New Israeli tech, munitions bring IDF success in Gaza war

The war in Gaza is expected to continue for the foreseeable future, although the intensity of the conflict may change.

To prepare for this long haul, Israel has already put in place many of the processes necessary to underpin the war effort. Among the two most important ones are the use of new technology on the battlefield and more local production of munitions.

On Wednesday, Yediot Aharonot reported that “to enhance Israeli self-reliance in military supplies, the Defense Ministry aims to establish local production of the chemical agents necessary for bomb manufacturing.

The details of the initiative 

“This initiative was coordinated with local defense industries. The transition to domestic armament production is projected to cost billions, with payments distributed to major producers and smaller subcontractors,” the report continued. Israel had already sought to contrast with many local companies to participate in the war effort after October 7.

Shoring up munitions is important, especially as the Ukraine war has acted as a sponge for certain shells and weapons.

Meanwhile, the Hamas war has illustrated that modern warfare cannot escape the need for large amounts of munitions. The idea that war was going to become more precise and that this might fundamentally change the nature of war, has not been realized in Ukraine or Gaza. While small wars that enable the use of special forces may have increased over the last decades, large wars still require a lot of brawn.

However, the IDF is also able to use new technology in Gaza. Israel has already rolled out a lot of new technology over the last decade. From the Iron Dome missile intercepters to the Trophy system that protects tanks, Israel is at the forefront of defense technology. The 2021 war against Hamas was described as the first “AI war” and Israel has invested significantly in AI and digitization in the IDF.

This war is also showcasing new technology. The Iron Sting precision mortar is one example, with the IDF using it for the first time in combat: “The mortar is one of a kind in many aspects, but particularly in its level of precision. Our troops in the field can direct it using not one but two components – a laser and a GPS – which are integrated into its structure,” said the military.

The IDF report notes that the “mortars can be guided using two means: a laser and a GPS. The mortar was designed with the notion that heavy clouds or haze can constitute an obstacle for a laser beam, therefore if the beam struggles to perform and guide the mortar, the exact GPS system can provide backup. Similarly, in the case of disrupted satellite signal, the laser beam will be used as backup for the GPS system.” The IDF has mentioned the use of the system several times since the war began. The system is made by Israel’s Elbit Systems.

In addition new sights for rifles have been rolled out. These use SmartShooter’s Smash technology. 

“The fire monitoring system Smash has been introduced to the battlefield during the war against Hamas. This operational support tool weighs less than standard sights, identifies the enemy within seconds, can lock on targets, and quadruples our forces’ chances of hitting their target,” said the IDF.

Hamas has been using drones against Israel during the war. To combat small drones, such as quadcopters, the Smash technology helps the fighter with a rifle lock onto a moving target and only fires when necessary. “In the heart of Gaza, danger lurks around every corner. Explosive-carrying drones and terrorists are only some of the challenges our troops are facing,” the IDF noted.

A third technology being used is the Maoz munition, called Spike FireFly, developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. It is technically part of the Spike missile family that Rafael makes, but the Firefly is unique; it operates like a drone, taking off and hovering. Then the munition, which is part of the drone, can slam into a target.

This is perfect for urban environments, where targets, such as RPG teams, may hide in a house and only pop out every once in a while. Using drones overhead to spot and neutralize the threat is part of the new battlefield.

Taken together, the brains behind the new technology and the brawn necessary to keep the war going are two parts of how Israel is waging this war.

Hamas relied on brutality and a kind of mass wave attack on October 7, basically an old technology used to create a new massacre. Israel had been relying on a smart fence along the border that was supposed to prevent threats like October 7. However, all the sensors in the world can’t stop thousands of armed men if there aren’t enough forces, or brawn, to stop the enemy.

Hamas used drones to try to blind Israel’s defenses and attack remote machine guns stations along the border. A new documentary at PBS called ‘Failure at the Fence’ details how this tragedy unfolded and how tech alone wasn’t enough.

One result of the failure of technology, not backed up with brawn, was detailed in an article at Ynet this week about families of fallen soldiers returning to the Nahal Oz observation tower where IDF soldiers were killed on October 7 after the outpost was overrun.

Today, Israel is fighting in Gaza and the combination of technology with large amounts of munitions and soldiers is coming together on the battlefield in unique and necessary ways.

Seth Frantzman is the author of Drone Wars: Pioneers, Killing Machine, Artificial Intelligence and the Battle for the Future (Bombardier 2021) and an adjunct fellow at The Foundation for Defense of Democracies.