In the video: a promotional video about the establishment of Elbit and IAS's technological center in Ramat Beka in the Negev/Elbit and IAS
Precisely when the IDF is urgently required to renew its ammunition stock and increase it following the Iron Swords War and the possibility of war in the north, the completion of Elbit's new ammunition production plant in Ramat Bekah in the south, which is intended to replace its production lines in Ramat Hasharon, is being delayed.
At the same time, the continuation of the production lines in Ramat Hasharon is being examined for a certain period at the same time as those in the Bekaa Plateau, in order to meet the demands from the Ministry of Defense and also from foreign customers following the war in Ukraine. Due to the need to urgently supply ammunition to the IDF, Elbit has in recent months, like other defense industries, delayed shipments abroad.
For example, in August 2023, two months Before the war broke out, the Ministry of Defense announced a $60 million contract to purchase thousands of 155 mm shells from Elbit.
This was after the Ministry of Defense had already identified a gap between the IDF's ammunition stock and the needs. The announcement stated that the shells would be supplied within a year, and when the war broke out the local production capacity was not enough and such shells were among the types of ammunition the US supplied from its stock to Israel in special transport flights.
Production of shells at the Elbit factory in Ramat Hasharon/Ministry of Defense
The new factory built to replace the former IAS complex in Sharon, is intended to include advanced automatic production lines, which will greatly increase the production capacity of Elbit, which following the acquisition of IAS entered the field of disposal of 120 mm tank shells, 155 mm cannon shells, mortar shells and rockets.
According to Elbit publications, 150 buildings with an area of 25,000 square meters will be erected in the complex, which will be used for the production of armaments and household warheads, and will include laboratories and experimental areas.
At the company's investor conference in March 2022, Elbit CEO Bezalel (Butzi) Machlis admitted that even then some of the company's ammunition production lines were working extra shifts to meet the growing demand. Since then, the demands have only increased.
Machlis said at the time that "We are building a new site in Ramat Beka which is mechanized, computerized, will increase our productivity immeasurably, increase the quality of the products, lower our costs and allow us to deal with the huge demands that exist in the world.
As a result of Ukraine.
Some of our factories are already working 2 or 3 shifts to satisfy the needs we recognize in the market and were received even before the outbreak of the war in Ukraine."
When the cornerstone was laid for the complex built with an investment of approximately NIS 2 billion, Elbit estimated that it would be completed in 2023. However, two months into 2024, the production of which has not yet started.
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Although the date of 2023 appeared on the official invitation to the event, in the company's press release and in the speeches delivered at the time by the speakers at the ceremony, Elbit now denies that the opening was intended to take place last year, acknowledging a certain delay in the works and explaining it to the war.
The official date is now almost a year after the original one, in the second half of 2024. An
Elbit spokeswoman said in response that "Elbit Systems is making every effort, even in these difficult times, to meet the schedules that were set for the project from the beginning, i.e. the occupancy of the site and its opening in mid-2024. (Accordingly "Elbit is in
the
final phase of the works, so the site is ready to receive hundreds of workers in the second half of 2024. At the same time, against the background of the events, there is a certain slowdown in the works due to the departure of most of the foreign workers.
Despite this, we believe that we will meet the deadline."
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