By Julio A. Montes

Expodefensa was held for the first time in 2009 at Corferias International Business and Exhibition Center (Bogota, Colombia) as an event of a specialized nature for the technological development and innovation in defense and security. A decade later, on its sixth exhibit, the fair had industrial representation from 26 countries, to include 218 international and Colombian exhibitors. It hosted in six pavilions representing Brazil, Spain, France, Israel, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Small Arms 

Expodefensa last opened its doors at Corferias on December 2, 2019, with exhibits covering land, sea, air and space marvels. Israel Weapon Industries (IWI), an SK Group member, presented its new multi-caliber suppressed ARAD M-4-type assault rifle/carbine. IWI’s ARAD is a weapon of modular design that enables the user to easily disassemble the rifle to exchange barrels to fire either 5.56x45mm or .300 Blackout. The Picatinny rail is an integral part of the upper receiver of the rifle to enable a variety of optics and other attachments. In addition, the weapon has M-LOK rails at the 3, 6 and 9 o’clock positions along the handguard and a telescopic buttstock which allows users to adjust the length individually for their particular needs. It is of modular structure that enables the user to easily dismantle and replace the barrel, and it is fully ambidextrous with controls on both sides of the rifle. The ARAD uses a short-stroke gas piston operating system with a two-position regulator mechanism which allows constant operation in all environmental conditions. A two-step enhanced trigger ensures both comfort and shooting accuracy. Additional features include a hard-anodized, monolithic aluminum MIL-STD 1913 rail in the upper receiver. The ARAD weighs only 2.85kg, and right now it comes with either a 292mm (11.5-inch) or 368mm (14.5-inch) barrel length . All metal parts of the weapon are corrosion-resistant, and it has a hammer-forged, chrome-lined, free-floating barrel, for enhanced accuracy and life cycle. In addition, the quick detachable barrel allows it to be replaced in a matter of seconds. It takes any NATO MIL-STD 5.56 steel, aluminum or polymer magazine. It has a retractable polymer stock, an ergonomic pistol grip, and it comes with four points for QD or cord/sling attachments.

The ARAD was presented along with another recently developed IWI rifle, the CARMEL, a conventional configuration multi-purpose, modular, 5.56X45mm caliber assault rifle. The CARMEL is made of superior steel, aviation-grade aluminum and high-strength, impact-modified polymer for outstanding performance in all environmental conditions. It has a short-stroke gas piston rotating bolt system with a three-position gas regulator, matched to a hammer-forged, chrome-lined, free-floating barrel, for enhanced accuracy and a prolonged life cycle. It is equipped with hard-anodized monolithic aluminum MIL-STD 1913 Picatinny rails at the 3, 6, and 9 o’clock positions to allow 100% compatibility with any available sights, devices or accessories. The rifle is equipped with a significantly efficient jump compensator for better shooter stability and uses any NATO MIL-STD 5.56 steel, aluminum or polymer magazine. The CARMEL is offered with four different barrel lengths. The weight of the rifle without a magazine or sight is 3.3kg. The CARMEL has a foldable and retractable folding polymer stock and can be fired with the stock folded; it also comes with an adjustable cheek-rest. It has an ergonomic pistol grip and three-point sling attachments.

Also present at the show was the UZI PRO pistol. It is a modernized Micro-UZI semi-auto pistol based on the UZI submachine gun. A couple of years ago, IWI offered to recycle all the Colombian National Police Mini-UZIs and their conversions to a newer, modern, standard. The Mini-UZI is a smaller version of the regular UZI. It measures 600mm (23.62 inches) long or 360mm (14.17 inches) long with the stock folded. Although the government did not take the offer, a new variant of the Mini-UZI was present at INDUMIL’s booth.

Industria Militar (INDUMIL), the Military Industry company, was prominent among the exhibitors with its full range of products. INDUMIL produces a number of defense items including explosives and ammunitions, as well as a 40mm grenade launcher, a 40mm multiple grenade launcher and a 60mm mortar. However, INDUMIL is better known for manufacturing the Galil and Galil series of weapons. The Galil became the standard military and police rifle in 1992, replacing the HK G3. The Galil was produced by Israel Military Industries. Upon privatization of its small arms division, manufacturing of the Galil was passed to IWI. As INDUMIL developed a closer partnership with Israel, it assumed the manufacturing of the rifle under license in 2006, and by 2010, Colombian and Israeli technicians had worked together to produce the Galil ACE®. INDUMIL had modified 43 out of 96 parts of the rifle, retaining the mechanism of the Galil but reducing its weight by balancing the design and using modern construction materials.

INDUMIL produces the Córdova pistol, a semi-automatic handgun with polymer frame that uses traditional Browning-type short-recoil-operated action with a tilting barrel. It has a double-action trigger, with exposed hammer and ambidextrous slide-mounted safety/decocker lever. The pistol is equipped with a three-dot iron sight, removable grip backstraps (three sizes available) and a removable cover for a Picatinny rail under the barrel. It is named after Colombian War of Independence Hero, General Jos Mara Crdova Muoz (the “Ayacucho’s Lion”). By 2019, INDUMIL was producing its Córdova 3.0 version with some 1,300 built so far. There is also a Córdova 9mm SMG that uses the same mechanism of the pistol and shares the same magazine. The weapon is obviously designed with the law enforcement and police market in mind. The Córdova family includes rifles and carbines that can be described as modernized Galil variants, with MIL-STD 1913 Picatinny rails, new molding and stocks. A 22LR subcaliber kit has been developed for the Galil/Córdova rifle family to make training and practicing more cost-effective.

