Top five Israeli Defence Force vehicles: Armoured ‘Wolf’, 2,000+ Humvees and Wrangler 4x4s

On October 7, Palestinian militant groups led by Hamas, began a militant invasion of Israel from the Gaza Strip as part of the Gaza-Israel conflict. Israel has since launched a counter-offensive and the region has been under constant rain of warheads for five days, with a rising death toll. As part of the Israeli response, the country has mobilised its defence force and here are five military vehicles that the personnel have at their disposal. From the American made Humvee to the Israeli developed ‘Wolf’ armoured vehicle, these utility vehicles hold an important role in driving the country’s counter offensive.

1. AIL Storm:
The AIL Storm is based on the well-known Jeep Wrangler 4×4, it has been licensed from Chrysler by Israel and manufactured as an off-road vehicle for the Israeli Security Forces. The AIL Storm has been under production since 1991 and serves several military roles including that of an armoured infantry mobility vehicle. Currently, 700 units of the AIL Storm are under service.

2. MDT David:
The MDT David is a light armoured vehicle developed by Israel, this one also looks familiar as it has been based on the well known Land Rover Defender 4×4. The armoured SUV has been built for the Israeli Security Forces by MDT Armor Corporation and is capable of defending against low intensity conflict from assault rifles, it is blast protected and can also protect against Improvised Explosive Devices (IMDs) to a certain extent. The Israeli defence forces currently have 400 of MDT David SUVs in their fleet.

3. The HMMWV or Humvee:
American-made High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) or more popularly known as the Humvee reinforces the Israeli defence as well. The country currently has 2,000 Humvees under service.

4. Plasan SandCat:
The Plasan SandCat is another light armoured vehicle developed for the Israel Defence Forces. Just like others on the list, the SandCat is also based on an American truck, more specifically the well known Ford F-Series chassis. It was first introduced in 2005 and has since evolved. IDF currently has 700 SandCats in its fleet and they serve in various roles of combat and patrolling.

5. ‘Wolf’ armoured vehicle:
Among the light armoured vehicles mentioned above, Israel also developed the ‘Wolf’ armoured personnel carrier for the IDF. It is heavily armoured and produced by Carmor company. It is capable of defending against assault rifles, mines and IMDs. The Wolf is based on the chassis of the Ford F550 truck and gets 6.0-litre V8 petrol engine, producing 325 hp. Currently there are 300 Wolf armoured vehicles under service in Israel.