Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi approved Monday the army's long-term budget, including a significant increase in expenditure on the ground forces -the first such hike in years.

The program implements many decisions made in the light of conclusions from the Second Lebanon War. One of its key aims is to equip the army with hundreds of heavy Armored Personel Carriers (APCs). The absence of such vehicles severely hampered the IDF's ability to maneuver in southern Lebanon and re-supply troops.

The project will be achieved by redirecting funds already allocated to the Israel Air Force. Military aid from the United States is essential for the project's implementation.