U.S. Ordnance was well represented at every exhibit of the local armed services. The NATO M60E6 GPMG (general purpose machine gun) has effectively replaced all M60 and M60A3 machine guns in Colombian hands. Although the model uses the same basic chassis of the old M60, all those M60E6 assimilated by the Colombian military services are of new construction. The M60E6 retains the gas-operated, disintegrating link, belt-fed, air-cooled mechanism. It fires from an open bolt and features upgrades to include the special piston design on the quick-change barrel. Barrett came with a full variety of its products as did Dillon Aero with its well-known M134D and a wide range of weapons.

Deadly Aim from Above

Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky highlighted the depot-level maintenance facilities at Tolemaida Air Base. Sikorsky opened a full support office in Bogota in 2012 and followed with the establishment of a helicopter training center in Melgar. The Colombian Army, Air Force and National Police have acquired 103 Black Hawk aircraft since 1988, some 96 of them are still operating, and the Colombian Air Force is due to receive two additional C-130Hs from U.S. stocks.

BlueBird Aero Systems showcased ThunderB®, a 32kg, 4m wing-span tactical Unmanned Aircraft Vehicle (UAV) with a 24-hour endurance capability and extended control range up to 150km. Eyal Navarro, BlueBird Aero System’s international sales director, explained that this small UAV is a perfect Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) instrument, offering triple CCD, cooled IR and optional laser pointer payload. It is ideal for mapping on demand for open area as well as urban scenarios for military, peace keeping, low-intensity conflict, security, law enforcement, S&R, disaster management and commercial applications. It can carry small cargo capsules under each wing, which can be released automatically or by a GCS command. The capsule can reach the target with high accuracy following a ballistic trajectory or can be dropped with the aid of a small parachute to prevent damage to fragile items. Wander B VTOL is interesting in that provides a vertical take-off and landing option even in strong winds and on cloudy or rainy days, assuring high operational availability for up to 2.5 hours and a communication range of up to 50km. It is an electric, mini UAS optimized to facilitate covert, “over-the-hill” operations or extensive, day-and-night intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions in real time.

UVision company, on the other hand, showcased the Hero Family. This is a range of lethal loitering solutions for deployment from air, land and sea. It incorporates advanced airborne guidance, a unique cruciform configuration, navigation systems, abort and recovery capabilities, embedded simulators and C4 stations fully integrated with high-speed data links. Tal Shprung, simulator instructor, demonstrated its easy operational effectiveness. Shprung served in the IDF as Spike missile instructor. At Expodefensa, she demonstrated the Hero-30, a man-portable, short-range, lethal loitering system. The Hero-30 consists of a launcher, a man-packed tube much like any portable anti-tank missile launcher containing a loitering munition, a communication device/antenna and an operator control unit. The Hero-30 is capable of speeds of up to 100 knots and is ideal for anti-personnel missions. It has a weight of 3kg, with a warhead weighting 0.5kg. Its range (LOS) is 5, 10 and 40km, having an endurance of 30 minutes. The smallest of the family is the Hero-20, a man-pack portable and extremely lightweight smart loitering system. It is deployable within minutes, capable of loitering for 20 minutes and ideal for anti-personnel missions. It has a weight of 18kg, with a 0.2kg warhead. Its range is 10km.

INSTALAZA of Spain displayed its ALCOTAN-100 (M2), a man-portable 100mm caliber weapon that can be fired from confined spaces. The weapon consists of a reusable VOSEL (M2) firing control unit with integrated night vision. This sight calculates the target position and trajectory, measures the propellant temperature, calculates the projectile trajectory and shows the gunner the future aiming point to maximize the hit probability. The ALCOTAN-100 (M2) comes with anti-tank, dual-purpose, anti-bunker and multipurpose munitions, integrated in a disposable launching tube. Its range varies between 600m and 1,000m against area targets. It has an extremely high single-shot hit probability (SSHP) and produces no recoil upon firing. It has confined space firing capability and an integrated night vision firing control unit. INSTALAZA also displayed the C90-CR (M3) weapon system, a 90mm caliber launcher with anti-tank, dual-purpose, anti-bunker and smoke munition integrated in a disposable launching tube. The system includes a 2X optical sight and a firing mechanism, both disposable integral parts of the launching tube. An optional sight is the VN38-C that provides for night vision and can be attached and removed within seconds. The sight also provides for 3.3X magnification. It is the lightest 90mm caliber weapon system in the world, weighing 5kg. It is shoulder-fired with an effective range of 350m for point targets and 700m for area targets. The C90-CS refers to the disposable launching tube variant that can be fired from small confined spaces. The weapon includes a 2X optical sight and a firing mechanism as integral parts of the launching tube. It weighs 6.5kg, and it has an effective range of 350m. The C90 Reusable is the reloadable variant with an integrated 2.5X optical sight.

