The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) ground forces and Elbit Systems (Nasdaq: ESLT; TASE: ESLT) have launched in the past few weeks one of the IDF’s most ambitious projects in recent years. The project reflects the organizational and technological trend in the IDF over the past few years.
The project will constitute the core of the IDF’s ground forces digitization program that will cost billions of shekels over the next five years. The project was presented at a conference held this week by the IDF C4I Directorate, and attended by the IDF Chief of Staff.
NIS 100 million will be invested in the first stage of the project, which is slated for completion in 18-24 months. The system will then undergo field trials, and its IDF deployment will begin. The IDF general staff is expected to approve the complete ground forces digitalization program in three weeks.
At the same time, the IDF is developing other systems, some of which are already undergoing field trials, which will be included later in the digitalization program. These systems include the Vered Harim (Mountain Rose) GSM-900 military cellular network and the “Avnet Yarok” (Green Sash) fixed line communications project.
Development of the ground forces digitization program was assigned to the defense industries, after a previous project, code-named “Sidrei Bereshit” (Order of Creation), which the IDF tried to develop by itself, failed, and was closed down two years ago, after a NIS 100 million investment.
IDF computerizing in territories
Simultaneously with the large-scale project, the IDF in recent weeks has begun an experimental NIS 20 million command and control project in the Efraim Brigade, based in the West Bank. The IDF purchased 1,000 handheld computers for data communications from Tadiran Communications (TASE: TDCM).
Another project put into operation in the territories in recent weeks is designed to computerize major checkpoints. As part of the project, being carried out by Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL), Civil Administration for Judea and Samaria personnel at the checkpoints have been equipped with handheld computers containing the particulars of both wanted Palestinians and those permitted entry into Israel. This will facilitate faster and more efficient passage of Palestinians through the checkpoints. Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on March 17, 2004