Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) is to supply thousands of additional X95 (Micro-Tavor) bullpup assault rifles for Israel Defense Forces (IDF) infantry brigades, the company announced on 25 June 2023.
A new contract for the weapons was signed with the Israel Ministry of Defense’s Department of Production and Procurement – Ground Weapons Division, IWI reported, although it did not disclose the value of the deal.
The X95 assault rifle has been in IDF active-duty and reserve service since 2006. Its bullpup configuration creates an ergonomic and short firearm with a long barrel, giving it superior ballistics compared to other platforms, according to IWI.
The current order is for the 5.56×45 mm calibre X95 with a 380 mm and 419 mm barrel length. The firearm is equipped with MIL-STD-1913 Picatinny rails that allow the mounting of essential accessories such as sights, lights, and visual and infra-red illuminators.
This order joins previous IWI contracts for the IDF such as for the Negev light machine gun and a 40 mm grenade launcher that can be mounted onto the X95.
Ronen Hamudot, executive vice president for marketing and sales of the SK Group (which owns IWI), was quoted as saying, “We are proud of the IDF’s decision to, once again, choose the small arms advanced solutions manufactured by IWI. This is a fruitful co-operation between the company and the IDF that has been in place for many years and which reflects the Ministry of Defense’s confidence in SK Group’s solutions in the light weapons sector. The Micro- Tavor advanced design and technology was developed in collaboration with the elite units of [the IDF]. During its development every technological and ergonomic aspect was taken into consideration. We are proud to say that today it is the standard IDF assault rifle.”
The X95 is an innovative weapon system that can be converted in minutes to four different calibres: 5.56×45 mm, 9×19 mm 5.45×39 mm and 300 BLK. This allows the same weapon to be used for a range of diverse scenarios. Its compatibility with different ammunition calibres also saves training time and spare parts.
Designed to meet the extreme demands of urban and open-terrain combat, the X95 is manufactured from high-strength, impact-resistant polymer combined with high-grade metal and alloys, providing a robust and reliable yet remarkably light weapon, according to IWI.
“Exceptionally reliable even in the harshest conditions, the X95 is combat proven by military and police entities around the world,” IWI stated, adding, “It complies with stringent NATO standards for small arms, including environmental standards.”
Peter Felstead
