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Source: https://www.jns.org/israel-cant-again-find-itself-unable-to-buy-what-it-needs/
Israel Can't Again Find Itself Unable to Buy What It Needs
(JNS) Brig.-Gen. (res.) Jacob Nagel interviewed by Yaakov Lappin - Israel has committed to a $110 billion investment over the next decade to boost independence in critical arms production. The announcement aligns directly with the report of the Nagel Committee for Examining the Defense Budget, headed by Brig.-Gen. (res.) Prof. Jacob Nagel, former head of Israel's National Security Council, published on Dec. 31, 2024. Nagel told JNS on Monday that Israel "cannot allow itself to repeatedly end up in a situation where it cannot buy what it needs, whether it's not sold, or simply because there is no one to buy from due to large global demand." Israel will continue to depend on the U.S. for the procurement of platforms like fighter jets, though not for armored vehicles or unmanned aerial vehicles. This push for self-sufficiency was accelerated by arms embargoes, full and partial, faced by Israel during the Gaza war, where allies such as the UK, Canada, and even the U.S., under the Biden administration at times, delayed or reviewed shipments of essential munitions, including air-to-ground bombs and D9 armored bulldozers. In January 2025, Israel's Defense Ministry signed two landmark deals with Elbit Systems to establish a domestic factory for heavy air munitions and a national raw materials plant.