Israel currently produces roughly 60 to 65 percent of the weaponry it uses in wartime.
By Hezy Laing
Israel’s decision to invest more than $100 billion in expanding its independent arms industry marks one of the most ambitious defense‑industrial transformations in its history.
The move reflects lessons learned from recent conflicts, where Israel faced political pressure, supply delays, and global ammunition shortages that exposed vulnerabilities in its reliance on foreign suppliers.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has framed the initiative as essential for ensuring Israel can sustain a prolonged multi‑front war without depending on outside resupply.
Much of the investment will go toward dramatically expanding domestic production of basic munitions — artillery shells, tank rounds, and small‑arms ammunition — areas where Israel is currently weakest.
Today, Israel produces only about a quarter of the ammunition it consumes in wartime, a shortfall that became clear during the Gaza and northern border fighting.
New factories, many planned for the Negev and northern industrial zones, are expected to take three to five years to reach full output.
In contrast, Israel is already a global leader in several advanced defense sectors.
It manufactures nearly all of its own drones, loitering munitions, and battlefield intelligence systems, and it produces the vast majority of its missile and air‑defense interceptors, including Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow.
In these fields, Israel’s self‑sufficiency is close to 90 percent.
Armored vehicles such as the Merkava tank and Namer APC are also largely produced domestically, though engines and certain armor materials are imported.
Cyber, electronic warfare, and intelligence technologies are almost entirely homegrown and exported worldwide.
Where Israel remains most dependent is in aircraft.
Fighter jets, jet engines, helicopters, and heavy transport aircraft are all imported, primarily from the United States.
Even with massive investment, Israel is unlikely to replace these imports; instead, it will focus on expanding domestic avionics, upgrades, and weapons integration.
Overall, Israel currently produces roughly 60 to 65 percent of the weaponry it uses in wartime.
The new investment aims to raise that figure to 85 or even 90 percent within a decade.
The timeline for full independence varies by sector.
Ammunition plants may reach capacity within five years, while expanded missile and interceptor production will take closer to seven.
Armored vehicle lines and drone manufacturing can scale more quickly, but strategic independence — excluding fighter jets and helicopters — is expected to take eight to twelve years.
The strategic logic is clear: Israel wants to ensure that no foreign government, political shift, or global shortage can limit its ability to defend itself.
The $100 billion plan is designed to guarantee that Israel can fight — and sustain — a long war entirely on its own terms.