Tank Boat Concept

John Cockerill Defense exhibited its newest CPWS (Cockerill® Protected Weapon Station) armed with the Northrop Grumman M242 Bushmaster cannon firing 25x137mm NATO ammunition. John Cockerill Defense designs, manufactures, integrates and improves cannon-turret systems for the entire range of calibers, from 25mm to 120mm. The weapons systems are modular and designed to evolve, with a moderate cost, adapting to the needs of its users. The company’s target is the upgrade of the Colombian’s Commando APC armored vehicle, increasing the vehicle’s firepower with a medium-caliber turret instead of the current 12.7mm machine gun/40mm automatic grenade launcher. Initially, it was proposed to be fitted on the EE-9/EE-11 armored vehicles, but these platforms are considered too old, and attempting to bring them up to modern standards would increase the cost too much and to the level that it would be better to obtain a new vehicle instead. The CPWS has an effective range that allows engaging targets at greater distances. The CPWS comes with a fully gyrostabilized commander’s periscope capable to cover 360 degs. This allows for recording images, as well as target tracking. The weapon can be reloaded from inside the vehicle, 155 rounds of two different types being available. The gunner has a screen and a joystick at his disposal while the vehicle’s commander is also equipped with a screen to monitor the gunner’s engagements. The Cockerill CPWS turret has a total storage capacity of 155 ready rounds for the main gun, and it also contains a coaxial 7.62mm machine gun and can accommodate various supplementary systems such as grenade launchers. The turret and gun are equipped with a bi-modal stabilized high performance (thermal) day/night sight for 24-hour use. The aiming system provides the operator with panoramic 360-deg vision, independently of the position of the turret. Once locked onto the target, the gun automatically aligns with the aiming system. A ballistics computer guarantees the highest probability of hitting the target when firing on the move. The turret can easily be accommodated on the Colombian’s 4×4 Commando and/or M113 APCs. The station has been successfully tested on the VAP and the Sherpa.

John Cockerill Defense also offered information on the Tank Boat®, a concept forwarded by the Indonesian PT Pindad, North Sea Boats (PT Lundin) consisting of an X-18 eighteen meter-long catamaran fitted with either a Cockerill 3030, a 3105 or a CPWS turret. It was indicated that John Cockerill was talking to COTECMAR on the concept. In fact, COTECMAR has developed a number of armored boats to patrol the rivers. The John Cockerill CPWS allows operations at night with its optronic package that includes a thermal imager beside a video camera and a laser rangefinder. The concept includes the APC-60 variant consisting of a boat able to transport up to 60 soldiers and equipped with the CPWS Gen.2 25mm/30mm remotely controlled turret with a bi-modal stabilized high performance (thermal) day/night sight for 24-hour use. The aiming system provides the operator with panoramic 360-deg vision, independently of the position of the turret. Once locked onto the target, the gun automatically aligns with the aiming system.

Although it follows the lines and heritage of the Navistar, company officials Andres Mejia and Luis Torres expressed that the chassis, including the engine, transmission and electrical train, are made in Colombia, easing logistics by tapping the local commercial market. It departs from a WorkStar® 7300 chassis, motorized by an International® Trucks diesel engine with a 6-speed forward synchronized automatic transmission. The vehicle has been designed as an independent monocoque mounted on a Navistar WorkStar chassis, with a V-shaped floor and protected compartment for the engine. It is said that it can withstand impacts up to 7.62x51mm caliber, as well as anti-personnel mines and IEDs. It has thermal and reverse cameras, 12 windows, 5 doors, 11 hatches and a crane system with a winch. The Xl can also be viewed as an evolution of the company’s Hunter and Hunter TR-12 exhibited along the outside corridor.

The next show, Expodefensa 2021, is scheduled to take place November 29 to December 1, 2021.

EXPODEFENSA 2021 SHOW MASTER INFO

Location

Corferias International Business and Exhibition Center, Bogota, Colombia

Website

expodefensa.com.co

Contact

David Roukoz

+33 (0)1 44 14 64 82

d.roukoz@cogesevents.com

Léa Benassem-Durieux

+33 (0)11 44 14 51 14

l.benassem@cogesevents.com

Next Show

November 29-December 1, 2021

Focus

Expodefensa is an annual international trade fair focused on the scientific and technological developments in the field of defense and security. The exhibition showcases artillery systems, non-lethal weapons, military ground weapons ammunitions; as well as, defense and rescue systems to name a few.

Hotel Hints

Visit expodefensa.com.co/practical-information/useful-information for a list of our recommended hotels and preferential rates and packages for Expodefensa 2021.

Power & Plug Types

Electrical outlets and plugs Voltage: 110V covers a range of 100-127V. Outlets use the same connectors as used in the United States. See wanderingtrader.com/using-electronics-overseas-outlets-in-south-america for more information.

