As a result of Israeli involvement in the security zone along its northern border and the ensuing guerrilla and ambush tactics of groups like Hizballah and Islamic Jihad in this area, the Zelda's (M113) classic role changed. Instead of being utilised as a battle taxi, where embarked troops disembarked in the vicinity of the target to fight from there, the vehicle was vehicle was used more frequently as a patrol vehicle where the embarked troops didn't leave the vehicle but fought from its confines. As a result the troops had to expose themselves from the roof hatches in order to operate the .50” Heavy Machine Gun and two FN MAG 7.62 mm machine gun.

In order to better cope with these deficiencies, the Nagman was developed. On both sides of the square, rear roof hatch folding armour panels were mounted. These panels each had two vision blocks of armoured glass. The commander's station was equipped with a hexagonal protective cage, of which the front and rear plates were left out. When the commander's hatch is opened, it fills the gap between the two sides in the rear. The front was left open in order to be able to fire the commander's machine gun. The original .50 Browning M2 was replaced by an FN MAG. The four side plates were equipped with vision blocks as well.

Later on, the Nagman was fitted with a rear plate, featuring a vision block as well, and a fixed roof atop the hexagonal super structure. The roof also has an opening hatch. In order to improve protection further, the frontal opening was reduced in size by mounting an armour plate on the lower half, thus still providing the ability to fire the HMG. The rear panels were enlarged by adding pivoting steel plates atop the two panels, thus providing some form of overhead protection. The roof hatch itself can be fixed in the vertical position, to provide protection from the rear.