Israel Weapon Industries (IWI), formerly the Magen division of the

Israel Military Industries IMI Systems, previously Israel Military Industries, also referred to as Ta'as (), was an Israeli weapons manufacturer. The company manufactured weapons, munitions and military technology mainly for the Israeli security forces (especially Israel' ...

Ltd. (IMI), is an Israeli

firearm A firearm is any type of gun that uses an explosive charge and is designed to be readily carried and operated by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see legal definitions). The first firearms originate ...

s manufacturer. It was founded in 1933. Formerly owned by the

State of Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

, the Small Arms Division of IMI was privatized and renamed IWI in 2005. IWI is one of the world's most famous and bestselling military arms manufacturers. The Magen division rose to international prominence in the 1950s, as the creator of the Uzi, of which over 10 million would be produced, netting billions of dollars for the company. Subsequent well known military exports have included the Jericho 941 semi-automatic pistol, Negev light machine gun, Galil assault rifle, Tavor assault rifle, and the DAN .338 sniper rifle. IWI develops and manufactures guns used by armies and law enforcement agencies around the world.

Manufacturing

Ramat HaSharon

For many decades, IWI and the Magen division of Israeli Military Industries before it, has manufactured its weapons in

Ramat HaSharon Ramat HaSharon (, ) is an affluent city located on Israel's central coastal strip in the south of the Sharon, Israel, Sharon region, bordering the cities of Tel Aviv to the south, Hod HaSharon, Hod-HaSharon to the east, and Herzliya and kibbutz ...

. The factory has for many years been regarded an important component of the manufacturing sector in Ramat HaSharon. In 2017, IWI announced it is planning to construct a new factory in Kiryat Gat, to which its manufacturing will re-locate when completed in 2020. The new Kiryat Gat factory, whose construction will cost NIS 180 million, will employ 560 full-time production workers and engineers on its assembly lines.

Overseas

India

IWI owns several factories overseas, for the manufacture of weapons for local markets. In India, IWI is establishing a joint-manufacturing center with Punj Lloyd (with IWI owning 49% of the plant, and Punj Lloyd owning 51% of the plant), which will be India's first privately-owned small-arms manufacturing plant. The factory will manufacture firearms for the Indian army. IWI said in 2017, that it expects tenders with the Indian army in the region of $200–300 million.

USA

IWI also operates a manufacturing facility in Middletown, Pennsylvania USA. They locally assemble the Zion-15, Tavor and Galil rifles, TS12 15+1 round semi-automatic shotgun as well as the Jericho, Masada and Galil pistols, among others.

Products

Security training

IWI offers anti-terrorism training to Israeli citizens and contracts its services to outside countries requiring security training and anti-terror training to protect assets and high-ranking officials. IWI collaborates with the Metropolitan College of New York (MCNY) in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, which offers a classroom-based MA degree in Public Administration, Emergency Management, and Homeland Security.

References

External links

* {{IMI IWI smallarms Firearm manufacturers of Israel Defense companies of Israel Israeli brands 1933 establishments in Mandatory Palestine