Country Warnings

Security in Columbia has improved significantly in recent years, adding safety measures for both tourist and business travel to Bogota. As with any urban area, be mindful and use caution. Be wary of a person claiming to be a plainclothes policeman, even with an ID. Don’t accept drinks, cigarettes, gum, etc., that could be tainted with a colorless, odorless drug. Use the guidance of Expodefensa’s personnel when booking travel arrangements.  Currently, there is a global health advisory due to COVID-19. Should you have questions or concerns, just ask. Enjoy the show in the beautiful tropical highlands of Colombia.

Cultural Hints

Bogota is a world class urban city, comparable to cities such as San Francisco, Washington D.C., Dubai or Berlin. Be prepared to experience a scenic city of contrasting cultures, where the old meets the new.

Tipping

Do tip: In restaurants tipping is not required but most people tip 10%, and the amount goes to the staff. Tipping in hotels follows most international rules. Tip any tour guides. Airport baggage handlers should be tipped when possible. Do not tip taxi drivers. See traveldudes.org/travel-tips/tipping-colombia-guide-where-and-how-much-you-tip/3220.

Currency

Colombian Peso. Approximately at press, 1.00 USD = 3,700 COP. For up-to-date international currency exchange rates, visit xe.com.

Getting Around

The best and fastest way to travel around Bogota is by a taxi or bus. The same applies if you are going from the terminal to the city center; you can take a bus or TransMilenio, but it’s best to go by taxi. See colombia.travel/en/practical-information.

Military Museums

In Bogota’s La Candelaria Historical Center, visit the Military Museum of Colombia to see over 200 years of Colombian military history. For more information, see museomilitarco.com/en.

Tourism

Bogota’s travel guide is a great resource for gathering information regarding an upcoming trip to Colombia: colombia.travel/en.

NOTE: All information subject to change. Go to expodefensa.com.co for up-to-date information.

The story of IWI US begins in 1933 when Israel Military Industries (IMI) Ltd. began firearms production in Israel under the British Mandate. In the late 1950s, IMI began collaboration with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) with the goal of developing the small arms systems based upon the demands of troops fighting in urban areas and harsh arid terrain of Israel. IWI arms are also a function of the harsh political environment in which Israel finds itself. Not only do implacable enemies surround Israel, but they also exist within Israel’s own borders. In 2005, the Israeli government decided to spin off and privatize the small arms division of IMI, and Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) Ltd. was born. IWI US, Inc. is a proud member of the SK Group. This includes IWI Ltd., IWI US, Inc., Meprolight Ltd. (electro-optical systems), Camero-Tech Ltd. (through-the-wall sensing systems), Israel Shipyards Ltd. (ship manufacturing and repair) and Uni-Scope Optical Systems Ltd. (optical periscopes, riflescopes and binoculars).

Personal defense handguns have certain basic tenets that are simple to list, yet complex and somewhat nebulous in achieving. Such things as trigger pull, ergonomics of operating controls, sights, capacity and “carryability” all contribute to overall feel of a handgun. One thing that is not negotiable is reliability no matter the operating conditions.

Choice is what makes the free market economy so tantalizing. What am I talking about? Sure, there are existing polymer striker-fired pistols on the market, but that does not stop other companies from introducing their take on the topic. All of this leads to productive competition with the consumer benefiting. IWI’s reputation lends credence to any new introduction on its part; especially its first foray into the crowded striker-fired polymer market space. When the IWI MASADA arrived in the U.S., the opportunity to test and evaluate was seized upon. The Israeli take on the striker-fired handgun is worth exploring.

The MASADA

The MASADA features fully ambidextrous controls, and well-thought-out ergonomics provide for natural and instinctive aiming. Three interchangeable backstraps allow for end-user tweaking for the best fit. The MASADA’s frame is made of high-strength, impact-resistant, fiberglass-reinforced polymers. IWI has conducted extensive testing to make sure the MASADA can function and endure in any environment.

The MASADA trigger is set at a 6-pound pull weight. Trigger snobs will wrinkle their nose at this. The MASADA is a personal defense/service weapon, not a competition piece. The MASADA trigger pull is clean with no crunching or grinding. A graph of the trigger pull would be interesting as there is something about it that positively resists words. Reset in length is minimal with positive tactile feel. This translates into a handgun that can send rounds downrange rapidly and accurately.

Sights on the MASADA are the standard-issue, three-dot affair. If the end user wants to replace these, the MASADA uses SIG SAUER pattern-cut sights; thus, aftermarket P320 or P226 sights will work giving customers plenty of options, including extended height suppressor sights. What am I talking about? The MASADA has the ability to mount various red dot sights straight from the factory without having to resort to a gunsmith to mill the slide. This is accomplished via four adapter plates that accommodate Trijicon RMR®, Vortex VENOM, Leupold DeltaPoint® Pro and SIG SAUER ROMEO1™ miniature red dots. A blank plate covers the rear receiver when no red dot is being used. The plate mates seamlessly to the slide. A packet of screws and an instruction manual are included with the MASADA, explaining red dot mounting procedures. Having a slide milled to a specific red dot sight limits your flexibility in choosing various red dots. The IWI is a solid alternate method.

