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The IWI Tavor, previously designated as the Tavor TAR-21 (Tavor Assault Rifle – 21st century), is an Israeli
bullpup A bullpup firearm is one with its firing grip located in front of the Chamber (firearms), breech of the weapon, instead of behind it. This creates a weapon with a shorter overall length for a given barrel length, and one that is often lighter, ...
assault rifle An assault rifle is a select fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge, intermediate-rifle cartridge and a Magazine (firearms), detachable magazine.C. Taylor, ''The Fighting Rifle: A Complete Study of the Rifle in Combat'', F.A. Moyer '' ...
chambered in 5.56×45mm NATO, designed and produced by Israel Weapon Industries (IWI). It is part of the Tavor family of rifles, which have spawned many derivatives of the original design. The Tavor TAR-21 can also be mounted with the M203 grenade launcher, designated as the GTAR-21. A compact variant with a barrel is also available, designated as the CTAR-21. A designated marksman rifle variant with a folding under-barrel
bipod A bipod is a V-shaped portable attachment that helps support and steady a device, usually a weapon such as a long gun or a mortar. The term comes from the Latin prefix and Greek root , meaning "two" and "foot" respectively. Bipods are design ...
and
Trijicon Trijicon, Inc. ( ) is an American manufacturing company based in Wixom, Michigan, that designs and distributes sighting devices for firearms including pistols, rifles and shotguns. Trijicon specializes in self-luminous optics and night si ...
ACOG 4× magnification sight was also made but later phased out in favour for the Tavor TAR Flattop. Built around a long-stroke piston system (as found in the
M1 Garand The M1 Garand or M1 rifleOfficially designated as U.S. rifle, caliber .30, M1, later simply called Rifle, Caliber .30, M1, also called US Rifle, Cal. .30, M1 is a semi-automatic rifle that was the service rifle of the United States Army, U.S. ...
and
AK-47 The AK-47, officially known as the Avtomat Kalashnikova (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is an assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms designer Mikhail Kala ...
), the Tavor is designed to maximise reliability, durability, simplicity of design, and ease of maintenance, particularly under adverse battlefield conditions. In 2009, the Tavor X95 (also known as the Micro Tavor or MTAR) was selected by the
Israel Defense Forces The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branches: the Israeli Ground Forces, the Israeli Air Force, and ...
to gradually replace the
M16 assault rifle The M16 (officially Rifle, Caliber 5.56 mm, M16) is a family of assault rifles adapted from the ArmaLite AR-15 rifle for the United States military. The original M16 was a 5.56×45mm automatic rifle with a 20-round magazine. In 1964, th ...
and
M4 carbine The M4 carbine (officially Carbine, Caliber 5.56 mm, M4) is a 5.56×45mm NATO assault rifle developed in the United States during the 1980s. It is a shortened version of the M16A2 assault rifle. The M4 is extensively used by the US mi ...
variants as the standard-issued weapon of the Israeli infantry by the end of 2018. The first X95 bullpup rifles were issued to infantry units in 2013. A report published on the IDF's website revealed the IDF plans to continue acquiring the Micro Tavor and equipping combat units with it.


History

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' ...
(the small arms branch of IMI was privatized into Israel Weapon Industries) initiated the Tavor development team in 1995, under the direction of gun designer Zalmen Shebs. The objective of the project was to create an assault rifle that was more reliable, durable, and easier to maintain than the M4A1 carbine, while also being better suited to close-quarters combat and mechanized infantry roles. As a result, they hoped that the weapon would be officially adopted by the Israel Defense Forces. Due to the military's close-quarters and mechanized infantry requirements, the project team selected a bullpup design that would allow the weapon to be compact while keeping a long barrel able to achieve ballistically favourable high muzzle velocities. A long-stroke piston system, similar to that found in the AK-47 and M1 Garand, was selected to ensure the weapon's reliability under adverse conditions.''Future Weapons'', by Kevin Dockery, (Penguin 2007)


