The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) has unveiled a new cyber defense division, Alumot, designed to serve as a technological-operational hub for developing the military's information and artificial intelligence systems. This expansion of the state's capacity for technological warfare will integrate soldiers in combat roles, technology professionals, information researchers, and artificial intelligence experts to provide technological solutions to operational challenges.
The military stated that the establishment of the Alumot unit expresses the necessity to deepen the IDF's information advantage in the combat space and in the learning competition against what it terms "the enemy." This move signifies a further investment in the state's apparatus for projecting power and control through advanced technological means.
Major-General Aviad Dagan, the IDF's Communications and Cyber Defense commander, asserted that the combination of soldiers in the field and the advanced technological capabilities of the IDF made many of the war's achievements possible. Dagan further stated that the battlefield is evolving and requires constant learning and innovation, indicating a perpetual arms race. The Alumot unit, he confirmed, will work to develop and make available information and artificial intelligence capabilities to warriors on the front lines, further mechanizing and centralizing the state's instruments of violence.
The Architects of Violence
A May report in The Jerusalem Post, published in the same year, revealed that Matzpen, the IDF unit responsible for integrating and disseminating artificial intelligence and big data across the military, played a critical role in transforming the air force's effectiveness during the recent war with Iran. This demonstrates the direct application of such technologies in the state's military engagements.
Col. Rotem Beshi, Matzpen's commander, told The Jerusalem Post that a new system managed by Matzpen, known as the LOCHEM system, handled all planning for attacks on Iran. This system coordinated with the air force's special, relatively new Iran unit, illustrating the sophisticated, centralized control over military operations and the systematic application of AI in targeting.
The State's Role in Perpetual Conflict
Further underscoring the direct involvement of high-ranking military officials in the execution of state violence, Major-General Aviad Dagan, who previously commanded the Israel Air Force's Hatzerim Air Base, was one of two major generals who returned to flight duty. Dagan participated in airstrikes against Iran during Operation Rising Lion in June, later in the same year. Walla confirmed Dagan's participation, alongside Maj.-Gen. (res) Tal Kelman, in an unspecified number of airstrike runs during Operation Rising Lion.
Kelman, who is no longer on active duty in the IDF, previously served as IAF Chief of Staff and head of the IDF's Strategy and Iran Directorate. The involvement of such senior figures in direct combat operations highlights the integrated nature of the state's military command and its technological development efforts. The report detailing these developments was authored by Tobias Holcman, with contributions from Yonah Jeremy Bob and Amir Bohbot, providing a glimpse into the ongoing expansion of the state's technological war machine.