The miniature red dot concept seeks to answer how best to enhance the handgun. The solution is the same as the one most users had already opted for with their rifles—add a red dot sight. The explosion of factory-ready, red-dot-compatible handguns is proof the industry has heard customer demands. IWI integrated this into the MASADA. It will be interesting to see how long before a threaded barrel option arrives.

The IWI MASADA arrives with two 17-round magazines; 10-round magazines for those living in restrictive states. Well-made front and rear serrations ensure a solid purchase when manipulating the slide. The 4.1-inch, cold-hammer forged, 1:10RH barrel has polygonal rifling. Weight when empty is 22 ounces. Ambidextrous slide lock levers and magazine release buttons are standard. The polymer frame features a MIL-STD 1913 accessory rail for lights/lasers.

The IWI MASADA disassembles quickly via locking the slide open and rotating the takedown lever downward on the frame freeing the slide from the frame. There were no tool marks evident and no lateral play in the slide’s fit to the frame or barrel to slide. The barrel locks up tight when in battery. The MASADA operates via a modified Browning’s locked breech short-recoil method with a single locking lug milled above the barrel’s chamber. The MASADA’s slide mass and shape are engineered to aid in increased muzzle control for double taps or longer strings of fire. A low bore axis relative to the shooter’s hand allows for a very stable sight picture no matter how many or how rapid rounds are fired.

Test and Evaluation

Considering that the MASADA’s design is intended as an everyday carry (EDC) handgun, it was decided to dedicate some time evaluating the IWI MASADA, working around vehicles, breaching facades, door entries and other CQB activities. L.A.G. Tactical, Weber Tactical, ANR Design and CrossBreed have holsters in the product lineup to accommodate the MASADA. A L.A.G. Defender holster was chosen for use at Echo Valley Training Center’s onsite Hesco Shoot House and 360 Range, which were ideal test locations. A premium is placed on a quick handling accurate handgun such as the MASADA with multiple rounds fired in quick succession—the norm to put a target down. The natural pointability of the MASADA comes into its own in this realm.

A variety of 9mm loads were tested with the MASADA including Federal Syntech and HST, Hornady XTP and Black Hills Ammunition JHP. An ammunition can featuring a smorgasbord of random brands and types was also used. Loads fired spanned 115 to 147 grain with hollow-point and FMJ bullet types. Significantly, no malfunctions were experienced while test firing over 350 rounds with the MASADA.

The IWI US MASADA is the answer for the concealed carry practitioner wanting a handgun with maximum capability and adaptability.

The IWI MASADA produced 2- to 3-inch groups at 25 yards when fired from standing, unsupported positions. The MASADA’s trigger was a positive, keeping in mind it is a service handgun. A negative encountered was the profile of the magazine release button. The MASADA had to be shifted in the hand for the thumb to comfortably drop a magazine. This is one of the nebulous items of handgun design; someone with a different hand profile may have no issue.

A Trijicon RMR was mounted on the MASADA. The polymer mounting plate was initially a concern. Plastic will never instill the same sense of sturdiness as metal. However, the plate acts more as a spacer than a mount with the screws installed down into MASADA’s milled slide. One note of advice is to install after-market, co-witnessing iron sights if contemplating carrying the RMR-equipped MASADA as a personal defense weapon. This is easily achievable thanks to the MASADA’s compatibility with SIG SAUER sights. The adding of heightened suppressor-style iron sights acts as both back-up sights and quickly fixes the shooter’s eye to the red dot stationed above the front post. Both eyes open is strongly suggested; it is a must to get the most out of the red dot concept. Point shooting with the MASADA is still very possible via using the red dot’s window as a ghost ring—albeit a large ghost ring—if forced to react spontaneously to a threat. The advantage of using red dot sights in the competition environment is well-known.

The RMR-equipped MASADA came into its own, and it was hard to resort back to only iron sights. Groups with the IWI MASADA were markedly smaller with a red dot mounted versus iron sights. This statement became more true as distances increased. The ability to consistently ring a steel man popper target at 50 yards, even out to 100 yards with regularity, was validation why red-dot equipped handguns are here to stay.

As many “maturing” shooters can attest to, the single-focus plane of the red dot is simpler to shoot accurately than coordinating front and rear sights. Shooters can now do as nature intends for them to do, focus on the threat with both eyes open—all simply because the concept uses the eyes in a more normal manner.

The IWI MASADA’s ergonomics and handling characteristics were quickly appreciated. The grip frame with enhanced texturing and overall balance of the handgun minimized felt recoil. The key point with the MASADA is that it is eminently adaptable to individual carry needs thanks to the red dot mounting system. The IWI MASADA arrives ready to go right out of the box. The ability to use the MASADA as an everyday carry handgun is what sets it apart from other endeavors incorporating red dots on pistols.

