel Defence Forces. The Nagmachon evolved from the NagmaSho't APC, which in turn was based on Centurion Sho't hulls from the 1970s and 1980s...
) and combat engineering vehicle
Combat engineering vehicle
Military engineering vehicles are vehicles built for the construction work or for the transportation of combat engineers on the battlefield. These vehicles can range from civilian equipment to purpose built military vehicles....
s (Puma
IDF Puma
The Puma is a heavily armored Combat engineering vehicle and armored personnel carrier that the Engineering Corps of the Israeli Defence Forces has used since the early 1990s. The vehicle can carry a crew of to eight...
, Nakpadon
Nakpadon
Nakpadon or Nikpadon is an Israeli heavy armored personnel carrier based on the Centurion-derived Nagmashot. The creation and development of the Nakpadon started during fighting in Lebanon...
), followed by the successful conversion of many T-54 and T-55 tanks into Achzarit
IDF Achzarit
The Achzarit is a heavily armored armored personnel carrier manufactured by the Israeli Defence Forces Corps of Ordnance.-History:...
infantry fighting vehicles pushed the idea of converting Merkava tanks into heavily armored APCs / IFVs. The concept held great promise, because many of the 250 Merkava Mark Is were being gradually withdrawn from service and it was also made clear that the 105 mm armament of the Merkava Mark IIs could not be upgraded to the more modern IMI 120 mm gun
IMI 120 mm gun
The IMI 120 mm gun is a smoothbore tank gun designed and produced by the Israeli Military Industries company. It is widely confused as a licensed production of the Rheinmetall L44 tank gun, however developed by Israeli Military Industries from 1983 to 1988, to meet the requirements of the...
.
The development did not progress much in the 1990s
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
due to lack of funds, but following 2004 Israel–Gaza conflict, which exposed the vulnerability of the M113 armored personnel carrier
M113 armored personnel carrier
The M113 is a fully tracked armored personnel carrier that has formed the backbone of the United States Army's mechanized infantry units from the time of its first fielding in Vietnam in April 1962. The M113 was the most widely used armored vehicle of the U.S...
to improvised explosive device
Improvised explosive device
An improvised explosive device , also known as a roadside bomb, is a homemade bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional military action...
s and rocket-propelled grenades, the IDF re-opened the development. At that point domestic production of Namer was preferred over purchasing the Stryker
Stryker
The IAV Stryker is a family of eight-wheeled, 4-wheel-drive , armored fighting vehicles derived from the Canadian LAV III and produced by General Dynamics Land Systems, in use by the United States Army. The vehicle is named for two American servicemen who posthumously received the Medal of Honor:...
armored personnel carrier.
2005-present
Eventually, IDF OrdnanceIsraeli Ordnance Corps
The Israeli Ordnance Corps is a combat-support corps in the IDF GOC Army Headquarters. Before the Israeli Technological and Logistics Directorate was dismantled, it fell under its jurisdiction. The corps is responsible for the development and maintenance of war materiel, combat-support materials,...
developed infantry fighting vehicle prototypes based on the Merkava Mark I chassis, and also a handful of IFVs based on the Merkava Mark IV chassis. The vehicle was initially called Nemmera (Hebrew
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
: leopardess), but later renamed to Namer.
On February 15, 2005 Maariv
Maariv
Maariv is a Hebrew language daily newspaper published in Israel. It is second in sales after Yedioth Ahronoth and third in readership after Yedioth Ahronoth and Israel HaYom. In a TGI survey comparing the last half of 2009 with the same period in 2008, Maariv saw its market share fall slightly...
reported that a running Namer prototype based on the Merkava Mark I was fielded by the Givati Brigade
Givati Brigade
The Givati Brigade is an infantry brigade of the Israel Defense Forces, and serves as its amphibious force. Givati soldiers are designated by purple berets...
for trials and evaluation. It was equipped with a Rafael Overhead Weapon Station
Rafael Overhead Weapon Station
The Rafael Overhead Weapon Station is a remote weapon station developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems in cooperation with the Israel Defense Forces. It has been superseded by the Rafael Samson Remote Controlled Weapon Station...
