Elbit secures $130M contract for Iron Fist defense systems
Elbit secures $130M contract for Iron Fist defense systems
The Iron Fist is an active defense system that provides perimeter protection for APCs. The buyer, BAE Systems Hägglunds, intends to install it on CV-90 APCs that will be supplied to a country in Central Europe.
Elbit Systems continues its momentum with a series of significant transactions both in Israel and abroad, announcing a new deal worth approximately $130 million. The contract is for the supply of the "Iron Fist" active defense system to BAE Systems Hägglunds, which intends to install it on CV-90 armored personnel carriers (APCs) destined for a country in Central Europe.
Elbit has not disclosed the name of the country receiving these APCs, which will be equipped with the Israeli defense system. However, various versions of these APCs have been ordered from BAE by 10 European countries. Some armies have been renewing their armored vehicle fleets, having transferred older models to the Ukrainian army, which has been engaged in conflict with the Russian military since February 2022.
The Iron Fist was originally developed by Israel Military Industries (IMI), which Elbit acquired from the Israeli government at the end of 2018 for approximately NIS 1.9 billion. The system provides comprehensive perimeter protection for APCs and armored vehicles, defending against a wide range of battlefield threats such as anti-tank missiles, RPG rockets, and loitering munitions that have been increasingly employed by both armies and paramilitary terrorist organizations in recent years.
The Iron Fist was developed concurrently with Rafael’s Trophy (ASPRO-A) defense system, which is installed on the IDF's Merkava Mk 4 tanks and Namer APCs. The Iron Fist, which is considered lighter, is slated to be installed on the IDF's new Ethan-type APCs and on some of the D-9 bulldozers used in engineering operations within combat zones.
Over the past four years, Elbit has sold Iron Fist systems to the U.S. Army for the protection of Bradley-type APCs, as well as to the Dutch and Slovakian armies. In recent months, BAE announced it would supply the Swedish army with CV-90 APCs, prepared for the installation of the Iron Fist system.
Earlier this week, Elbit also reported another deal in which it will supply rocket artillery systems to an "international customer" over the coming years, valued at approximately $270 million. Elbit did not specify the identity of the customer or the exact products to be supplied. However, market estimates suggest these are surface-to-surface rockets launched from the PULS launcher, with ranges between 35 km and 300 km, including models like "Extra," "Predator Hawk," "Romach," and "AccuLAR-160." Like the Iron Fist, these rockets were developed by IMI before its privatization and acquisition by Elbit.
These recent international transactions follow a series of domestic orders totaling approximately NIS 4.5 billion that Elbit received from the Israeli Ministry of Defense for the production of various armaments for the IDF in the coming years, against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
