Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) said Thursday that it has signed an agreement with the Ministry of Defense’s Office of Production and Procurement to manufacture the Z-MAG, a unique all-terrain vehicle, for the IDF (Israel Defense Forces). The ministry’s Sub Department for Land Production and Procurement and IAI’s ELTA Group signed an agreement for the manufacturing and supply of nine Z-MAG vehicles, with an option for 21 additional units. IAI recently acquired the rights to the Israeli Z off-road vehicle family.
Yoav Turgeman, IAI VP and CEO of ELTA, said, “IAI is proud to supply the world’s most advanced all-terrain vehicles, developed in Israel, to Israel’s defense community. ELTA develops and produces a broad range of products for land purposes, including: surveillance, autonomous robotics, remote sensing, and communication. By integrating these capabilities in the Z vehicle family our products provide added value to the forces’ operational possibilities, be it in defense, assault or homeland security intelligence gathering.”
Z-MAG vehicles, developed in Israel, have drawn interest from the local and global off-road, all-terrain vehicle community. The first Z-MAG vehicles purchased by the Defense Ministry will feature unique capabilities designed especially for the needs of the IDF’s maneuvering units.The Z-MAG has an exceptional ability to maneuver in the most extreme topographical conditions and terrain. Following an assessment period, the IDF will consider buying more vehicles in the coming years. IAI is building an assembly line for the Z vehicles at ELTA’s Land Division in the city of Beersheva and is investing 100 million shekels in the project.
