Israel develops domestic arms production to reduce reliance on US
With 52% of Americans supporting a halt in weapons shipments to Israel, according to a new YouGov poll commissioned by the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), Israel is finding alternative ways of arming itself.
In the wake of what has been described by Defense Ministry Director General Eyal Zamir as a “central lesson learned from the war,” two major deals were signed on Tuesday with local arms contractor Elbit Systems. The contracts aimed to establish a new manufacturing facility to supply the military with arms, preventing delays like those experienced while waiting for shipments from the U.S. last spring.
The Defense Ministry stated, “The new facility will feature advanced production lines for energetic materials that Israel’s defense industry uses.”
The ministry added that such steps are “crucial for enhancing the IDF’s operational endurance and force build-up capabilities” and will “strengthen domestic manufacturing independence and reduce reliance on imported raw materials.”
The deals were estimated at NIS 1 billion ($275 million) to supply thousands of heavy air munitions used by the Israeli Air Force (IAF), and also to establish a “national raw materials plant to produce raw materials that were sourced mainly from abroad before the war,” according to the ministry.
In August, the Defense Ministry said the U.S. had sent more than 50,000 tons of armaments and military equipment to Israel. Since Oct. 7, 2023, the IAF has launched over 83,000 munitions in airstrikes as it has been fighting terrorist attacks from Hamas terrorists in Gaza, Hezbollah forces in Lebanon and Syria, the Houthis in Yemen, and strikes from both Iraq and Iran.
The IAF has greatly reduced the capacity of these terrorist groups to attack Israel, crippling Hamas in the south and Hezbollah in the north by destroying the vast majority of their weapons capabilities.
Despite being a non-state actor, prior to the Oct. 7 attack, the Hezbollah terror group had the eighth largest missile capability in the world, according to Colonel Miri Eisin, an expert in military intelligence and a government spokesperson during the 2006 Second Lebanon War.
In assessments by the Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre (BICOM), failure to deal with Hezbollah’s considerable arsenal could have forced Israel to choose between protecting critical infrastructure or population centers.
With strikes from the Houthis sending Israelis to bomb shelters in the middle of the night and Hamas still firing missiles, even after 15 months of fighting, the determination to attack Israel remains strong. However, an independently well-armed Israel may be able to destroy the ability of these terror groups to carry out such attacks, with or without support from the West.
In a statement released by the Ministry of Defense, Zamir said the deals were “laying the foundations for expanding manufacturing independence in two critical areas for the IDF’s operational sustainability: domestic production of heavy air munitions and establishing a national raw materials plant.”
He added the hope that “both agreements will ensure sovereign capability in producing bombs and munitions of all types,” and said the idea was not something new.
“We initiated this historic move before the war but accelerated it during it. Under both agreements, initial capabilities will soon gradually expand until we achieve full independence in both areas,” he said.
Ynet News reported a statement from Elbit Systems President and CEO Bezhalel Machlis affirming the company's commitment to supporting Israel.
"Elbit Systems is a full partner of the IDF and the Ministry of Defense in advancing the 'blue-and-white' (Israeli) production policy. We are dedicated to significantly strengthening IDF's self-reliance in munitions production. The deep and longstanding partnership between Elbit and the defense establishment not only contributes to national security but also supports the Israeli economy and provides livelihoods for thousands of families across the country."
Jo Elizabeth has a great interest in politics and cultural developments, studying Social Policy for her first degree and gaining a Masters in Jewish Philosophy from Haifa University, but she loves to write about the Bible and its primary subject, the God of Israel. As a writer, Jo spends her time between the UK and Jerusalem, Israel.
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