Gear Made in Israel - Agilite: "Our experience comes from the battlefield"

The Israeli army is considered one of the best in the world. It's no wonder, as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have to defend a country that is literally surrounded by enemies. At the same time, Israel has a creative defense industry. In the gear sector, AGILITE is one of the standout companies. We spoke with Eric, who leads international sales for Agilite and was a member of the maritime special forces unit Shayatet 13, about the "Israeli way of gear."

SPARTANAT: Eric, where does Agilite come from and when did you start?

AGILITE: Agilite is a company from Israel that leverages the experiences of IDF units with smart and creative solutions in gear to produce ergonomically better tactical equipment, among other things. Our operation was founded in Tel Aviv, Israel, in 2006 and supplies both the Israel Defense Forces and armed forces worldwide.SPARTANAT: The IDF is an army with great practical experience. Is there a specifically Israeli "way of gear"?

AGILITE: Indeed. The IDF soldiers are born into the fire, often having to simply take whatever equipment they could get and make it work. From the beginning, it has been part of our military tradition to adapt equipment to function better. Soldiers had to be creative to improve their gear themselves because if you are too heavy or can't move fast enough, it can cost you your life.

Both special forces units and regular infantry battalions all had their own equipment workshops to sew gear themselves or adapt it to work. "Necessity is the mother of invention," as we say, and when there's a direct line from soldiers returning from their night mission to the equipment builders in their unit, the gear can be immediately revised and reworked until it is optimal for the mission. This has led to an equipment culture that is completely different from other countries...

"Agilite aims to combine a clever approach to gear design with professional production. Our experiences come from the battlefield, our equipment works with the body, not against it."

Agilite was founded to combine this clever, creative, and experience-based approach to gear design with professional production. And we bring it to other allied forces who can benefit from both our attitude and equipment that works with the body, not against it.

Ideas for equipment come with corresponding experiences from the battlefield. In many countries, it's the other way around.

Weapons, enemy tactics, and dangers change over time. But the bodies of our soldiers remain the same. The equipment must adapt to them, and they should be agile and fast, that's how we see it. SPARTANAT: Which product from Agilite do you personally prefer?

AGILITE: My favorite Agilite product is the Axis Knee Pads (shown above), this product solved the IDF problem of falling knee pads – INTRODUCED HERE on SPARTANAT. The Axis are now the standard knee pads issued by the Israeli military and they are great. Every soldier knows how annoying it is to constantly pull the knee pads back up from the ankle to their place. With the Axis, that's over. Put them on and forget about them, is the motto now. They are also great because they have such a good price that they are suitable for regular soldiers as well, not just special forces, which is rare in itself...

I personally love them because they grip well on wet surfaces, don't slip on a boat, and don't absorb water, all qualities that are important in amphibious operations. Some people are a little indignant about their appearance, but anyone who has tried them is immediately convinced.

SPARTANAT: Where else is Agilite used, outside of Israel?

AGILITE: Agilite's equipment is used in over 30 countries and is used by some of the leading special forces units in the world. Many special units operate in areas of the Middle East with terrain and climate similar to ours, which is why our gear is so popular. We also manufacture a lot of equipment specifically adapted for certain units, but obviously not all of it is intended for the public.

Eric M. leads international sales for Agilite. He previously served for five years as an operator at Shayetet 13, Israel's Tier 1 Naval Special Warfare Unit. Contact: [email protected]

AGILITE on the web: www.agilitegear.com

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This is the new AGILITE catalog. We are particularly pleased that we can offer our readers a special deal together with AGILITE: 10 percent discount on all products in the catalog until the end of May. You just have to enter the Promo Code SPARTANAT10 when placing the order. HERE is the current AGILITE Catalog.