Trials and service

The Tavor prevailed over the
M4A1 The M4 carbine (officially Carbine, Caliber 5.56 mm, M4) is a 5.56×45mm NATO assault rifle developed in the United States during the 1980s. It is a shortened version of the M16A2 rifle, M16A2 assault rifle. The M4 is extensively used by ...
in a series of trials conducted during 2001 and 2002 by the Israel Defense Force. Qualities tested included Mean Rounds Between Failures (MRBF), reliability, ergonomics during long marches, and ease-of-maintenance. As part of initial testing by Israel Defense Forces' infantry units, the TAR-21 was distributed to members of the training company of the Tzabar Battalion from the
Givati Brigade The 84th "Givati" Brigade () is an Israel Defense Forces infantry brigade formed in 1947. During the 1948 war, it was involved in capturing Palestinian villages in operations ''Hametz'', ''Barak'', and ''Pleshet''. Before Israel's 2005 ...
who were drafted in August 2001. They received their rifles in November 2001 during basic training. Initial testing results were favourable – the TAR-21 was found to be significantly more accurate and reliable (as well as more comfortable) than the M4 during extensive field testing. Issues with fine sand entering the Tavor TAR's chamber, which were identified over the two years of testing, were rectified by numerous small adjustments. A number of other improvements and changes to the design were also made between 2001 and 2009. The Tavor CTAR-21 saw combat service in
Operation Cast Lead Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
, used by
Givati Brigade The 84th "Givati" Brigade () is an Israel Defense Forces infantry brigade formed in 1947. During the 1948 war, it was involved in capturing Palestinian villages in operations ''Hametz'', ''Barak'', and ''Pleshet''. Before Israel's 2005 ...
and
Golani Brigade The 1st "Golani" Brigade (, ''Hativat Golani'') is an Israeli military infantry brigade. It is subordinated to the 36th Division and traditionally associated with the Northern Command. It is one of the five infantry brigades of the regular Is ...
, and the soldiers reported the Tavor bullpup assault rifles functioned flawlessly. In November 2009, the IDF announced that the Tavor X95 would become the standard infantry weapon of the IDF, with the addition of an integrated grenade launcher. A gradual changeover has begun in 2006 and expected completion among front line troops was to be by the end of 2018.IWI X95: A Bullpup For IDF Special Forces
– SAdefensejournal.com, 21 March 2012
In December 2012, the IDF announced that they would begin equipping and training their new reserve forces with the Tavor TAR-21. The first Tavor X95s were issued to new recruits of a main IDF infantry brigade in 2013, replacing the M16.The first time the IDF recruits were issued the "Micro-Tavor"
Israel National News, 22/02/13 13:01
In 2014 the IDF announced that in the future (from as early as the end of 2014) some infantry units could start to be issued some numbers of an improved X95, which will have a longer barrel (instead of the original 33 cm barrel) and a lighter trigger pull. On 8 September, the ''IsraelDefense'' website reported that the IDF plans to continue acquiring the Micro Tavor, quoting from a report posted on the IDF's Hebrew website on 7 September regarding a multi-year plan. The rifle is to be distributed to combat troops of relevant units in upcoming rounds of recruitment. The weapons division of the Ground Forces Command was quoted as saying that it's "very satisfied by its capabilities... the rifle performs very well and has proven itself."


Design details

The Tavor is a
bullpup A bullpup firearm is one with its firing grip located in front of the Chamber (firearms), breech of the weapon, instead of behind it. This creates a weapon with a shorter overall length for a given barrel length, and one that is often lighter, ...
assault rifle An assault rifle is a select fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge, intermediate-rifle cartridge and a Magazine (firearms), detachable magazine.C. Taylor, ''The Fighting Rifle: A Complete Study of the Rifle in Combat'', F.A. Moyer '' ...
, capable of both semi-automatic fire and fully automatic fire. Due to its bullpup design the receiver, bolt carrier group, and
magazine A magazine is a periodical literature, periodical publication, print or digital, produced on a regular schedule, that contains any of a variety of subject-oriented textual and visual content (media), content forms. Magazines are generally fin ...
are placed behind the pistol grip. This shortens the firearm's overall length without sacrificing barrel length. As a result, the Tavor provides
carbine A carbine ( or ) is a long gun that has a barrel shortened from its original length. Most modern carbines are rifles that are compact versions of a longer rifle or are rifles chambered for less powerful cartridges. The smaller size and ligh ...
overall length, yet can achieve
rifle A rifle is a long gun, long-barreled firearm designed for accurate shooting and higher stopping power, with a gun barrel, barrel that has a helical or spiralling pattern of grooves (rifling) cut into the bore wall. In keeping with their focus o ...
muzzle velocities if equipped with a rifle-length barrel.


