Media: Israel will produce its own version of “Joint Direct Attack Ammunition” within two years

ON 16 JULY, ACCORDING TO THE JERUSALEM POST, ISRAEL EXPECTS TO ACHIEVE, WITHIN TWO YEARS, BULK PRODUCTION OF ITS OWN VERSION OF THE JDAM BOMB, WHICH WILL COMPLETELY CHANGE ITS OPERATIONAL CAPABILITY. ON THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THEN-DEFENCE MINISTER YOAF GARRANT AND ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE JACOB TURKEL COMMISSION, ISRAEL BEGAN INCREASING ITS OWN BOMB PRODUCTION AT THE END OF 2024. IN PREVIOUS DECADES, ISRAEL HAD RELIED HEAVILY ON THE UNITED STATES FOR SUCH SUPPLIES, PARTICULARLY DURING TIMES OF CRISIS. EARLIER, IN MAY 2024, THE BIDEN GOVERNMENT IMPOSED A PARTIAL ARMS FREEZE ON ISRAEL BECAUSE OF ITS DISAGREEMENT OVER THE IDF INVASION OF RAFAH IN THE GAZA STRIP. THE ORIGINAL IDEA WAS TO GIVE ISRAEL GREATER AUTONOMY IN THE PRODUCTION OF SO-CALLED “DUDS”. BUT THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING OF A PROCESS OF GREATER ISRAELI OWNERSHIP OF WEAPONS PRODUCTION, PARTICULARLY IN THE AREA OF AMMUNITION, WHICH ACCELERATED AND EXPANDED SIGNIFICANTLY BETWEEN 2025 AND 2026, AND EVENTUALLY SHIFTED THE FOCUS TOWARDS THE PRODUCTION OF “SMART BOMBS” SUCH AS JDAM。