, which is remotely controlled and loaded from within the vehicle. This same unit was demonstrated at the Eurosatory
Eurosatory
Eurosatory is an International Defence & Security industry trade show that is held every two years in Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre, Paris, France. In 2006 it had over 1000 exhibitors and 46,000 visitors. It is organized by COGES in partnership with the French Ministry of Defense. The...
2005 military exhibition with possible export customers showing interest.
Lessons learned in the battles of the 2006 Lebanon War also largely verified this program. Consequently, in 2007 it was reported that the first fifteen Namers would be delivered in 2008, and over a hundred more will finally equip two combat brigades. However, conversion plans were abandoned in favor to newly built Merkava Mark IV chassis.
On March 1, 2008 an operational, started from scratch and fully developed Namer IFV based on Merkava Mark IV chassis was officially presented by the IDF. Reportedly, the construction was urged on May 2008 by importing parts from the US. On September 15, 2008, the Namer was unveiled to the general public at an exhibition in Rishon LeZion.
On October 25, 2010, it was announced that General Dynamics Land Systems
General Dynamics Land Systems
In February 1982 Chrysler announced the sale of Chrysler Defense, its profitable defense subsidiary to General Dynamics for US$348.5 million. The sale was completed in March 1982 for the revised figure of US$336.1 million. General Dynamics renamed the division General Dynamics Land Systems. In 2003...
had been chosen to negotiate a contract to manufacture and integrate an unspecified number of vehicle hulls at the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center
Lima Army Tank Plant
The Joint Systems Manufacturing Center, also known as the Lima Army Tank Plant is a tank plant located in Lima, Ohio. It is a Government-Owned, Contractor Operated facility currently operated by General Dynamics Land Systems....
in Lima, Ohio
Lima, Ohio
Lima is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwestern Ohio along Interstate 75 approximately north of Dayton and south-southwest of Toledo....
.
Design
Survivability
Namer has been designed for survivability and rapid repair, with modular armor, V-shaped belly armor pack, and NBC protection. According to Brigadier general Yaron Livnat, “The weight saved by eliminating the turret was ‘reinvested’ in beefing up the armor... this has resulted, with Namer having better protected from belly charges". It is also ready to be equipped with an active protection systemActive protection system
An active protection system is a system designed to prevent sensor-based weapons from acquiring and/or destroying a target....
. As of June 2009, the IDF approved the acquisition of Israel Military Industries
Israel Military Industries
Israel Weapons Industries , formerly the "Magen" division of the Israel Military Industries Ltd. is an Israeli firearms manufacturer. In 2005, the Small Arms Division of IMI was privatized....
' Iron Fist active protection system
Iron Fist Active Protection System
Iron Fist is a hard-kill active protection system designed by Israel Military Industries , with a modular design allowing adaptation to a range of platforms ranging from light utility vehicles to heavy armoured fighting vehicles. The concept was revealed by IMI in 2006 and was expected to enter...
for the Namer.
Armament
Namer is armed with either a M2 Browning machine gun or a Mk 19 grenade launcherMk 19 grenade launcher
The Mk 19 Grenade Launcher is a 40 mm belt-fed automatic grenade launcher or grenade machine gun that entered U.S. military service during the Cold War, first seeing action during the Vietnam War and remaining in service today.-Overview:...
mounted on a Samson Remote Controlled Weapon Station
Samson Remote Controlled Weapon Station
The Samson Remote Controlled Weapon Station , also known as Katlanit is a Remote Weapon System that enables a variety of devices to be operated automatically or by remote control, including 5.56 mm, 7.62 mm, and 12.7 mm machine guns, 40 mm automatic grenade launchers, anti-tank missiles and...
, a 7.62 mm (FN MAG
FN MAG
The FN MAG is a Belgian 7.62 mm general-purpose machine gun, designed in the early 1950s at Fabrique Nationale by Ernest Vervier. It has been used by more than 80 countries, and it has been made under licence in countries such as Argentina, Egypt, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the...
) machine gun, a 60 mm mortar
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
. Smoke grenade launchers are also carried. Mounting an external remote controlled 30-mm autocannon and Spike
Spike (missile)
Spike is a fourth generation man-portable fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile with tandem-charged HEAT warhead, developed and designed by the Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and in service with a number of nations....
anti-tank guided missiles is also being considered.