Long-stroke piston system

The Tavor uses a non-lubricated long-stroke piston system, as found in the
M1 Garand The M1 Garand or M1 rifleOfficially designated as U.S. rifle, caliber .30, M1, later simply called Rifle, Caliber .30, M1, also called US Rifle, Cal. .30, M1 is a semi-automatic rifle that was the service rifle of the United States Army, U.S. ...
,
IMI Galil The IMI Galil () is a family of Israeli-made automatic rifles chambered for the 5.56×45mm NATO and 7.62×51mm NATO cartridges. Originally designed by Yisrael Galili (inventor), Yisrael Galili and Yakov Lior in the late 1960s, the Galil was fir ...
, and the
AK-47 The AK-47, officially known as the Avtomat Kalashnikova (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is an assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms designer Mikhail Kala ...
. Like in the AK-47, the long-stroke piston mechanism contributes to the extreme forcefulness of the TAR-21's extraction and chambering. The Tavor's attachment of the piston to a heavy bolt carrier, and the extension of the mainspring into the hollow stem of the bolt carrier, bears a familiar resemblance to the internal mechanism of the AK-47.


Ambidexterity and modularity

The Tavor has ejection ports on both sides of the rifle so it can easily be reconfigured for right or left-handed shooters. However, this process requires partial disassembly, so it cannot be quickly reconfigured while the rifle is in use. An issue related to this is the original plastic cover on the unused ejection can allow gas to escape during the course of fire. Due to the bullpup design, this vents right under the shooter's face, causing issues such as inhaling ejection gases and the fouling of glasses and face with ejection debris. The issue is exacerbated when the weapon is suppressed. This has been addressed by various non-factory solutions which increase sealing of the unused port. Its ambidextrous fire mode selector above the pistol grip has a semi-automatic mode and a fully automatic mode. The Tavor features a self-contained, drop-in trigger group so that the trigger group can be changed or replaced without the use of additional tools.


Chambering, cartridges and ammunition feeding

The Tavor is primarily chambered in 5.56×45mm NATO and uses
STANAG magazine A STANAG magazine or NATO magazine is a type of detachable firearm magazine proposed by NATO in October 1980. Shortly after NATO's acceptance of the 5.56×45mm NATO rifle cartridge, Draft Standardization Agreement ( STANAG) 4179 was proposed i ...
s, conversion kits for
9×19mm Parabellum The 9×19mm Parabellum (also known as 9mm Luger, 9mm NATO or simply 9mm) is a Rim (firearms)#Rimless, rimless, Centerfire ammunition, centerfire, tapered cartridge (firearms), firearms cartridge. Originally designed by Austrian firearm designer ...
and 5.45×39mm calibre are also available. The IDF uses both M193 and M855 5.56×45mm rounds. M193 rounds are used by regular infantrymen for better terminal effects at shorter distances, while the heavier M855 is used by sharpshooters.


Last round bolt-open catch

The Tavor features a last round bolt catch, whereby the bolt holds open after the last round discharges. This is a request of modern armies, as it helps to allow soldiers to know when their magazine empties and to reduce reloading times during combat while also not requiring manual action cycling after.