SPECIFICATIONS IWI MASADA

CALIBER: 9mm

BARREL: 4.1in

OA LENGTH: 7.4in

WEIGHT: 22.8oz

SIGHTS: 3-dot Iron sights/Mount plates for install of red dots

GRIPS: Interchangeably sized backstraps

CAPACITY: 17+1

MSRP: $480

PERFORMANCE

LOAD VELOCITY   AVG. ACCURACY  AVG@ 25yds Best

Federal 124gr HST   1080fps 2.66in        2.33in

Black Hills 115gr JHP EXP   1120fps 3.33in 2.8in

Federal Syntech 124gr TSJ 1010fps 3.25in 2.66in

Hornady 124gr XTP 1069fps 3in 2.75in

FOR MORE INFORMATION

IWI US

iwi.us

Federal Ammunition

federalpremium.com

Black Hills Ammunition

black-hills.com

Echo Valley Training Center

echovalleytraining.com

Hornady Manufacturing

hornady.com

L.A.G. Tactical

lagtactical.com

 SIG SAUER

sigsauer.com

 Trijicon

trijicon.com

The “Carmel,” named after Mount Carmel which is a coastal mountain range in northern Israel next to Haifa, was unveiled to the public in April 2019 at the LAAD Defence & Security trade show in Rio de Janeiro, catching many people by surprise. I was very excited to see this new rifle platform, so much so that I flew to Israel to try it out.

There seems to be a trend with various manufacturers around the world to have new and common features such as fully adjustable folding stocks, fully ambidextrous controls, non-reciprocating charging handles, etc. This is likely to be driven by requirements from government contracts. The Galil ACE®, while it has proved itself over the years, does not meet all these new requirements. Thus, a new rifle design was born.

However, instead of using either an aluminum upper with a polymer lower receiver like the FN Scar, CZ Bren 2 or HK433, IWI has chosen to go with a full external polymer shell with internal aluminum reinforcements.

Features

The Carmel is short-stroke, gas-piston-driven with three adjustable gas settings: normal, adverse and suppressed. The suppressed setting is necessary due to the ever-increasing use of suppressors in various Special Forces units worldwide. The gas settings can easily be adjusted on the exposed part of the gas block using the tip of a bullet just like on the Tavor 7.

Various barrel lengths are available, 10.5 inches, 12 inches, 14.5 inches and 16 inches. The rate of fire is 850 rounds per minute which makes this rifle controllable even under full-auto fire. As with all IWI products, the barrels are cold-hammer forged.

Accuracy is rated at 1.5MOA using quality ammunition.

On the handguard, hidden under polymer panels, are polymer Picatinny rails at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock. The panels can be unlocked and removed by pressing the tab with your finger similar to the X95. The handguard feels slightly large, but the operator can remove the rail panels and install slimmer rail covers if needed. On the left side of the handguard hides a small lever that can be unlocked with a tip of a bullet for the quick-change barrel.

One of the unique features is the non-reciprocating charging handle. Instead of being a removable handle for switching from left to right and vice versa like the Tavor 7 and HK433, once set in the middle position, it can simply be pushed to the opposite side. This is even simpler than the Beretta ARX-160 design which requires the operator to flip the charging handle over to the other side.

If you are an AR-15 user, you will be right at home with the control. Everything is ambidextrous including the bolt hold-open and bolt release which are paddles (instead of a lever, such as on the HK416 A5) on the right side. The Carmel has a 90-degree safety with a shorter throw from semi- to full-auto.

The folding, fully adjustable stock is intuitive and easy to use. There is a small tab at the rear to adjust the length of pull from its six positions. Shooting with just a shirt (no body armor), I find setting 2 or 3 to be quite comfortable. The cheek can also be raised to three different positions by pressing the two tabs on the left and right sides at the same time. The lowest setting at 1 works perfectly with the Mepro Foresight optic. The rifle can be fired with the stock folded.

The stock folding latch is large and looks to be designed for abuse. With the stock folded, it unveils another latch that unlocks, and the bolt carrier group, together with the captive dual recoil spring, comes out for field-strip and cleaning.

How Does It Shoot?

The author’s first impression of picking up the Carmel is the almost upright pistol grip. This makes holding the rifle very comfortable without adding strain to the shooter’s wrist. The grip, along with the trigger guard, is part of the lower receiver and cannot be switched out. For the author’s medium-sized hands, there’s no need to change this.

The rifle feels light at 3.3kg (7.27 pounds) without the magazine and is equipped with the 10.5-inch barrel. That is slightly lighter than a Micro Tavor X95 with a 13-inch barrel at 7.5 pounds.

The trigger feels good on initial take-up but becomes lighter as it’s squeezed and breaks light and clean. It’s certainly a very good service rifle trigger at around 6 to 6.5 pounds with a positive and short reset compared to most MIL-SPEC triggers.

The long polymer cheek piece provides comfortable shooting from standing to prone positions, and a large, angled recoil pad offers great support on the shoulder. I was told to use a C-clamp-style grip with my left hand right up to the end of the handguard where it angles down to the gas block adjustment knob. I was able to do a 30-round, full-auto mag dump at 15m toward a human-size steel target with ease. Impressive!

Overall, with over 80 years of experience in making automatic weapons, it is not surprising at all that IWI knows how to make the Carmel rifle tick like a precision Swiss watch.

