It focuses on AI‑enabled command‑and‑control, autonomous target‑generation algorithms, robotics, unmanned ground vehicles, loitering munitions, expanded tactical UAV fleets, and a major expansion of ground maneuver capability.
By Hezy Laing
The new five‑year $115 billion Choshen Plan represents the most ambitious restructuring of the IDF in decades.
It was created because the IDF faced a cluster of structural, operational, technological, and intelligence failures that became undeniable after 7 October 2023, when Hamas carried out an attack that killed more than 1,200 people and breached Israel’s border defenses for the first time since 1948.
The attack exposed deep weaknesses in Israel’s early‑warning systems, border surveillance, reserve mobilization, and ground‑force readiness.
The IDF’s internal investigations concluded that the army had become overly dependent on airpower and precision strikes while allowing its ground maneuver capabilities to shrink, with the standing army falling below 170,000 soldiers and reserve training dropping to 10–12 days per year.
Hezbollah’s arsenal of more than 150,000 rockets, Iran’s expanding UAV and missile capabilities, and Hamas’s demonstrated ability to coordinate mass rocket fire with ground incursions revealed structural weaknesses in intelligence fusion and rapid response.
The failure of the Gaza border sensor network showed gaps in autonomous surveillance, AI‑driven threat detection, and multi‑domain coordination.
The erosion of Israel’s ground forces, shortages in Merkava IV tanks and Namer APCs, and logistical bottlenecks during reserve mobilization demonstrated that Israel lacked sufficient strength for prolonged urban warfare or simultaneous multi‑front conflict.
The IDF also recognized that adversaries were adopting AI‑enabled warfare, autonomous drones, and robotic systems faster than expected, making a technological overhaul urgent.
The Choshen Plan responds by allocating $115 billion over five years, roughly $23 billion annually, to rebuild and modernize the IDF.
It focuses on AI‑enabled command‑and‑control, autonomous target‑generation algorithms, robotics, unmanned ground vehicles, loitering munitions, and expanded tactical UAV fleets.
It includes a major expansion of ground maneuver capability, adding armored battalions, upgrading Merkava tanks, increasing Namer APC production, and raising reserve training to 20–25 days per year.
The plan also funds additional Iron Dome batteries, more David’s Sling interceptors, and continued Arrow‑3 and Arrow‑4 development.
Implementation will occur in phased annual cycles: Year One focuses on reserve readiness and AI integration; Years Two and Three emphasize procurement of armored vehicles, UAVs, and autonomous systems; Years Four and Five complete infrastructure upgrades, including new training bases and digital command centers.
The Choshen Plan aims to deliver a larger, stronger, smarter IDF, capable of fighting simultaneous multi‑front wars with unprecedented speed, precision, and resilience.
