A private Israeli bus manufacturer. The company develops, designs and manufactures different bus models including shielded buses and buses for transporting prisoners.
Merkavim’s armored bus, the Mars Defender, was developed and manufactured according to the requirements of the Israeli Military. Israel Military Industries (IMI), formerly a state-owned company and currently owned by Elbit Systems, developed the “Mars Defender”, a bullet proof version of the Mars Bus, in a joint project with the Israeli Transportation Ministry, Israel Police and Egged Company. The Mars Defender is built on Volvo Chassis B11R6*2.
Services to Settlements
The company provides its armored buses to settlements localities in the occupied West Bank and to transportation companies operating bus lines in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
A company's authorized service center is located in the Mishor Adumim Industrial Zone in the occupied West Bank.
In June 2024, Merkavim supplied 62 Volvo “Mars” model buses to Egged transportation company for operation of bus lines in the Jerusalem Envelope area in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank. Merkavim will supply additional 90 Volvo “Mars” buses by the end of the year. The buses are built on a Volvo chassis B13R.
In August 2023, Merkavim supplied 4 Volvo “Mars Defender” armored buses to the Central Company for the Development of the Shomron for school students. The Central Company for the Development of the Shomron is a private company owned by settlement localities in the occupied West Bank.
In January 2023, Merkavim supplied 30 Volvo “Mars” buses to different regional councils among them is the Golan Regional Council in the occupied Syrian Golan.
Also in August 2022, Merkavim provided two Volvo “Mars Defender” armored buses to the company for school students transportation.
In August 2017, a Merkavim Mars Defender bus was documented in an Afikim bus line to the settlement of Kdumim in the occupied West Bank. Afikim operates bus lines in service of settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
In 2016, Merkavim provided 71 “Mars Defender” armored busses worth NIS 106 million to Egged Company and to additional companies operating in the West Bank to be used in settlements in the Jerusalem area, in Mateh Binyamin, Mount Hebron, Gush Etzion and the Jordan Valley settlements in the occupied West Bank.
In 2014, the company provided 18 armored buses for settlements’ regional councils in the West Bank for NIS 28 million.
Services for Israel Prison Service
In collaboration with Israel Prison Service (IPS), Merkavim developed a specially designed prisoner transport vehicle based on its Mars model. Such buses are used by IPS to transport Palestinian prisoners inside the occupied West Bank and from the West Bank to Israeli prisons within the Green Line.
Merkavim also provided services to the Nachshon Unit, the operational arm of IPS that is responsible, among other things, for the transport of prisoners.
In 2017, the company provided the covering of alarm units for escape doors for the IPS for NIS 4,212. In 2016, the company provided the modeling of vehicles for the Nachshon Unit for NIS 9,126.
