Behind the gates of Israel’s defense-technology machine

World Israelwar Behind the gates of Israel’s defense-technology machine (ΚΥΡΙΟ) IwΙ Relevant News Behind the gates of Israel’s defense-technology machine 21 June 2026 AG receives ‘Mafia State’ findings next week as Anastasiades presser eagerly awaited 21 June 2026 Iran talks in the air as Trump threatens to ‘toll’ Hormuz Straits 21 June 2026 Kostis Konstantinou 21 June 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Access for journalists to the facilities of Israel Weapon Industries — IWI — is not simple during a war, and it doesn’t require much imagination to see why. But after repeatedly reading about technologies being developed in Israel that seemed more like science fiction than the battlefield, I asked to be let in. Permission was granted, and I passed through the gates of IWI’s vast complex in Kiryat Gat to see two of them up close. The focus was on technologies that have helped turn Israel into a global center of innovation — not only in defense but, above all, within a broader industrial ecosystem in which large, established companies coexist with a dense network of smaller firms and start-ups. In the conference room where we first sat down to talk, the décor was, let us say, unusual — though perfectly logical, on reflection. Mounted on the walls was, almost in full, the history of Israeli small arms: from the iconic Uzi and Tavor to the company’s more modern rifles and light machine guns — or at least as much of that history as could fit on a wall. Defense is just part of the story International demand for high-tech defense products is rising sharply. The group’s systems are now manufactured at facilities across different countries and continents and sold in more than 60 states. Israel’s economy has endured nearly three years of war with a resilience that has surprised many observers. Key indicators have strengthened and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange has advanced. A significant part of that story lies in the country’s commanding position in high-end technology. Why and how Cyprus Matters Cyprus has developed an unusually close defense relationship with Israel, one that has drawn visible unease in Turkey and elsewhere. That relationship extends naturally and primarily to Israel’s defense industries. Ronen Hamudot, vice chairman of IWI, explains that the company’s TAVOR X95 rifles are used by Cypriot special forces. Cypriot units also operate IWI’s NEGEV light machine guns. More than 250,000 rifles from the TAVOR and X95 family have been sold worldwide. Cyprus adopted the X95 as a compact, modern rifle suited to urban operations and close-range combat. As far as the defense industry is concerned, Cyprus holds particular importance to Israel not because of the size of its market, but because of the National Guard’s specific operational requirements and the depth of the defense relationship between the two countries. The deployment of X95 rifles and NEGEV machine guns by Cyprus offers a useful example of how Israeli weapons are integrated into smaller armed forces that need systems to be flexible, combat-proven, and adaptable to different environments. A defining feature of IWI’s model is its proximity to the end user. Feedback does not move slowly through layers of bureaucracy. The people who design and manufacture the weapons are also the ones who use them, as they are active reservists. As such, the feedback loop is quite short, and they continuously add enhancements to the weapons based on user experience. Cyprus faces some comparable demands: short distances, an emphasis on rapid response, a geography that compresses the battlefield, and a heavy reliance on special forces. A Computer Inside the Gun One of IWI’s most consequential and successful new technologies is the ARBEL anti-drone, a cutting-edge computerized fire control system designed to dramatically improve hit probability and lethality on standard AR-15 platforms, already in service and in the process of implementation with 15 European countries. ARBEL is not a new rifle. It is a system that can be integrated into existing assault rifles and light machine guns, effectively adding an electronic brain to the weapon. Before March 7 and the event at the British Bases in Akrotiri, the significance of counter-drone technology—and the extent to which drones were transforming warfare—was fully understood mainly by people with military training. That is no longer the case. Small drones, particularly first-person-view drones, have become one of the most dangerous threats to infantry. The lesson is especially urgent in light of events in southern Lebanon. They are small, fast, inexpensive, and highly maneuverable. They can change direction sharply, fly at extremely low altitude, and carry explosive warheads. Soldiers often have only seconds to react. The ARBEL anti-drone addresses the solution that has long perplexed defense personnel. The solutions on the market before the ARBEL anti-drone were too costly and too large as one wouldn’t send a counter-drone that’s quite large and the interceptors could cost thousands of dollars to take down a drone that costs under one thousand dollars. “Individual” defense capability IWI asked the question that before, many hadn’t thought was possible – could they use a standard rifle that every soldier has and create a solution that wouldn’t require them to carry anything additional and protect themselves on the battlefield when the drone is being directed at them? That led to the development of the ARBEL anti-drone, which today has become THE solution for European countries facing this situation. The ARBEL controls the rifle’s fire cadence, allowing relatively quick shooting while keeping the weapon controllable and aiming on target. This eliminates the need for complex trigger work, one of the most challenging aspects of marksmanship in dynamic scenarios, allowing the shooter to focus entirely on target tracking and aiming. The soldier may keep the trigger depressed, but the weapon does not fire indiscriminately. The system releases the shot when it calculates that the probability of a hit is highest. In drone interception scenarios, where targets are small, fast-moving, and maneuver unpredictably at a distance, the ARBEL anti-drone offloads the timing of follow-up shots to the system, making accurate and repeatable engagements possible even in high-pressure