No Commercial Version in Sight

IWI does not have information on when a semi-automatic only, civilian-legal version will be available. It’s safe to say it will be quite some time before we will see it. Just like the HK433, it is first and foremost catered to the LE and military markets. Deliveries of the Carmel have already begun, but IWI is mum about to whom or where these rifles are going.

Mepro Foresight

Representatives from Meprolight, an Israeli optics company also under the SK Group, were present to show a hardware-finalized version of the new Mepro Foresight. First unveiled at SHOT Show in January 2019, the Mepro Foresight is an augmented weapon sight that features multiple reticle options, compass, leveler and shot counter (to be available later via a firmware update) as well as built-in lithium battery with USB charging. It also features Bluetooth, which, when connected to the Mepro Foresight app on your smartphone, offers up to 10 gun profiles that store the zero of the optic and other settings.

The optic is non-magnified at 1x, but it is compatible with Meprolight’s MX3 series of 3x magnifiers.

The display is amber in color, with a hint of purple tint on the glass to enhance visibility as well as battery life. Battery life will get the most criticism here, rated for only 2 days. But how long does your smartphone last with one charge? The idea is you can charge it using your phone or a battery pack that you may be already carrying for charging your phone. It does have a low-power mode that automatically engages when the battery is low and disables all other on-screen functions except the reticle. The Android app will be available first, followed by the iOS version. At the time of writing, the Android app is in its final phase of testing.

Pressing the up/down arrows cycles through the five preset reticle options, from a simple circle dot, circle with a horizontal line crossing through the dot, circle with a line pointing up to the dot, circle with a cross, to a circle with a “T.” I was told that custom reticles can be made by the user and uploaded to the sight using the phone app.

This is the author’s first time using this sight mounted to a rifle in an outdoor setting. The objective is large and unobtrusive, similar to the Mepro M5 electro-optical red dot sight which is standard issue on X95 rifles for the IDF (Israel Defense Forces). The experience can only be described as being in a video game. The compass and leveler shown on the upper left and left display area are sensitive to small movements, and they can be disabled in the menu setting if the operator finds the display to be too cluttered with information. There’s a battery icon showing the battery percentage level on the upper right corner as well.

Conclusion

This rifle is part of a revamp of IWI’s product line starting with the Masada 9mm striker-fired polymer pistol. While there are many countries, particularly in the South American and Asian regions, that have issued Galils and Tavors, the rest of the western world has a fresh set of requirements. IWI is no longer constricted to selling only Galils, Uzis, bullpups and hammer-fired pistols. They have caught on to other small arms manufacturers such as Heckler & Koch, CZ and FN that produce modernized modular assault rifles for the 21^st century and beyond.

The author sincerely thanks Shiri Katsav Begoon, Yoav Hirshberg at IWI and Amir Karo at Meprolight as well as the rest of the IWI and Meprolight team for inviting and spending a warm summer afternoon with me at the range, showing me these interesting new products.

Photos by IWI

A direct derivation from the TAR-21 Tavor bullpup rifle, adopted in 2003 by the Israel Defence Forces, we are going to introduce to SADJ readers the version designed for the Sayeret (Special Forces) units, a shorter and more modular rifle that, in case of need, can be converted into a SMG.

The TAR-21 project in Ramat Hasharon was started in 1995 when the Israeli company name was still IMI (Israel Military Industries).  In recent times, IMI ownership has been handed over from the State of Israel to a private company, the Samy Katsav Group (the same holding that includes also Meprolight, Selectron International Optronics and Global Shields) and changed its name to Israel Weapon Industries or IWI.

It was the intention of IWI that the new rifle design would have to satisfy the needs of the Israeli infantryman due to the most recent battlefield requirements.  A large majority of the combat actions of the IDF happened in urban areas, where soldiers must fight in harsh CQB conditions: apartments, narrow roads, restricted spaces typical of small villages where the terrorist enemy have their site and hold their positions.

Another tactical consideration comes from the fact that IDF is a highly mechanized army.  Even if the Israeli soldiers, during their GIBUSH (the selection for the combat units), are trained to cover long distances marching by feet, it is an operative reality that most of their movements on the battlefield are done travelling by APCs, IFVs or by helicopters.  This requires to have the equipment, including the assault rifle, as compact as possible.  IDF learned this lesson when they adopted the FN FAL, in the 1960s.  Aside from reliability problems they had with this rifle, the FN FAL was a very long rifle and very uncomfortable to carry inside an armoured vehicle or to be handled inside a helicopter during an airborne infiltration behind enemy lines.

Currently IDF is armed with a very small quantity of IMI Glilon (the Galil short version), and mainly with M16A1s, refitted with round handguards and different sling system, and Colt M16A1 Carbines, with old style polymer collapsible stocks, both with fixed carrying handle on the upper receiver.  Only in recent times has the series 900 Colt M4A1 carbines been issued.  According to battlefield reports, even the M4A1 has been judged by the Israelis as too long to fit the need of the Israel mechanized infantry.

