IDF launches new unit dedicated to AI, unmanned systems

The branch will develop maritime, ground, and aerial robotic systems capable of operating alongside manned forces or carrying out missions independently.

By JNS

Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir said on Tuesday that he had finalized the establishment of a new military branch dedicated to unmanned systems and artificial intelligence.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the 153rd Naval Officers Course at the Haifa Naval Base, Zamir said, “This is a once-in-a-generation transformation, and the IDF intends to be a global leader in it,” according to an IDF statement.

Zamir said the branch will develop maritime, ground, and aerial robotic systems capable of operating alongside manned forces or carrying out missions independently.

“The vision will soon become reality,” he said, adding that he had ordered the branch to be inaugurated on Chanukah.

The IDF chief also noted that INS Drakon, Israel’s sixth submarine, is currently sailing through the Mediterranean Sea from Germany and is expected to arrive in Haifa within days.

The vessel symbolizes the Navy’s transformation into “a powerful strategic force capable of reaching any threat in the Middle East and beyond,” he said.

The submarine departed from the TKMS shipyard in Kiel, Germany, on Sept. 2.

On Monday, the IDF said that it will conduct an in-depth review of its surprise “Breaking Dawn 2.0” exercise, held on Sunday, to test the military’s readiness for a sudden, large-scale multi-front scenario ahead of the upcoming High Holidays.

The unannounced nationwide readiness drill placed regional commands, directorates, and branches on alert without advance notice and tested responses to ground, aerial, and maritime infiltrations, projectile and shooting attacks, mass-casualty incidents, and abductions. Standby and reserve forces, including battalions and special units, were also activated.

The exercise was conducted as part of the IDF Operations Directorate’s 2026 training schedule.