Alhurra’s correspondent quotes an Israeli military source as saying that in the past few days the Israeli army began implementing a major overhaul of its technology and communications arm, aimed at strengthening its digital and cyber capabilities following the challenges it faced during the recent war.
The source described the move as “a direct response to the lessons learned from the confrontations,” noting that the previous organizational structure “was no longer apt to tackle adversaries who possess advanced capabilities in digital warfare and the electromagnetic spectrum.”
According to the source, the army relies on digital platforms used daily by more than half a million people, making any upgrades to this sector immediately impactful on operational performance. The new structure includes three main operational units: cyber defense; spectrum and communications management; and data and artificial intelligence operations, in addition to the command and executive management of the arm. The goal of this formation is to transform the arm into “an integrated technological-operational hub” suited to modern combat requirements.
The source said that the development of the digital arm is part of a track that began nearly twenty years ago with the emergence of digital technologies, noting that the recent war reopened debate about the suitability of the old structure.
The modernization effort includes creating new training tracks covering 33 technical specialties and increasing the proportion of women in leadership roles to around 40 percent.
According to the source, the army’s digital capabilities were widely used during the war, from identifying victims in the first hours of the October 7 attack to mobilizing reserve soldiers. The systems operate thousands of kilometers of encrypted communications networks and hundreds of drone links, in addition to storing terabytes of data daily and managing thousands of operational circuits.
In the cyber arena, the source said the cyber-defense system shifted to an “active defense” model that handled hundreds of incidents during the war, noting that the digital space has become “a parallel battlefield” to ground and air theaters. The number of users of the civilian alert app rose to more than five million without any system outages.
The source added that the executive director of the digital arm assumed her duties a week ago and is leading the current transformation process. He said the army “will continue to strengthen its digital capabilities to ensure readiness for any future confrontation.” Military assessments suggest that the restructuring effort is an attempt to address gaps revealed by the war amid rising cyber challenges across the region.
