Israeli Special Forces Defense Contractors

Despite being a small country, Israel has a vast and highly advanced defense industry, which manufactures a wide variety of products, from small arms to complete ground and air platforms. The following guide is a directory of the key Israeli defense contractors which supply the Israeli Special Forces. Visit the links under the company's description to go to an isayeret.com page covering the specific products manufactured by each company, including extensive photo galleries of real world usage during training and deployment.

 

Azimuth Technologies

An Elbit subsidiary, Azimuth is a small Israeli manufacturer of electro-optical gear, which is especially known due to its ATLAS systems, which is the basic platform for many Israeli made target acquisition systems.

 

Elbit

Elbit is Israel's largest privately owned defense contractor. Thorough successful organic growth and aggressive M&A activity (including buying El-Op, Tadiran Communication, Azimuth and ITL), Elbit has become a major player in both domestic and foreign markets. The company manufactures a wide variety of high-end products, from networks and communications to UAV and weapon systems and had many worldwide firsts in SF related products, including one of the first operational Sniper Synchronization Systems (Elbit Sincrofire) and one of the first operational reflex sights (Elbit Falcon). The company is also the main contractor and integrator of the IDF digital army program, including its Future Soldier program component.

 

FAB DEFENSE

FAB DEFENSE is a large Israeli weapons accessories manufacturer. Its primarily competitor is TDI and both companies offer similar products.

 

 

Fibrotex

Fibrotex is the IDF primary provider of camouflage solutions, including personal camouflage suits, which are commonly used by both conventional and special forces.

 

Israeli Weapon Industries (IWI)

As part of IMI partial privatization process, its small arms division was sold to Sami Katsav group and rebranded as IWI. IWI still manufactures most of IMI traditional products including Uzi, Negev, Galil and Jericho, but is focused primarily on its flagship product - the Tavor. The company also continuously optimize its traditional lines of business.

 

Israeli Military Industries (IMI)

IMI is a medium size government owned defense contractor, most commonly known by its former small arms division which manufactured famed weapons such as the Uzi and the Galil. Few years ago, IMI small arms division was sold to the Sami Katsav group as part of IMI partial privatization process and was rebranded as IWI. Part from small arms, IMI also manufactures a wide variety of defense products from compensators and sound suppressors to advanced rockets and missiles, and also manufactures the smart munitions which is a key part of the IDF Future Soldier weapon subsystem.

 

International Technology Lasers (ITL)

An Elbit subsidiary, ITL is one of Israel's largest manufactures of electro-optical devices, offering a wide range of products from lasers range finders to lasers aiming devices. Throughout the 1980's and the 1990's ITL was the dominant and essentially the exclusive provider of laser pointers to the IDF. In recent years, the company has gradually shifted its focus from basic laser aiming devices such as its renown AIM1 family, to higher end devices including target acquisitions systems, thermal night vision gear and future soldiers platforms. Currently, while its presence in the lasers aiming devices has been decreased due to the company's shift of focus and the introduction of Insight products in the Israeli market, ITL still provides the IDF with wide range of products including the IDF standard issue multifunction aiming sight - MARS, and the IDF standard issue monocular NVD - Mini N/SEAS. The company main competitors are Meprolight and New Noga Light.

 

Kata

Kata was formed in the early 1980's by former IDF SF operators in order to design and manufacturer high-end tactical textile, primarily vests. The company made a great contribution to the design of the renown Israeli reconnaissance vest, and throughout the 1980's and the 1990's was the primary and in many cases the exclusive provider of tactical textile products to Israeli Tier 1 units. In 2005, however, Kata was bought by Vitec, and has gradually shifted focus from its traditional defense products to civilian professional camera bags. Today, Kata is no longer manufacturing defense products. In Kata's absence, Marom Dolphin has taken the lead as Israel's primary tactical textile manufacturer. 

 

Marom Dolphin

Marom Dolphin is Israel's leading manufacturer of tactical textile such as vests and backpacks. The company main competitor used to be Kata, but since Kata stopped producing defense products in order to focus on civilian professional camera bags, Marom Dolphin has become the primary Israeli player offering high-end textile products.

 

Meprolight

Part of the Sami Katsav group, Meprolight is one of Israel's largest manufactures of electro optical gear, including sights, night vision and CID. It is the manufacturer of the IDF standard issue reflex sight - the Mepro 21, the IDF standard issue M203 sight - the GLS203 and the LIR CID. In addition, the company recently introduced night vision optics, from monocular NVG to thermal weapon sights. The company main competitors are ITL and New Noga Light.

 

New Noga Light

Part of the Star Defense Systems group, New Noga Light is a medium size Israeli manufacturer of electro-optical devices, focusing primarily on night vision devices. The company is a key provider of night vision to the IDF, and its most renown product is the Lior, which is the IDF standard issue weapon NVD for marksman. The company is currently focusing on introducing advanced thermal devices including weapon sights and goggles. New Noga Light main competitors are Meprolight and ITL.

 

ODF Optronics

Part of the Star Defense Systems group, ODF is an electro-optical device manufacturer specializing in tactical intelligence gathering solutions, allowing operators to safely and remotely view the situation inside buildings, caves, tunnels and similar hard to reach locations. The company most known products are its EyeBall R1 sensor and its EyeDrive UGV.

 

Pulse Inteco

Part of the Sami Katsav group, Pulse Inteco is a small manufacturer of electro-optical devices, including laser range finders and night vision gear. Despite having several interesting devices, Pulse Inteco has been a relatively small player in the Israeli market. This could change in the future, as joint cooperation between the company and another Sami Katsav group's company - Meprolight - could lead to a more prominent marketing of its products, either under its own name or rebranded as Meprolight.

 

RAFAEL

A large government owned defense contractor, RAFAEL manufactures a wide variety of products from missiles to avionics systems. Within the SF community its especially known due to its door breaching solutions such as the Simon and the MATADOR.

 

Sami Katsav Group

A medium size group of privately owned defense companies, including IWI (previously IMI small arms division), Meprolight and Pulse Inteco.

 

Star Defense Systems

A small size group of privately owned defense companies, including New Noga Light and ODF Optronics.

 

Tadiran Communications

An Elbit's subsidiary, Tadiran is Israel's largest manufacturer of communication and radio devices, including the IDF standard issue tactical radio - the PRC-624 and its successor the PRC-710. The PRC-710 is also a key component of the IDF Digital Army program including its Future Soldier component.

 

TDI

TDI is Israel's largest weapon accessories manufacturer and the primary provider of weapon accessories to the IDF, including stocks, forward grips, rail systems, flashlight/lasers adapters and more. The company often sells its products under different brands including Command Arms Accessories (CAA), First Samco and Fobus. Its main competitor is another Israeli company - FAB DEFENSE - and both companies offer similar products.

The Israeli Special Forces Database™