Top 8 Israeli Made Weapons of All Time [2023]

Israel has been in intense combat since the day of its foundation. The need to survive, outrun and out gun their enemies has pushed the jewish state to create some of the most innovative weapon systems in the world. 

Here are the top 8 Israeli Made Weapons of All time:

Negev LMG

The Negev has played a part in every one of Israel's wars and combat operations since the early 2000s. In the late 90s the IDF was looking for a light machine gun to replace the heavy two man operated FN MAG on a squad level.

 They needed a quicker and lighter machine gun that can be operated by only one soldier and can still put down a heavy rate of cover fire. Enter the Negev. It’s a 5.56 by 45 NATO light machine gun developed by IWI. 

It  relies on an automatic gas-operated action utilizing a rotating bolt function to reach a listed rate-of-fire between 850 and 1,150 rounds per minute. 

It’s relatively light weight, reliable even in extreme conditions and is rapidly deployable when making enemy contact.

Spike Anti Tank Missile

Spike is a fire and Observe slash fire and forget Anti Tank Missile.

The missile is connected by a fiber-optical wire that is spooled out between the launch position and the missile. 

This gives you the ability to obtain a target even if it is not in the line of sight at launch. In addition you switch targets mid flight, or compensate for movement of a target if the missile is not tracking it  properly. 

The long range version can hit targets from up to 4 kilometers away with pinpoint accuracy making it one of the most accurate anti tank missiles on the market.

Desert Eagle

The Desert Eagle  was designed in 1979 at American co Magnum Research inc but the first finished pistols were produced in 1982 in Israel by IMI. 

It  was designed as a semi-automatic rival to large frame high calibre revolvers. A gas operated pistol with interchangeable magazines and with superior capacity to a typical 6 round revolver. 

The Desert Eagle was the first handgun that was chambered for the high caliber 50 action express round. A jump from the already mighty 44 Magnum round and on the cusp of calibers deemed legal.

Corner Shot

The "Corner shot" was invented by former IDF Counter Terror Unit Commander Amos Golan and can actually shoot around corners without exposing the shooter. Using two Hi-Res Cameras, the user can zero in on a target while their body remains unexposed. Just another clever innovation that shows why Israel is the number one place to go for all of your counter terror needs.

Merkava IV

After hundreds of Syrian tanks nearly overran Israel's Golan heights in the 1973 yom kippur war, Israel realized they needed to create a super tank in order to properly defend the northern front. The merkava tank was born. 

The Merkava 4 features an improved 120 millimeter smoothbore gun developed by Israel military industries. This gun is designed to sustain high pressure generating higher muzzle velocity. Ten rounds are stored in an electronically operated revolving magazine and are ready to fire at any time. 

The tank is fitted with the combat proven Trophy active protection system, which destroys any incoming rockets or anti tank missiles in their tracks making it extremely difficult to damage or destroy. The Merkava 4 is considered to be one of the best tanks in the world.

The X95 Micro Tavor

The "Micro Tavor", also known as the "X95", is a pistol-like bullpup rifle and one of the cleverest of its type. 

Manufactured by (IWI), it is completely ambidextrous and can be arranged differently for left and right handed shooters.

It’s made almost completely out of high impact polymer so it can’t rust.

It is incredibly short and yet more accurate than many much longer rifles which makes it the ideal rifle for CQB.

Matador

The Matador is a man-portable disposable anti-armor weapon system developed in collaboration between Israel and Singapore. It was kept top secret by the IDF until 2009 when it was used in Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip. 

It was designed to be the all in one Urban warfare shoulder launched anti-tank weapon because of its 2 modes of operation and small back blast. When fired at a building, the first mode blasts a hole in the wall, perfect for ground troops to pass through while keeping the building fully intact. The second mode acts as a bunker buster and detonates the missiles 2 charges at different time intervals, perfect for taking out terrorists hunkered down inside of a building.

Uzi

The first Uzi submachine gun was designed by Major Uziel Gal shortly after Israel's Establishment  in the late 1940s. 

Manufactured from sheet metal, it  was designed to be low cost and easy to produce which was critical for getting the weapon quickly out the door and to soldiers on the front lines during Israel's independence and the wars that followed.

 Its telescoping bolt design allows the gun to be more compact and shorter compared to earlier smg designs. 

The iconic exterior, ability to quickly disperse rounds and capability to dual wield has made it an action movie staple and probably one of  the most recognizable firearms in the world. 

Do you agree with our list? Let us know in the comment section which Israeli made weapons you think should have made it.