Capabilities
Namer is capable of maneuvering in difficult terrain, powered by the Teledyne Continental AVDS-1790-9AR 1200 hp V12V12 engine
A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft....
air-cooled
Air-cooled engine
Air-cooled engines rely on the circulation of air directly over hot parts of the engine to cool them.-Introduction:Most modern internal combustion engines are cooled by a closed circuit carrying liquid coolant through channels in the engine block and cylinder head, where the coolant absorbs heat,...
diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
of the Merkava Mark III. Namer is able to carry up to 12 troops (crewmen and fully equipped infantrymen) and one stretcher, or two stretchers and medical equipment on a Namerbulance MEDEVAC version. The original Merkava Mark IV rear entrance was redesigned to be a wider door ramp with a sniper port. Two hatches are fitted on the roof, which is higher than Merkava's hull roof. Namer also shares a digital battlefield management system with Merkava Mark IV.
Users
- The Golani BrigadeGolani BrigadeThe Golani Brigade is an Israeli infantry brigade that is subordinated to the 36th Division and traditionally associated with the Northern Command. Its symbol is a green tree on a yellow background, and its soldiers wear a brown beret. It is one of the most highly decorated infantry units in the...
was the first to acquire the Namer. According to IDF, the Namer IFV is set be distributed to infantry and combat engineering forces, with possible future plans for special models for intelligence and command purposes. Two Namers took part in the Gaza War as part of the Golani BrigadeGolani BrigadeThe Golani Brigade is an Israeli infantry brigade that is subordinated to the 36th Division and traditionally associated with the Northern Command. Its symbol is a green tree on a yellow background, and its soldiers wear a brown beret. It is one of the most highly decorated infantry units in the...
. , IDF had ordered 130 Namers and already received about ten, while planning to order a total of 800 vehicles. , IDF received 60 vehicles out of 130 vehicles on current order.
Export:
- Azerbaijan and Israel have conducted negotiations over the Namer vehicle.
See also
- NagmachonNagmachon
Nagmachon is a heavily armoured armoured personnel carrier fielded by the Israel Defence Forces. The Nagmachon evolved from the NagmaSho't APC, which in turn was based on Centurion Sho't hulls from the 1970s and 1980s...
, Achzarit, Nakpadon
Nakpadon
Nakpadon or Nikpadon is an Israeli heavy armored personnel carrier based on the Centurion-derived Nagmashot. The creation and development of the Nakpadon started during fighting in Lebanon...
- BTR-T
BTR-T
The BTR-T is a Russian heavy infantry combat vehicle, designed by the Design Bureau of Transport Machine-Building state-run production association.-Description:It is based on the hull of the T-55 tank and answers the need for a heavy, well protected and well armed...
, BMPT
BMPT
The BMPT "Ramka" is a new Russian armored vehicle designed to support tank and infantry operations, primarily in urban areas.This vehicle is sometimes nicknamed the "Terminator"...
- Puma
Puma (IFV)
The Puma is a German infantry fighting vehicle, the mass production has started on the 6th July 2009. It will replace the aging Marder IFVs, from 2010 through 2020. Governing company is PSM Projekt System Management, a joint venture of Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and Rheinmetall Landsysteme. The Puma is...
|
Spain - ASCOD AFVASCOD AFV
The ASCOD armoured fighting vehicle family is the product of a cooperation agreement between Austrian Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG and Spanish Santa Bárbara Sistemas The ASCOD (Austrian Spanish Cooperation Development) armoured fighting vehicle family is the product of a cooperation agreement between...
External links
- Namer on Armour.ws
- Namer AIFV on Defense-Update.com
- Namer on military-today.com
- Namer Family + Merkava Family
- Namer prototype and operational Namer on israeli-weapons.com
- Namer heavy armoured personnel carrier on Jane's
- IDF ARMOR blog: Namer APC on Merkava chassis
- Namer Armoured vehicle infantry personnel carrier on armyrecognition.com
- Namer video on YouTube
- First exercise (Hebrew)