From robots to laser cannons, Israeli tech is reshaping modern warfare

Israeli military technological innovation is reshaping modern warfare, from intel-gathering robots and anti-drone laser systems to 3D-printed missile components and unmanned vessels operating in the Strait of Hormuz. Much of the focus is on improving performance while reducing operational costs, enabling the Jewish state’s defense industry to punch above its weight globally.

The Israeli startup 3D printing business Massivit has, in recent years, specialized in operating a cost-efficient service center that prints molds for missile or drone components. IDF Brig. Gen. (res.) Gabi Shachor, who joined the company’s board this year, argued that the global military industry has been greatly impacted by the ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. 

“The defense-tech world has changed dramatically following the Russia-Ukraine war and, of course, the war here,” Shachor explained. “I don’t call it evolution but a revolution, something that happens once in a generation. It’s a profound shift, meaning defense customers can no longer wait years for procurement as they once did,” he continued.

Shachor revealed that the company cooperates with major defense companies in Israel and the United States. 

“This is where the revolution lies. We approach defense industries — Israel Aerospace Industries, Elbit Systems, Lockheed Martin, Boeing — and tell them: ‘You need to produce 10,000 wings? Don’t deal with it. Give us the task. We’ll work with subcontractors and deliver the solution ten times faster.’”

The Israeli defense industry has benefited from the Israeli military’s extensive real battlefield experience on multiple complex fronts against the Islamic Republic of Iran and its regional proxies Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis. 

Stratasys is another successful Israeli 3D-printed manufacturing startup that has provided the U.S. military with over 100,000 parts per year. This reportedly includes vital components for U.S. C-17 aircraft, enabling Washington to save some $14 million per year on fuel costs. 

Meanwhile, the Israeli startup Sealartec specializes in uncovering unmanned vessels in difficult weather conditions and returning them safely to the mother ship. Its clients include the U.S. Navy, the Israeli Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard. The company’s technological solutions have both military and civilian applications. Sealartec CEO Amitai Peleg recalled that the company’s business idea was born out of the need to recover robotic vessels while working on a robotic maritime systems team at the leading Israeli defense company Rafael. 

“There are more than 100 companies worldwide developing robotic vessels, and only one doing what we do,” Peleg revealed. “This need has become critical, and we are the only ones with a solution. The US Navy recently purchased robotic vessels from two American companies and told them: ‘Bring us the recovery product from this Israeli company, Sealartec.’”

Israel Innovation Authority CEO Dror Bin explained that the division between military and civilian fields has become increasingly blurred with dual-use technologies. 

“In the past, it was common to distinguish between defense industry companies and those with civilian products, but over time that gap has narrowed,” Bin said. “We have a joint program with the Defense Ministry’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development, investing in dual-use R&D, and over the years, there have been hundreds of such companies."

Bin revealed that European partners are also increasingly embracing dual-use technologies, 

“In the past, talking to our European partners about dual-use technologies was like swearing in the room,” he recalled. “Suddenly, they’re bringing it up themselves. After the war in Ukraine and the war in the Middle East, they understand that the fire is at the edge of their own cloak."

Israel recently surpassed the UK and became the world’s 7th-largest arms exporter, according to a Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) report published last month.