Ex-IAF head: Israel must prepare for ‘challenging’ wars ahead

Retired Air Force head Amir Eshel said that future wars will be “orders of magnitude” more challenging, urging that Israel prepare accordingly with rapid technological adaptation.

By World Israel News Staff

The former chief of the Israeli Air Force warned that Israel must prepare for threats far more technologically advanced than the Hamas-led massacres of October 7 and the subsequent multifront war, urging the military to adapt rapidly to an evolving battlefield.

Speaking at the DefenseTech Summit, hosted by the Defense Ministry’s R&D department, Amir Eshel cautioned that the ground invasion launched by Hamas was only a preview of what could confront Israel in the near future.

“October 7 was experienced in Israel as a modern war and a successful one, which is true,” Eshel said. “I want to argue that we went through, in some aspect, a tasting menu. The next wars – ours and everyone else’s – will be orders of magnitude more challenging. We must prepare now.”

Eshel detailed several emerging threats that could be exploited in an upcoming round of conflict, including attacks on critical infrastructure, AI-driven and stealth drones, and directed-energy weapons. Such technologies, he warned, would fundamentally reshape the battlefield.

“It will be a different ball game,” he said, emphasizing that even advanced armies like the IDF “currently lack effective defensive solutions against those evolving threats.”

To meet these challenges, Eshel argued that the military must prioritize efforts to “acquire ‘good enough,’ mass-produced, and affordable offensive and defensive capabilities.” Only then, he said, can Israel prepare adequately for the rapidly shifting technological environment.

Eshel also appeared to reference the Trump administration’s move to sell advanced F-36 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, stressing that Israel must continue upgrading its own systems and avoid complacency in a dynamic military landscape.

“Israel remains one of the global leaders, but competition is first,” he said. “Israel’s qualitative military edge is based on US support and genuine Israeli technology. We should boost our efforts to preserve and extend the edge…. This is the moment.”