Israel Weapon Industries
TypePrivate
IndustryArms/Defense
Founded1933 (1933)
(privatized in 2005)
Headquarters
Ramat HaSharon
,
Israel
Area served
Worldwide
ProductsFirearms, weapons
Number of employees
Over 500 in Israel
(excluding overseas)[1]
Websiteiwi.net

Israel Weapon Industries (IWI), formerly the Magen division of the Israel Military Industries Ltd. (IMI), is an Israeli firearms manufacturer.

It was founded in 1933.[2] Formerly owned by the State of Israel, the Small Arms Division of IMI was privatized and renamed IWI in 2005.

IWI is one of the world's most famous and bestselling military arms manufacturers.[3] The Magen division rose to international prominence in the 1950s, as the creator of the Uzi, of which over 10 million would be produced, netting billions of dollars for the company.[4] Subsequent well known military exports have included the Jericho 941 semi-automatic pistol, Negev light machine gun, Galil assault rifle, Tavor assault rifle, and the DAN .338 sniper rifle.

IWI develops and manufactures guns used by armies and law enforcement agencies around the world.[5]

Manufacturing

Ramat HaSharon

For many decades, IWI and the Magen division of Israeli Military Industries before it, has manufactured its weapons in Ramat HaSharon. The factory has for many years been regarded an important component of the manufacturing sector in Ramat HaSharon. In 2017, IWI announced it is planning to construct a new factory in Kiryat Gat, to which its manufacturing will re-locate when completed in 2020. The new Kiryat Gat factory, whose construction will cost NIS 180 million, will employ 560 full-time production workers and engineers on its assembly lines.[6]

Overseas

India

IWI owns several factories overseas, for the manufacture of weapons for local markets. In India, IWI is establishing a joint-manufacturing center with Punj Lloyd (with IWI owning 49% of the plant, and Punj Lloyd owning 51% of the plant), which will be India's first privately-owned small-arms manufacturing plant. The factory will manufacture firearms for the Indian army.[7] IWI said in 2017, that it expects tenders with the Indian army in the region of $200–300 million.[8]

USA

IWI also operates a manufacturing facility in Middletown, Pennsylvania USA. They locally manufacture the Zion-15, Tavor and Galil rifles, TS12 15+1 round semi-automatic shotgun as well as the Jericho, Masada and Galil pistols, among others.[9]

Products

Name Type Year Image
ARAD Assault rifle 2019
Carmel Battle rifle 2019
Dan Sniper rifle 2014
Desert Eagle Semi-automatic pistol 1982
Dror Light machine gun 1946
Galil Assault rifle 1972
Galil ACE Assault rifle 2008
Jericho 941 Semi-automatic pistol 1990
MAPATS Anti-tank guided missile 1984
Masada[10] Semi-automatic pistol 2017
Negev Light machine gun 1985
Negev NG-7 General-purpose machine gun 2012
SP-21 Barak Semi-automatic pistol 2002
Tavor 7 Bullpup battle rifle 2017
Tavor TAR-21 Bullpup assault rifle 2001
Tavor TS12 Bullpup semi-automatic shotgun 2018
Tavor X95 Bullpup assault rifle 2009
Tavor X95 SMG Bullpup submachine gun
Uzi Submachine gun 1950
Zion-15 AR-15-style rifle 2020

Security training

IWI offers anti-terrorism training to Israeli citizens and contracts its services to outside countries requiring security training and anti-terror training to protect assets and high-ranking officials.[11] IWI collaborates with the Metropolitan College of New York (MCNY) in New York City, which offers a classroom-based MA degree in Public Administration, Emergency Management and Homeland Security.[12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The success of the 'Tavor' has taken us by surprise" Amir Rapaport | 10/03/2014
  2. ↑ "Israel Military Industries (IMI) - Israel Special Weapons". fas.org. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  3. ↑ From missile boats to machine guns Ora Coren, Dec. 31, 2010, Haaretz
  4. ↑ Hackathorn, Ken (1995). "Using the Uzi". Fighting Firearms (Soldier of Fortune) 3 (1): 18–23
  5. ↑ Israel Weapon Industries website Archived 2013-04-04 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ↑ Not only layoffs: A security plant will be transferred from Ramat Hasharon to Kiryat Gat Matan Tzuri, Published: 07.07.17, ynet
  7. ↑ India's first private sector small arms manufacturing plant inaugurated in Madhya Pradesh Published: 4 May 2017
  8. ↑ Katsav will run for tenders worth hundreds of millions of dollars in India Yuval Azoulay, 07.05.2017, Globes
  9. ↑ "IWI US, Inc. | Homepage". 30 September 2016.
  10. ↑ "Meet the IWI Masada 9 mm Striker-Fired Pistol". 3 November 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  11. ↑ Security training Archived 2008-04-27 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ↑ "Emergency and Disaster Management Degree – Metropolitan College of New York". Archived from the original on 3 September 2006.
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