Barrel

The Tavor barrels are made from CrMoV steel and cold-hammer-forged (CHF) on the premises of the IWI factory 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 TAR-21 barrel is 18 inches (457 mm) in length and is chrome-lined for durability and corrosion resistance. The barrel features 6 grooves in a 1 in 7 inch (178 mm) twist, or 32 calibres right hand
twist rate Rifling is the term for helical grooves machined into the internal surface of a firearms's barrel for imparting a spin to a projectile to improve its aerodynamic stability and accuracy. It is also the term (as a verb) for creating such groov ...
. The barrel is fitted with a 'birdcage' style
flash suppressor A flash suppressor, also known as a flash guard, flash eliminator, flash hider, or flash cone, is a device attached to the muzzle (firearms), muzzle of a rifle that reduces its Muzzle flash, visible signature while firing by cooling or dispersin ...
, which can be fully disassembled without the need for additional tools.


Reliability, ease-of-maintenance and waterproofing

The design objectives of the Tavor aimed for reliability and ease-of-maintenance, particularly under adverse or battlefield conditions. According to Russell C. Tilstra, the Tavor is "easily considered more reliable" than the M16 and M4 series rifles. The Tavor is designed to be easily field-stripped, without the need for any additional tools. It is waterproofed and its internal mechanism is sealed from outside elements, so that it can pass over-the-beach requirements.


Variants

IWI produces the Tavor TAR-21 in different variations as outlined below.


TAR-21

The Tavor TAR-21 is the standard variant with a 457 mm (18 in) long barrel.


GTAR-21

The GTAR-21 has a notched barrel, to accept an M203 grenade launcher, or a licensed variant thereof, chambered in 40x46mm.


CTAR-21

The CTAR-21 is a compact shorter 380 mm (15 in) barrel variant intended for
commandos A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force, specially trained for carrying out raids and operating in small teams behind enemy lines. Originally, "a commando" was a type of combat unit, as opp ...
and
special forces Special forces or special operations forces (SOF) are military units trained to conduct special operations. NATO has defined special operations as "military activities conducted by specially designated, organized, selected, trained and equip ...
, but has become more favoured than the standard TAR-21 throughout the IDF.


STAR-21

The STAR-21 is a
designated marksman A designated marksman (DM), squad advanced marksman (AD) or squad designated marksman (SDM) is a military marksman role in an infantry squad. The term ''sniper'' was used in Soviet doctrine although the soldiers using the Dragunov SVD were the ...
variant with folding under-barrel
bipod A bipod is a V-shaped portable attachment that helps support and steady a device, usually a weapon such as a long gun or a mortar. The term comes from the Latin prefix and Greek root , meaning "two" and "foot" respectively. Bipods are design ...
and
Trijicon Trijicon, Inc. ( ) is an American manufacturing company based in Wixom, Michigan, that designs and distributes sighting devices for firearms including pistols, rifles and shotguns. Trijicon specializes in self-luminous optics and night si ...
ACOG 4× magnification sight


Tavor X95

The X95 (previously known as the MTAR-21) is the variant of the Tavor that was selected as the future standard infantry weapon of the IDF in 2009. In 2013, the X95 was issued for the first time as the standard infantry weapon to recruits of the Givati Brigade. With the use of a conversion kit, the X95 can be converted from a 5.56 mm assault rifle to a 9 mm
submachine gun A submachine gun (SMG) is a magazine (firearms), magazine-fed automatic firearm, automatic carbine designed to fire handgun cartridges. The term "submachine gun" was coined by John T. Thompson, the inventor of the Thompson submachine gun, to descri ...
. A
suppressor A silencer, also known as a sound suppressor, suppressor, or sound moderator, is a gun barrel#Muzzle, muzzle device that suppresses the muzzle blast, blast created when a gun (firearm or airgun) is discharged, thereby reducing the sound inten ...
can also be added to the weapon, as part of the 9 mm conversion kit. A grenade launcher can also be attached to the X95.


