Yuval Sade
Ynet News, July 9, 2024
“Despite the understandable effort to strengthen local industry and thereby reduce dependence on the external factors, those who believe that Israel can produce all the ammunition in-house it needs are likely to be disillusioned.”
While the complex relations with the Americans regarding aid to Israel are capturing most of the public’s attention, the Defense Ministry and the IDF are currently more concerned about a different developing reality: the possibility of a munitions shortage after several countries around the world have informally ceased trading with Israel.
Calcalist has learned that weapons suppliers from European countries have simply stopped responding to their Israeli counterparts, and a foreign power that is not the U.S., which previously traded with Israel, has refused to supply Israel with raw materials for ammunition production since October 7.
According to a report by The New York Times, the IDF is facing a shortage of 120mm shells for tanks to the extent that some tanks stationed in Gaza are now on partial alert and carrying fewer shells to reserve them for potential escalation on the northern front. Calcalist has learned from senior IDF officials that a “munitions economy” is indeed being managed. The New York Times reported that the military is also dealing with shortages of spare parts for tanks, D9 bulldozers, armored vehicles and additional light ground ammunition.. … [To read the full article, click here]
