Through one of its most recent notifications, the United States government authorized, at the end of last January, the sale of a logistics support package for the Namer APC vehicles in service with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The operation, notified by the Department of State to the U.S. Congress for approval, falls under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program and is valued at US$ 740 million.
Originally based on the platform of the Merkava Mk1 and Mk2 tanks, the Namer (“Leopard” in Hebrew) is one of the primary armored personnel carriers (APCs) in service with the Israel Defense Forces. Its development, design, and production were built upon the extensive experience acquired by the IDF and Israel’s defense industry in converting tanks—such as the Centurion and even Soviet-origin models—into armored transport vehicles or platforms for specialized roles.
In line with Israeli doctrine, which places strong emphasis on crew protection and survivability, the Namer features a V-shaped hull design, incorporating modular armor and Nuclear, Biological, Chemical, and Radiological (NBCR) protection.
Widely adopted within the IDF, with additional variants under consideration—including infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), engineering, intelligence, and command post versions—its sustainment and maintenance are regarded as priorities.
For these reasons, and as reported on January 30 by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), the Israeli government requested from the United States the provision of a logistics support package valued at US$ 740 million.
As detailed, and with Rolls-Royce Solutions America, Inc. as the principal contractor, the package includes “… power packs for Namer armored personnel carriers (APC-MT883), without transmissions (NPPLTs), in both complete and light configurations. It also includes an integrated logistics support package comprising special tools for depot-level (C-level) maintenance and transmission spare parts.”
Finally, the Department of State indicated that: “The proposed sale will improve Israel’s capability to meet current and future threats by enhancing its capacity to defend its borders, critical infrastructure, and population centers. These power packs will be used in Namer armored personnel carriers (APC-MT883), which entered service in 2008. Israel will have no difficulty integrating this equipment into its armed forces.”
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