environments. The system can intercept drones at ranges of up to 450 meters during daylight and 250 meters at night, providing soldiers with effective standoff capabilities across a wide range of operational settings. The shooter, meanwhile, remains human—vulnerable to fatigue, stress, physical strain and the cognitive pressure of combat. Once they aim at the target and pull the trigger, the ARBEL handles the rest. The Counter-Drone Era The ARBEL anti-drone is not a substitute for layered air defense, radar, electronic warfare, or specialized interception systems. It is something more immediate: a final line of defense for the individual soldier or small unit. It improves the odds of hitting a drone with the weapon already in the soldier’s hands. The underlying principle is relatively straightforward. The same way that we wouldn’t send a soldier onto the battlefield without a helmet and vest to protect them, in an era where drones are being used as a weapon on the battlefield, we should send a soldier out without the ability to protect themselves from the drone. That solution is the ARBEL anti-drone. And that I got to see it first-hand. After moving through the production sections, where engineers showed me how each component of the weapons is manufactured and other areas, I was taken to one of IWI’s subterranean firing ranges. ARBEL had been installed on three different weapon platforms. There, the concept became immediately clear. Every one of my shots struck the target. I accepted the congratulations on my marksmanship with appropriate enthusiasm—and with roughly the same degree of sincerity as the suggestion that the results were entirely my own. From there, the visit moved into a different technological realm: systems conceived for war, but increasingly used in counterterrorism, civil emergencies, and the rescue of human beings. This kind of defense company technology can, paradoxically, also become a tool for saving lives. Technology That “Sees” Through Walls In modern urban warfare, the most dangerous place is often the one that cannot be seen: the room behind a wall, the apartment across a corridor, the void beneath the rubble of a collapsed building. For soldiers, police officers and rescue workers, entering such a space without information can be fatal. That is the problem Camero-Tech, another of the cutting-edge Israeli defense-technology companies, was created to solve. A member of the SK Group, Camero-Tech develops ultra-wideband radar systems designed to detect people, movement, and signs of life behind walls, barriers, and debris. Its XAVER™ family of systems is built around what the company calls “Sense Through the Wall”: the ability to understand what lies beyond an obstacle before entering the space. The principle is simple, even if the technology is not. Rather than relying on visual contact, the systems use radar signals and advanced processing algorithms to provide information about what is concealed behind a barrier. Depending on the model and the operating environment, the user can determine whether people are present, their location in the room, whether they are moving or stationary and, with the most advanced systems, obtain a clearer three-dimensional picture of the space. This is not like X-ray vision in the cinematic sense. It serves a more practical purpose: it reduces uncertainty. In the field, that can be enough to change a critical decision—when to enter, from which direction, with how much force, and at what risk to those inside and outside. The same family of systems serves very different users. For special forces and police units, the operational value is obvious. Before entering a room or approaching a target, officers may be able to determine whether someone is inside and approximately where they are located. In hostage/ rescue or counterterrorism operations, such information can determine the timing, direction and method of an assault. In search-and-rescue missions, the same technology can help locate survivors trapped behind walls or beneath rubble after earthquakes, missile strikes, explosions or structural collapses. The XAVER™ line ranges from small handheld devices to tactical imaging systems and longer-range sensors. Capabilities I not only saw demonstrated, but also tested myself. It’s something that looks right out of a sci-fi movie Longer-range systems such as the XAVER™ LR40 and XAVER™ LR80 are designed to detect human presence from safer distances, beyond 50 or 100 meters, depending on the system and conditions. This is where the broader significance of Israeli defense innovation becomes clear. A unit that knows someone is behind a wall, that the person is moving, that it is in a particular part of the room—or that it is not moving at all—is no longer operating blindly. The value of such systems is clearest in urban warfare. In dense cities, operations are not conducted across open ground. They unfold in buildings, corridors, basements, tunnels, apartments, schools, hospitals, warehouses and abandoned structures. The same technology also has uses far from the battlefield. After an earthquake, explosion, or missile strike, rescue teams must decide where to dig first, which part of a building to approach, and how much risk they can assume. The ability to detect life behind a wall or beneath debris can mark the difference between a blind search and a targeted rescue effort and saving a life. Camero-Tech operates precisely at this intersection of technology, security and survival. The technology has been used not only in military and police operations but also in search-and-rescue missions. After the devastating earthquakes in Turkey, where Israel deployed the largest foreign rescue contingent, the systems helped locate people trapped beneath rubble. They were also used in Bangkok after the collapse of a high-rise under construction, and in Israel following missile strikes. In each case, the technology offered rescuers options where, in theory, very few remained. The systems can detect human presence and movement behind walls or within debris, giving rescue teams critical guidance on where to concentrate their efforts. During the presentation, company officials also noted one of the technology’s unusual physical limits: it can operate through snow, but not through sand. And it was indeed an incredible thing to see and to test for myself. 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