By Hezy Laing
The IDF has initiated a monumental shift in its ground maneuver doctrine by transitioning from traditional tracked armor to advanced wheeled platforms.
This strategy materialized following lessons from Operation Protective Edge in 2014, where the vulnerability of aging, tracked M113 armored personnel carriers (APCs) highlighted the urgent need for a more versatile, rapid-deployment solution.
The cornerstone of this transition is the Eitan, an 8×8 wheeled armored fighting vehicle designed by the Ministry of Defense’s Tank and APC Directorate under leadership figures such as Brigadier General Guy Paglin and Brigadier General Oren Giber.
The scale of this phenomenon is wide and expanding rapidly. The IDF is integrating hundreds of Eitans across its primary infantry units.
The Nahal Infantry Brigade became the first operational unit to receive the Eitan in May 2023, deploying it during the Battle of Zikim on October 7, 2023, and throughout subsequent urban operations.
In August 2025, the Israeli government accelerated this shift by approving a $1.5 billion procurement plan to bolster domestic armored vehicle manufacturing, scaling up production of both the heavy tracked Namer and the wheeled Eitan platforms.
The transition is driven by critical strategic and logistical imperatives.
Weighing between 30 to 35 tons, the Eitan can travel at speeds up to 90 kilometers per hour, allowing troops to navigate paved highway networks rapidly under their own power without relying on slow, expensive tank transporter trucks.
At an estimated production cost of $3 million per unit, the Eitan is half the cost of a tracked Namer.
Modern automotive advancements also guarantee that its run-flat tires and V-shaped hull offer exceptional mine blast survival while matching the off-road agility required for highly urbanized combat zones.
Furthermore, the vehicle integrates highly advanced lethality, including an unmanned turret with a 30 mm cannon and dual Rafael Spike missile launchers.
Despite this widespread modernization, heavy tracked armor will remain irreplaceable in the IDF’s frontline breakthrough formations.
The Merkava Mark 4 main battle tank and its advanced Merkava Barak variant will continue to rely on tracks to support their massive 65-ton weight, heavy armor, and 120 mm smoothbore guns.
Similarly, the Namer APC, built directly on the rugged Merkava chassis, will retain its tracked configuration to provide unmatched maximum protection for elite infantry breaking through heavily fortified defensive lines.
Specialized engineering vehicles, including the heavily armored tracked Puma and the monstrous Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozers, also must remain tracked to successfully breach minefields, clear anti-tank ditches, and handle the most extreme, rubble-strewn off-road combat terrain.
Globally, the IDF is catching up to an international trend embraced by global powers for decades.
Armed forces like the United States Army with its Stryker, the German and Dutch militaries utilizing the Boxer, and the French army with the VBCI have long heavily relied on 8×8 wheeled configurations for expeditionary warfare.
However, while other nations often prioritize wheeled platforms for lightweight strategic airlift capabilities, the IDF optimizes the Eitan for maximum survivability.
It stands out internationally by featuring some of the heaviest composite armor in its class and integrating the specialized Elbit Iron Fist active protection system (APS) to intercept incoming anti-tank guided missiles in mid-air.
