This is a summary of an article by Dr. Guy Bechor, published in “Gplanet,” August 13, 2026
Israel needs more soldiers. This is probably one of the most obvious conclusions of the past three years of war. Thousands of Israelis have spent an enormous portion of their lives in miluim — away from their jobs, their businesses, their studies and, above all, their families. There are soldiers who have accumulated 300, 400, even 500 days of reserve duty. It is admirable, but it is also tremendously unfair and, in the long run, unsustainable. The same families cannot be expected to keep paying the price of defending the country indefinitely.
This is the context in which a new technological revolution may take on extraordinary importance: the development of an Israeli “robot army.”
We are not talking about science fiction. During the war in Gaza and Lebanon, Tzahal already began deploying unmanned systems on a large scale: drones, remotely operated ground vehicles, small robots that enter tunnels and buildings, platforms for carrying equipment and evacuating the wounded, and, among others, the enormous D9 “Panda” bulldozer, which can clear paths and operate in dangerous areas without directly exposing its operators. The goal is very simple: whenever possible, the machine goes in first, and the soldier goes in after.
Dr. Bechor explains that Israel currently faces a shortage of roughly 12,000 conscripted soldiers, including thousands of combat troops, while the pressure keeps growing on those already serving in the reserves. Robots will not eliminate that manpower shortage. But they can become an extraordinary force multiplier: allowing fewer soldiers to carry out certain missions and, above all, keeping human beings from unnecessary exposure to danger.
Robots can already clear routes suspected of containing explosives, inspect tunnels, run patrols, transport ammunition and supplies under fire, and take part in reconnaissance operations. Every one of these tasks performed by a machine potentially means several fewer soldiers exposed to the enemy — and more personnel available for the missions that truly require human intelligence, judgment, and decision-making.
The next step will be far more ambitious. Tzahal’s new program calls for the systematic integration of robotics and artificial intelligence across the ground, air, and naval forces. In the near future, groups of robots and drones will be able to share information with one another, recognize obstacles, and operate in coordination, while human beings retain control of the fundamental decisions.
But there is an essential caveat. Technology can never replace the human being. October 7 proved that cameras, sensors, and sophisticated electronic systems are of little use when interpretation, vigilance, or decision-making fail. It must be acknowledged that even a robotic army probably would not have completely prevented the invasion from Gaza. Robots can detect threats faster and save lives, but they cannot replace human leadership and responsibility.
For Israel, then, this revolution is not about replacing our soldiers. It is about protecting them, multiplying their capabilities, and allowing many of them to finally return sooner to their jobs, their wives, their children, and their homes.