The solution chosen by IWI engineers was to design a bullpup rifle; allowing this way to have a short rifle without limiting the ballistic of the 5.56mm cartridge because of very short barrels.  The result was the TAR-21 rifle (the acronym stands for Tavor Assault Rifle – 21st Century), officially adopted in 2003 by the IDF.

Due to the high number of Elite and Recon units in the IDF, IWI was requested by TSAHA’L to modify the TAR-21 design for its own special forces.  The Micro Tavor was born, and after some intensive field testing, the design was refined and modified into the last version, currently delivered to the Israeli army: the IWI X95 Special Forces carbine.

The X95 is really compact: only 590 mm long with its 13 inch barrel.  To make a fast comparison, an M4A1 with fully extended stock and a 14.5 inch barrel is 880 mm long.

The rifle is built around a backbone made of a “U” shaped steel rail, where its mechanics moves and the polymer receiver is fixed.  It’s hard to say that the X95 is beautiful, but its appearance, in the gray-black polymer livery, is very aggressive and martial and less “toy” looking than the previous green polymer.  The change reflects the fact that the polymer chosen for building the external body of the carbine has been changed from the previous models.

The old greenish polymer was studied to be rigid and impact resistant as much as possible.  But with the frequent use during field testing, the main problem was that even if it was able to absorb hard shocks, the polymer was not able to last: after a while cracks in the body started to appear, compromising structural integrity of the weapon.  The solution was to adopt another polymer, the current black gray looking one that was “softer” but did not show cracks after intensive use, being also more resistant to the strong UV middle-east sun radiations.

The X95 operates with two different mechanics: the 5.56×45 carbine with gas recovery system and 9×19 caliber blowback operated submachine gun, both using the same body.

The 5.56 carbine uses a long stroke gas recovery mechanism.  During the shoot sequence, the bullet in the barrel uncovers a hole, the gas port, which blows high pressure gases into a tube where there is a gas piston that starts to move rearward due the effects of the gases.  The gas piston is permanently locked with the prismatic bolt carrier, that starts, in its turn, to move rearward too, and so doing, due to a cam on the bolt carrier body, causes the bolt head to rotate and unlock the breech only when gas pressures are on safe values.  The group bolt-bolt carrier keeps travelling rearward for about 70 mm, compressing the recoil spring and ejecting the spent brass.  When the kinetic force of the shot ends, the recoil spring pushes forward the bolt-bolt carrier group, feeding a fresh cartridge from the magazine, chambering it and locking again the bolt in the breech locking lugs.

When shooting the 9×19 SMG version instead, it is only the prismatic bolt weight and the force of the recoil springs that define the bolt opening delay to ensure a safe opening of the breech, the rest of the operation sequence being identical to the 5.56 version.

The X95 barrel is produced using a cold hammer forging process, with 6 right-hand grooves, 1:7 twist.  This is quite curious since the IDF uses both M193 and M855 ammunitions.  The explanation is due to the IDF doctrine, since they do not want to renounce to the better terminal effects given by the 55 grs ball, and reserve the heavier 62 grs ball ammunition only for squad sharpshooters.  On the muzzle end of the barrel is mounted a flashider with 5 radial slots located only in the upper portion of it, while the lower part is closed, being this solution identical to the one adopted on the American M16A2 assault rifle.

The gas port is located 187 mm from the end of the barrel extension.  On the breech is mounted the barrel extension, with the locking lugs for the bolt.  The bolt face presents a singular asymmetric locking lug configuration: the three locking lugs, in fact, are located at 12 o’clock, 4 o’clock and 7 o’clock.  This last one, in its turn, is split into two smaller ones.  The bolt face is hollow, to create a belt that completely surrounds the cartridge rim ensuring a level of safety in case of gas leak from a broken primer or shell rupture.

On the bolt face there are also a big extractor claw that engages the cartridge rim for almost one quarter of the diameter, and a spring loaded ejector pin.  To reverse the spent case ejection, the bolt head must be replaced – an operation that must be performed by the unit armourer.

The bolt carrier is a prismatic rectangular shaped block of steel CNC machined to accept the cam and the bolt head.  Protruding from the upper front of the bolt carrier body there is the integral operating rod, ending with the stainless steel terminal of the self adjusting gas valve.  Internally the operating rod is hollow to accommodate the recoil spring and the recoil spring rod.  The bolt, bolt carrier, recoil spring and spring rod are permanently joined and do not need to be separated during field maintenance.  The bolt carrier side walls are straight, sealing the ejection port on the polymer body, avoiding the need of a ejection port lid to keep dust and debris out of the action.

The X95 body is realized in a black-dark gray highly UV and impact resistant polymer plastic.  While the rear portion of the body is identical to the standard TAR-21 rifles, the front and middle portion differ greatly for their shapes and commands collocation.

The front handguard has a round section, with ribs on the lower part to give the shooter a better grip.  The front and upper part has ventilation holes to allow air to circulate and cool the barrel.  At the upper tip of the front handguard there are the backup front sights, realized in polymer and adjustable only for windage.  After the backup front sights there is a short Picatinny rail to allow accessories to be mounted.  Standard configurations foresee for X95s a tactical lamp, with its PTT button strapped with Velcro on the front handguard.