Officials said the government of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has approved
a major military program to replenish munitions and supplies consumed in the
war with Hizbullah in 2006. They said the cost of the multi-year program has
not been set.
"So far, programs have begun in early 2007 and include every level of
and branch in the military," an official said.
In the first stage, officials said, the Defense Ministry would spend up
to $1 billion to purchase munitions and equipment for combat troops and
aircraft. The Israeli military's Logistics and Technology Directorate plans
to spend nearly $480 million for equipment for Israel's reserve units.
Maj. Gen. Avi Mizrachi, head of the directorate, said the funding would
purchase vests, helmets, weapons and uniforms for reserve troops until 2012.
Mizrachi told a briefing on March 20 that the first equipment would arrive
over the next few months.
"By the summer, the warehouses will be filled with the supplies required
to face the threats against Israel," Mizrachi said.
Officials said much of the supplies and munitions for the Israel Army
would be purchased from U.S. Army surplus, with about $130 million spent so
far in 2007. They said the surplus U.S. equipment would be allocated to the
reserves while more advanced supplies would be assigned to regular combat
troops.
"There is no intention to bring the equipment of the reservists to the
level of that used by regular IDF [Israel Defense Forces] units," Mizrachi
said.
On March 21, Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi briefed the Cabinet
on military preparedness. Ashkenazi reviewed military training and
procurement programs in an attempt to learn the lessons from the
unsuccessful Israeli war against Hizbullah.
"Do not think the army will be ready in three months," Ashkenazi said.
Officials said the first stage of the military programs would be
completed by the end of 2007. They said that at that point all branches of
the military would be ready for any regional war.
A key aim was to improve the logistics chain in the military. Officials
said the army failed to distribute supplies to commanders in the field
during the war in Lebanon.
"In the briefing, the chief of staff presented the IDF's fundamental and
thorough investigation process, including issues and lessons the correction
of which will be implemented in the framework of a multi-year working plan,"
a statement by Olmert said.
Other programs would seek to respond to Hizbullah rocket fire on Israel.
On Thursday, Israeli authorities acknowledged that during the 34-day war in
mid-2006 a Katyusha-class rocket fired by Hizbullah landed in an oil
refinery in Haifa and missed striking a container of toxic chemicals.
