Are Israel's weapons stockpiles about to run out? | Policy

Occupied Jerusalem—— During the Gaza War, the Israeli military's military procurement costs soared by 1,000%; the average monthly expenditure on equipment, ammunition, missiles and bombs was approximately 12 billion shekels ($3.3 billion), equivalent to the occupying army's annual budget for military purchases.

According to the Israeli Ministry of Security, approximately 200 local military companies support my project.Merkava“besides”Tiger NMRThe ministry also does business with 26,000 local and international suppliers, while the ministry's procurement and production departments mobilized some 8,000 local suppliers during the war to ensure supplies to the military.

These official figures on the procurement costs of ammunition and military equipment were published through a comprehensive dialogue between the economic attaché of Novaya Izvestia and the Director of the Procurement and Production Department of the Ministry of Defense Ze'ev Landau. ,he is”al aqsa floodsOctober 2023.

Suffering from lack of ammunition

Landau talks about the economic importance of procurement spending for the israeli army During the Gaza War, he talked about the shortage of basic equipment for the reserve forces and the inventory of military equipment in the army warehouses on the eve of the war, pointing out that “the situation in the warehouses was not ideal and not sufficient.” For a long war. “

The Israeli official said he was worried about the consequences of reduced stocks of weapons and ammunition in military warehouses if the war continues for a long time or an all-out confrontation with Hezbollah breaks out on the northern front.

The head of the Procurement and Production Department of the Ministry of Security confirmed that “without the support of the United States to provide necessary weapons and fill the shortages during the war, the military situation of the army would be extremely difficult.” “

In order to solve the shortage of military warehouses, Lando revealed that staff of the Ministry of Security are purchasing weapons and ammunition from all over the world for the Gaza War. He noted that the staff faced many difficulties in closing deals and attributed them to this issue. The agreement was reached at the request of a number of international companies and countries. Israel sells weapons on the condition that civilians and innocent people are not targeted.

Dependence on the United States

Landau acknowledged that the war in Gaza showed how dependent, how reliant and almost completely dependent Israel is on what he called “the good intentions and policies of the White House” and on air weapons shipments from the United States. It is estimated that Washington has sent more than 230 cargo planes and more than 20 ships carrying weapons to Israel since the war began.

Based on the rate at which U.S. transport planes and ships carrying military equipment are arriving in Israel, Landau said: “The inventory situation in military warehouses has improved, which was not ideal, to say the least, on the eve of the war, and within Israel's security assumptions, Hama Sri Lanka is deterred and a long-term and fierce war is not expected to break out.”

Regarding the military equipment flown out of Washington since the first day of the war, Landau said: “This has created a difficult feeling among the Israeli public that the military is heavily dependent on the United States and does not have sufficient supplies of vital weapons. We've been and We will all rely on Americans in the future. We buy some stuff from them. “There are aid funds, such as aircraft and vehicles, but this reality has to change.

excessive use of weapons

Landau recalled a 2007 state comptroller's report that warned of shortages of military hardware and equipment in Army warehouses, warning that ammunition production lines would be closed for years and that the agency must decide and identify which production lines it needs, and maintain and support them.

Therefore, Landau said, it is not surprising that “the Israeli army has recently been talking about the economy of armaments and the economy of the use of ammunition and missiles to provide ammunition to the northern front in the event of:” A full-scale confrontation breaks out. “

The Director of the Procurement and Production Department of the Ministry of Security pointed out that the Army went too far in the use of ammunition and missiles at the beginning of the war, saying that in the first week of the war alone, the Air Force dropped about “6,000 troops on Gaza.” bombs”, a number equivalent to the number of bombs used by the U.S. Air Force in a year. All over Afghanistan.

Who does the Israeli army rely on?

Landau believes that the main challenge facing the Ministry of Security is to “minimize the army's dependence on purchasing ammunition from abroad, especially the United States, in exchange for expanding local production lines and strengthening the military and defense industry.”

He also said, “Through the experience of the war and learning all the lessons about the state of the army's arsenal, our goal for the next day is to achieve independence mainly in the fields of aviation weapons and aerial bombs, which are completely independent.” From the United States Purchase, it takes two to three years to reach independent status. “Be prepared so that we are not dependent on external sources of armaments.”

The head of the Procurement and Production Department of the Ministry of Security added: “We are working hard to establish a mechanism with the defense industry to maintain the minimum orders we need over time to maintain a production line, economically independent, to make the army ammunition weapons intensive Use it for two years without any shortage.”

It is worth noting that in the early days of the war, Israeli civilians provided donations to reservists, ranging from underwear and socks to helmets and ceramic jackets. However, Lando did not think this was a failure of the military procurement department and attributed it to the increase in Reservists were being recruited, he said: “Never before were there so many troops.” As in any previous war, civilian aid followed.

year by year

Normally, the military's procurement budget is about 12 billion shekels ($3.3 billion) per year, but Landau said, “We have been witnessing an increase in military spending since the beginning of the war. In the first month, we spent The budget was equivalent to the annual budget, so expenditures continued at the same pace and value in the second month. “The third month was also devoted to the war effort. “

Landau said: “Since October 7, we have purchased a large number of weapons from all over the world, so there is not enough stuff in the warehouse. Today we are still in the same dilemma in terms of procurement, but now we are going to enter a new stage, The summary is more maintenance and buying spare parts. “Spares and worn equipment parts, as well as tanks and equipment damaged and removed from combat. “

He explained from his perspective how Israel reached a state of almost complete dependence on American ammunition and what steps could be taken to strive for the armed independence of the military, saying: “We have learned lessons from what has happened to the Israeli military over the decades. and the defense industry, with 80% of production allocated to the military.”

Therefore, Landau said, “We must keep Israel's weapons and ammunition production lines running year-round, whether to supply the local market or increase exports to the global market, and this is the challenge faced by the Israeli Ministry of Security today.”