Tavor 7

The IWI Tavor 7 is derived from the Tavor TAR. Essentially a
battle rifle A battle rifle is a service rifle chambered to fire a fully powered cartridge. The term "battle rifle" is a retronym created largely out of a need to differentiate automatic rifles chambered for fully powered cartridges from automatic rifles cha ...
, chambered in 7.62×51 mm NATO. It is fully ambidextrous, features a 432 mm (17 in) barrel with a 730 mm (28.7 in) overall length. and a 508 mm (20 in) barrel with an 806 mm (31.7 in) overall length.


Zittara

An Indian-made version of the TAR, which was not adopted and it was made with a few prototypes from Ordnance Factory Board. Based on the Micro Tavor, it would be chambered in 5.56×30mm MINSAS, 5.56 NATO and 9x19mm.


Ukrainian licensed Tavors

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
purchased a license for Tavors to be manufactured by Ukrainian firearm manufacturer
RPC Fort Fort (' (full name), ''НВО "Форт"'' (short name)) is a Ukrainian weapons manufacturer from Vinnytsia, Ukraine. History In 1991, a new company was formed to design and manufacture small arms for Ukrainian Interior Ministry, Security Serv ...
. As of March 2021, Fort is no longer marketing them. * Fort-221 – Ukrainian locally produced version of the CTAR-21 in 5.45×39 mm. * Fort-222 – Ukrainian locally produced version of the STAR-21 in 5.45×39 mm.


TC-21

The semi-automatic Tavor Carbine (TC-21) was first made available for civilian customers to purchase in
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
from 2008. The Canadian civilian version initially shipped with the Mepro reflex sight and a slightly longer barrel to meet the Canadian requirement for non-restricted semi-automatic centrefire rifles to have a barrel length of at least 470 mm. Current versions are shipped with a full-length Picatinny rail, without optics. In Europe, the Czech company Zeleny Sport recently (December 2015) imported Israeli-made TC-21s, equipped with Mepro M5 or M21 reflex sight, which are now available for both civilian and law enforcement customers. In 2013, IWI started a US subsidiary, IWI US, which is manufacturing the semi-automatic TC-21 as the Tavor SAR for U.S. sales. The weapon is manufactured with a combination of Israeli and US parts. IWI US had shipped 50,000 Tavor SARs to US civilian customers by early 2016. IWI US sells the Tavor SAR in variety of variants: * TSB16: Semi-automatic version of the CTAR-21, with a  in (664 mm) overall length. * TSB16L: A TSB16 with left-handed controls pre-installed. * TSB16-BLK: A TSB16 chambered in .300 AAC Blackout. * TSB17-9: 9×19 mm submachine gun with a 17 in (432 mm) barrel and a  in (664 mm) overall length. * TSB18: 5.56×45 mm rifle with an 18 in (457 mm) barrel and a  in (702 mm) overall length. * TSB18RS: 5.56×45 mm rifle with an 18 in (457 mm) barrel and a 30 in (762 mm) overall length; integrated permanent  in muzzle brake and a 10-round magazine to be compliant with laws of certain states. ("RS" stands for Restricted State.) * TSIDF16: Semi-automatic version of the CTAR-21 without a full-length rail, an integrated MEPRO 21 sight, and a  in (664 mm) overall length; meant to be a semi-automatic replica of the CTAR-21 issued to the IDF. Note: IWI US sells their Tavor SARs in a variety of colours, including Black (B), Flat Dark Earth (FD), and OD Green (G); the letter "B" subsequent to "TS" in the rifles' designations can be switched with any of the colours' respective letters.


Aftermarket parts

A significant aftermarket of spare and replacement parts has developed around the Tavor rifle family, including the development of
match grade Match grade frequently refers to quality firearm parts and ammunition that are suitable for a competitive match. Sometimes it also refers to other devices and parts that are made with high precision in mind. Description In firearms, the term is ...
accurizing Accurizing is the process of improving the accuracy and precision of a gun (firearm or airgun). For shooting sport, accuracy is the gun's ability to hit exactly what the shooter is aiming at, and precision is the ability to hit the same place ov ...
triggers for the bullpup rifle that are produced by manufacturers such as Geissele Automatics and double stage trigger pack TAV-D from Shooting Sight.The success of the 'Tavor' has taken us by surprise"
Amir Rapaport 10/3/2014
Shlomi Sabag, Deputy CEO of IWI, says that one of the indicators of the success of the rifle in the shooting sports or civilian market is the fact that "an aftermarket of products associated with the Tavor bullpup rifle, like triggers, has evolved very quickly".


