Namer (, ), means "leopard" and also a syllabic abbreviation of "Nagmash" (APC) and "Merkava", is an Israeli armoured personnel carrier based on a Merkava Mark IV tank chassis. Namer was developed by and is being assembled by the Israeli Ordnance Corps. It has entered service in limited numbers with the Israel Defense Forces since the end of 2008. Due to budgetary constraints, the introduction of the Namer into the IDF has been slow, leaving the ground forces dependent on the M113 for many years to come.
History
1990s–2004
The experience of converting Centurion tanks into armored personnel carriers (Nagmashot, Nagmachon) and combat engineering vehicles (Puma, Nakpadon), followed by the successful conversion of many T-54 and T-55 tanks into Achzarit infantry fighting vehicles further promoted the idea of converting Merkava tanks into heavily armored APCs / IFVs. This concept was also driven by the fact that many of the ~250 Merkava Mark I tanks were being withdrawn from service and it was also made clear that the 105 mm armament of the Merkava Mark IIs could not be upgraded with the modern IMI 120 mm gun.
The development did not progress much in the 1990s due to funding issues, but following 2004 Israel–Gaza conflict, which exposed the vulnerability of the M113 armored personnel carrier to improvised explosive devices and rocket-propelled grenades, the IDF reconsidered the development. At that point the Stryker armored personnel carrier was considered but was rejected by the IDF.
2005–present
Eventually, IDF Ordnance developed infantry fighting vehicle prototypes based on the Merkava Mark I chassis, and also a handful of IFVs based on the Merkava Mark IV chassis. The vehicle was initially called Nemmera (Hebrew: leopardess), but later renamed to Namer (Hebrew: leopard), while the name Nemmera refers to a Merkava-based ARV.
On 15 February 2005, Maariv reported that a Namer prototype based on the Merkava Mark I was fielded by the Givati Brigade for trials and evaluation. It was equipped with a Rafael Overhead Weapon Station, which is remotely controlled and loaded from within the vehicle. This same unit was demonstrated at the Eurosatory 2005 military exhibition where potential export customers showed interest.
Lessons learned in the battles of the 2006 Lebanon War also largely validated this program. Consequently, in 2007 it was reported that the first fifteen Namers would be delivered in 2008, and over a hundred more would finally equip two combat brigades. However, conversion plans were abandoned in favor of newly built Merkava Mark IV chassis.
The Namer was the first IDF vehicle designed by computer (CAD), which allowed the vehicle to be designed more rapidly than previous vehicles.
On 1 March 2008, an operational, started from scratch and fully developed Namer IFV based on Merkava Mark IV chassis was officially presented by the IDF. Reportedly, the construction was expedited in May 2008 by importing parts from the US. On 15 September 2008, the Namer was unveiled to the general public at an exhibition in Rishon LeZion.
To speed up the production of the Namers (which have been taking place domestically) on 25 October 2010, it was announced that General Dynamics Land Systems had been chosen to negotiate a contract to manufacture and integrate an unspecified number of vehicle hulls at the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center in Lima, Ohio.
After cutting back orders for the Namer in 2014 due to budget constraints, in 2015 the IDF increased its orders for parts, in expectation of orders of complete systems. The move is in part a response to the death of 7 Golani Brigade soldiers who were killed by an RPG in Gaza while riding an elderly M113 whose engine stalled in the middle of the battlefield. The orders from General Dynamics are occurring alongside domestic production of the vehicles.
It was originally planned to be equipped with Israel Military Industries's Iron Fist active protection system; however, due to budget limitations the installation of an active protection system has been delayed. From 2016, nearly a decade later than planned, the IDF said that it will begin to fit newly built Namers with Rafael's Trophy active protection system.
Budgetary constraints and lack of prioritization of ground forces have meant that the IDF continuously cut back its orders of the Namer. As of 2014, the pace of Namer purchases was still considered slow, with around 30 being produced each year, meaning that there would not be 500 of the vehicles in the IDF until 2027.