Last update - 02:20 04/09/2007
The IDF plan / Wanting it all - right now
By Amos Harel
The only difference in the way the Israel Defense Forces is presenting its new multi-year procurement program, code-named Tefen, is that there is no talk of a "window of opportunity" for something positive to occur. The situation in the region is bad, and very likely only to worsen. The Iranian nuclear weapon is nearly here, and other threats - Syria, Hezbollah, and Hamas - are known. As such, the IDF is not even bothering to pay lip service to cuts (as it did in the past): Its message is precisely the opposite.
The difficulty is being able to provide answers to the variety of types of threats, which are also pressuring the army to become more versatile.
This means, capable of conducting asymmetric warfare - against guerrilla forces or terrorists and missiles, but also symmetrical warfare against conventional armies. It also means being able to deal with nuclear weapons and long-distance ballistic missiles, but also international terrorism.
A great part of Tefen is influenced by the results of the war in Lebanon. The IDF solution is more advanced tanks, more defensive suites against anti-tank missiles, hundreds of heavy and wheeled armored carriers.
All in all, this adds up to billions. This comes at the expense of the air force, even if this is not said too loudly. The plan calls for one squadron of stealth-capable F-35 Strike Fighters, and possibly another in the future.
In general, the IDF is being optimistic in wanting everything now. It may have to compromise on a number of items.
Everyone at the General Staff knows that governments are affected by public opinion.
None of the plans will work without manpower. Tefen allocates NIS 100 million each year to keep the best career officers in the army.
An interesting development is the focus on defending the home front. For the first time in the IDF, they are talking about defense, in parallel with the holy trinity of deterence, early warning and victory.