Awards

''
American Rifleman ''American Rifleman'' is a United States–based monthly shooting and firearms interest publication, owned by the National Rifle Association of America (NRA). It is the 33rd-most-widely-distributed consumer magazine and the NRA's primary magaz ...
'' magazine awarded the Tavor SAR the 2014 Golden Bullseye Award as its Rifle of the Year. '' Shooting Illustrated'' magazine named the Tavor X95 as its 2017 Rifle of the Year.


Users

* : Angolan Army purchase for Special Forces. * : Azerbaijan purchased a number of TAR-21 for the special operations forces of the
Azerbaijani Army The Azerbaijani Armed Forces () is the military of the Republic of Azerbaijan. It was re-established according to the country's Law of the Armed Forces on 9 October 1991. The original Azerbaijan Democratic Republic's armed forces were dissolved a ...
in August 2008. * : Produced under license by
Taurus Taurus is Latin for 'bull' and may refer to: * Taurus (astrology), the astrological sign ** Vṛṣabha, in vedic astrology * Taurus (constellation), one of the constellations of the zodiac * Taurus (mythology), one of two Greek mythological ch ...
for the military, but as of 2017, Taurus has never carried out a licensed production of the Tavor TAR. Small numbers are issued to soldiers in the Frontier Brigade. * : Issued to the Special Forces of Cameroon Army. * : Issued to
Chadian Ground Forces The Chadian Ground Forces (, ) are the main and largest component of the Military of Chad, Chadian National Army. Historically Chad has had one of the strongest armies in the Sahara Desert, Sahara region, larger than the Malian Army, Malian or Cen ...
since 2006. * : Used by special forces and the
National Police of Colombia The National Police of Colombia () is the law enforcement agency#natpol, national police force of the Republic of Colombia. Although the National Police is not part of the Military Forces of Colombia (Army, Navy, and Aerospace Force), it const ...
. * :
Investigations Police of Chile Investigations Police of Chile (, PDI) are the civilian police of Chile. Founded in 1933, it is one of two Chilean police bodies, along with the law enforcement police: Carabineros de Chile. The PDI is the principal law enforcement arm of the Pub ...
.Equiparán más unidades con potentes fusiles israelíes
30 de Marzo de 2012, El Heraldo
*: The Tavor Χ95 assault rifle is used by Cypriot Special Forces. * * : Different variants of the weapon have been acquired and issued to law enforcement, special commando and protection units of the Georgian MIA since 2001. In 2004 the TAR-21 was to replace the Soviet
Kalashnikov rifle Kalashnikov rifles (), also known as the AK platform, AK rifles, or simply the AK, are a family of assault rifles based on Mikhail Kalashnikov's original design. They are officially known in Russian as ''avtomat Kalashnikova'' (), and informally ...
, however due to lack of funding and low purchase quantity that idea was abandoned. The construction of a manufacturing plant was also considered. * : Guatemala's police force or PNC (''Policia Nacional Civil'') operates the TAR-21. * : Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades captured stockpiles of Tavor rifles in the 7 October attack on Israel. *: The
Honduran Army The Honduran Army is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of Honduras, as established by the Constitution of Honduras, 1982 Constitution. Its recruits are all volunteers. History The Honduran Army has its roots in the post-independen ...
operates the Tavor X95. * : In late 2002, India signed an deal with
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' ...
for 3,070 manufactured TAR-21s to be issued to India's special forces personnel, where its ergonomics, reliability in heat and sand might give them an edge at close quarters and deployment from inside vehicles. By 2005, IMI had supplied 350–400 TAR-21s to India's northern Special Frontier Force (SFF). These were subsequently declared to be "operationally unsatisfactory". The required changes were made and tests in Israel during 2006 went well, clearing the contracted consignment for delivery.Tavor-21 Rifle Headed Into Service With Indian Special Forces
. Defenseindustrydaily.com (2007-02-28). Retrieved on 2010-08-31.
The new GTAR-21s came with a modified single-piece stock, new sights and Turkish-made
