‘It’s saving our lives’: Israeli hack gives precision to first-generation machine gun

While regular soldiers have received an updated version with a sight, a shortage of new rifles forced hundreds of reservists to use the older, sightless model.

By Sveta Listratov, TPS

Bypassing standard procedures and helping reservists out of their own pocket, two Israelis created and are giving away adaptors that enable professional scopes to be mounted on first-generation Negev machine guns, enhancing their accuracy.

“Negevists are the toughest among men. They don’t share and talk much, and still, they really appreciate the invention,” project manager Yosef Darshan told The Press Service of Israel at workshop in Mevo Beitar.

The Negev is a lightweight machine gun made in Israel, designed mainly for use by infantry squads and special forces, providing suppressive fire and increased combat effectiveness.

Lightweight and portable, it is suitable for various roles, including assault, defense, and support operations.

While regular soldiers have received an updated version with a sight, a shortage of new rifles forced hundreds of reservists to use the older, sightless model.

Amidst the hum of welding equipment and the smell of molten metal in the small workshop, Avishai Parnes, a professional welder and the inventor of the “Tomer Adapter” explained to TPS-IL the spark of ingenuity that led to the creation of his patent.

“I have a good friend named Kobi Teller, who is the cause of this all. A few months into the war, he called and said he had an idea for mounting a scope on his Negev machine gun. He explained this concept to me, and I immediately saw its potential and significance for our soldiers on the battlefield,” Parnes explained to TPS-IL.

Eager for the challenge, Parnes measured Teller’s Negev and engineered the adapter using a machine in his modest carpentry studio.

Teller reported great success, drawing the attention of fellow reservists using the same older model.

Asked to make a several dozen more adapters, Parnes was reluctant to handle all the logistics involved.

When Darshan heard about it, he took on the project management, enabling on-demand production.

“I’ll tell you the truth, I didn’t earn any money from this, but the conversations with the soldiers who use the Negev, some of whom give feedback, are amazing,” Parnes said.

‘It’s Saving Our Lives’

The adapter’s impact has been profound. The ability to mount a professional scope on the Negev machine gun transforms it from a standard-issue weapon into a precision tool.

“It’s saving our lives. It helps us be more accurate in combat. Many more soldiers need these,” were some of the reactions Parnes and Darshan got from grateful reservists and shared with TPS-IL.

Despite the challenges and the need for funding, the initiative quickly gained momentum. The team sent out an initial message via WhatsApp, and within moments, they were overwhelmed with responses from various military units eager to get their hands on the adapter​.

According to Darshan, the adapter has been requested by numerous elite and critical units of the IDF, especially those engaged in urban warfare in Gaza.

“Every unit that received the adapter reported significant improvements in their operational capabilities. The scope’s precision allows soldiers to engage targets more accurately, reducing collateral damage and saving lives,” Darshan explained​​.

The overwhelming demand has necessitated the expansion of the project, seeking additional funding to meet the needs of all requesting units.

‘Tomer Fought Alone’

While looking for a name for their project, Darshan and Parnes encountered the story of Sgt. Tomer Nagar, a 20-year-old Negevist from the Golani Brigade who was killed on October 7 defending the Kissufim military post near a kibbutz of the same name. He had only been in the military for 10 months.

“Tomer fought alone against dozens of squads for 40 minutes, holding off the attackers with his Negev,” Tomer’s father, Ezra Nagar, told TPS-IL.

“His composure and calmness are evident from the smartwatch we managed to recover, showing his heart rate and stress levels as stable and normal during the whole attack. He prevented the terrorists from entering the post, allowing his comrades to organize, equip themselves, and move to defend Kibbutz Kissufim.”

Meanwhile, Parnes and Darshan are looking to secure funding to produce additional adapters and possibly develop other enhancements for military equipment.

At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7.

Of the 115 remaining hostages, 39 have been declared dead. Hamas has also been holding captive two Israeli civilians since 2014 and 2015, and the bodies of two soldiers killed in 2014.

In northern Israel, nearly 80,000 Israelis were forced to evacuate their homes near the Lebanon border when Hezbollah began launching rockets and drones in October.

Hezbollah leaders have said they will continue the attacks to prevent Israelis from returning to their homes. The attacks have killed 23 civilians and 18 soldiers.

Tensions have soared since Saturday when a Hezbollah rocket strike killed 12 children in the Druze village of Majdal Shams.

Israeli officials have been calling for Hezbollah to be disarmed and removed from southern Lebanon in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 Second Lebanon War.

Negev machine gunreservistsTomer Adapter