(Day 639) Swords of Iron – “The IDF”

The video is an AI-created overview of the Israel Defense Forces, describing the land, air and naval forces and their different roles. The video emphasizes over and over again that although Israel has mandatory conscription for both men and women, the IDF does not have the advantage of numbers of fighting men and women, so it must rely on technology, innovation, and a focus on quality over quantity.

Frequent wars and intense, realistic training ensures that the regular army and the reserves are both kept sharp and ready for battle, and the government has provided a budget for the IDF of $162 billion in 2025, the largest budget ever. Although this is necessary, it’s putting a heavy strain on the population in the form of higher taxes and reduced services.

The IDF also got a boost in 2025 from an increased aid package from the US, which is explained as a manifestation of the commitment to Israel’s survival as well as shared regional and strategic objectives. At the same time, research and development of new defense systems and equipment continue even during wartime. All this is necessary because the IDF is heavily engaged in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria, as well as elsewhere, to maintain security and push back against the adversaries.

The most dangerous adversary, and the most powerful, is Iran. This is the IDF’s greatest challenge in 2025 and will probably be so for many more years to come. However, there are threats closer to Israel’s borders that must also be dealt with.

Israel is also a world-leader in the fields of missile-defense and special forces, and this is partly because of the world-class defense industry Israel has built, including Rafael, Israel Aircraft Industries and Elbit Systems. These are hi-tech leaders with customers that include the world’s most powerful armies.

This is part of Israel’s larger strategic defense posture which also includes diplomatic and economic cooperation with many of the other democratic powers in the world.