MKEK The Mechanical and Chemical Industry Corporation ( or MKE for short), established in 1950, is a reorganization of government-controlled group of factories in Turkey that supplied the Turkish Armed Forces with military products. History Its root ...
T-40 The T-40 amphibious scout tank was an amphibious light tank used by the Soviet Union during World War II. It was armed with one 12.7 mm (0.5 in) DShK machine gun. It was one of the few tanks that could cross an unfordable river with ...
under-barrel grenade launchers chambered in 40x46mm. In 2011 the rifles were handed over to Para SF divisions. A consignment of over 500 Tavor TAR-21s and another 30 Galil sniper rifles worth over and respectively was delivered to the
MARCOS Marcos may refer to: People with the given name ''Marcos'' *Marcos (given name) * Marcos family Sports ;Surnamed * Dayton Marcos, Negro league baseball team from Dayton, Ohio (early twentieth-century) * Dimitris Markos, Greek footballer * Né ...
(Marine Commandos) in December 2010. In 2016, IWI announced that it was establishing a 49:51 joint venture with Punj Lloyd in India, in order to manufacture rifle components in India. * : Used by BRIMOB Police Special Forces. *: Used by Ivorian Special Forces. * : '' See: Trials and service'' * * : In service with the
Ministry of Public Security Ministry of Public Security can refer to: * Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Brazil) * Ministry of Public Security of Burundi * Ministry of Public Security (Chile) * Ministry of Public Security (China) * Ministry of Public Security of Co ...
since 2011. * : Special forces. * : General Directorate for National Security equipped with the Tavor X95. The first Arab or North African country to use the Tavor X95 publicly. * : The State Security Service employ it as the primary assault rifle for their close protection and tactical units replacing the Uzi. Adopted by the Nigerian Navy and the Nigerian Air Force Regiment as their main assault rifle. * : Used by Rapid Deployment Unit (Tar-21) and Special Anti-terrorist Unit – Tiger (Tavor x95) . * * : Small quantities in use by special units of the Philippine Marines and
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA, ; Filipino: ''Ahensiya ng Pilipinas sa Pagpapatupad ng Batas Laban sa Bawal na Gamot'') is the lead anti-drug law enforcement agency, responsible for preventing, investigating and combating any d ...
and one PNP SWAT team in Pasig. * : Small quantities of the TAR-21 are in use by field and intervention units of the ''
Polícia Judiciária The (; PJ; ) is the national criminal investigation police agency of Portugal, focused in fighting serious crimes, including homicides, kidnapping, organized crime, terrorism, illegal drug trade, corruption, cybercrime and financial crime. It i ...
'', like hostage negotiation teams and investigators who usually work alongside other dedicated law enforcement intervention units—the Special Operations Group (GOE) and the National Republican Guard's Special Operations Company (COE); these weapons were initially intended to equip a new unit under the command of the ''Polícia Judiciária'' resembling the GOE. The TAR-21 also participated in the competition for the new
service rifle A service rifle (or standard-issue rifle) is a rifle a military issues to its regular infantry. In modern militaries, this is generally a versatile, rugged, and reliable assault rifle or battle rifle, suitable for use in nearly all environments ...
for the three branches of the
Portuguese Armed Forces The Portuguese Armed Forces () are the military of Portugal. They include the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the other unified bodies and the three service branches: Portuguese Navy, Portuguese Army and Portuguese Air Force. The Presi ...
and the Police Special Operations Group (GOE)—a bid that also included the local production of the TAR-21 in Portugal. However, the TAR-21 was excluded from the shortlist. The competition has meanwhile been annulled, after the other contenders and both political and defence critics accused the competition of favouring the
Heckler & Koch G36 The Heckler & Koch G36 (Gewehr 36) is an assault rifle An assault rifle is a select fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge, intermediate-rifle cartridge and a Magazine (firearms), detachable magazine.C. Taylor, ''The Fighting Ri ...
