The Negev is an Israeli 5.56 mm and 7.62 mm light machine gun, developed by Israel Military Industries Ltd. (IMI) of Ramat HaSharon (now Israel Weapon Industries), as a replacement for the 5.56 mm Galil ARM light machine gun, whose barrel would overheat easily during sustained fire. Design work on this new indigenous firearm began in 1985, it was inspired by the Belgian FN Minimi, and it was officially adopted by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in 1997.