. * * : Issued to the Special Forces of the Senegal Army. * : 76,000 in use *: Used by Special Forces Command in
executive protection Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dir ...
role. * * : Yuriy Lutsenko, then head of
Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine (; ; ) is the Ministry (government department), ministry of the Government of Ukraine, Ukrainian government that oversees the interior affairs of Ukraine. History Name *People's Committee of Internal ...
, announced on October 1, 2008 that IWI and Ukrainian state-owned company
RPC Fort Fort (' (full name), ''НВО "Форт"'' (short name)) is a Ukrainian weapons manufacturer from Vinnytsia, Ukraine. History In 1991, a new company was formed to design and manufacture small arms for Ukrainian Interior Ministry, Security Serv ...
would jointly manufacture Tavor TAR to enter service with special Ukrainian military and police units. RPC Fort had displayed working samples of Tavor TARs chambered in 5.45×39mm cartridge with Milkor 40mm UBGL grenade launchers to showcase to Ukrainian security forces officers as a means of convincing them to buy Ukrainian-made Tavor TARs for special forces units. In December 2009, a resolution was adopted to purchase the Fort 221 chambered in 5.45x39 for Ukrainian intelligence/border guard agencies, purchased in small numbers. It was subsequently adopted in 2014 for Ukrainian military and police forces. Known users include Ukrainian Spetsnaz forces and the Scorpion unit. The tavor has been used in the Russia - Ukraine war. Note that further survey of Fort’s website shows that the Tavor series of rifles ceased to be listed on the page in March 2021 and IWI and Meprolight were removed from the site’s ‘Partners’ section in April 2021. Perhaps suggesting the end of the IWI-Fort partnership. * : In August 2013, IWI US announced that the Pennsylvania Capitol Police had adopted the Tavor SAR, a variant specifically designed for the U.S. market. In July 2014, it was announced that the
Lakewood, New Jersey Lakewood Township is the most populous township in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. A rapidly growing community, as of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 135,158, its highest decennial count ever and ...
Police Department would begin to adopt the Tavor SAR, after the weapon "met the demands and requirements of the Lakewood PD for reliability, ease-of-maintenance, durability and accuracy". The Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office in Texas, operate Tavor SAR. * : On 13 October 2021, it was reported that the Uruguayan Ministry of the Interior acquired some 200 Tavor X-95s, manufactured by IWI, for the Uruguayan National Republican Guard Directorate. Training was carried out by an instructor from IWI, brought especially to Uruguay for that purpose. The Uruguayan police also purchased thousands of Tavor rifles from IWI. * : From 2012, the TAR-21 entered service in special units of the Vietnamese Army, equipping special forces, naval infantries and navy personnel. * : Used by the Zambian Army Special Forces Group.


See also

* IWI Tavor TS12


References


External links

* * * YouTube Video: Overview of the civilian semi-automatic version of the Tavor * YouTube Video: Water Tests of the Micro Tavor (X95)
Tavor
Israeli Weapons: The TAR-21 Tavor bullpup assault rifle


Decidedly Different: The IWI TAVOR
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American Rifleman ''American Rifleman'' is a United States–based monthly shooting and firearms interest publication, owned by the National Rifle Association of America (NRA). It is the 33rd-most-widely-distributed consumer magazine and the NRA's primary magaz ...
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National Rifle Association The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is a gun rights advocacy group based in the United States. Founded in 1871 to advance rifle marksmanship, the modern NRA has become a prominent Gun politics in the United States, gun rights ...
, USA {{DEFAULTSORT:Imi Tavor Tar-21 5.56×45mm NATO assault rifles Long stroke piston firearms Bullpup rifles Israeli inventions Designated marksman rifles Weapons and ammunition introduced in 2001 Assault rifles of Israel