Advanced artificial intelligence systems, developed by the IDF's Matzpen unit, are being deployed to target "IRGC and Basij forces used to oppress domestic Iranian protesters," according to Matzpen commander Col. Rotem Beshi. This integration of AI and "big data" intelligence has fundamentally altered military processes, transforming the air force’s effectiveness during the recent war with Iran. The Matzpen unit, responsible for integrating and relaying this intelligence, played a critical role in these operations.
A new system managed by Matzpen, known as the LOCHEM system, handled all the planning for attacks on Iran. This system worked with the air force’s special Iran unit, according to Beshi. Matzpen’s digital applications and processes helped decide priorities and integrated the planning of entire waves of attacks. Beshi stated that gathering data for operational decisions, which previously took days, can now be accomplished in hours, or in some cases, minutes. The unit is pushing to reduce nearly all processes connected to emergent situations to minutes.
This acceleration was partly driven by the formation of a brigade-sized IDF unit, announced less than one year ago in December, specifically to address the spread of artificial intelligence use across the military, including Matzpen. These units operate under the Communications and Cyber Defense Command, headed by Maj.-Gen. Aviad Dagan. Matzpen is capable of working on dozens of new applications simultaneously to improve both offensive and defensive military capacities. Beshi noted that developing complex new applications, which once took months or years, is now achieved much more rapidly.
The State's Digital Arsenal
Col. Beshi, who holds two degrees in computer science, a master’s degree in technology and systems management, and a chief data officer certification from MIT, aims for IDF field commanders to experience a user-friendly technological environment that empowers them to execute war strategy and tactics more effectively. Data is transmitted across all major commands, including the northern, southern, and central commands, significantly aiding planning and altering military processes. Beshi, who served for around 20 years in various roles within the Communications Command, was credited by the IDF Spokesman for his integral work in all major military successes during the recent war. In his ninth year since being selected by Forbes magazine for its 30 Under 30 list, Beshi detailed Matzpen’s tight integration with operational and intelligence processes.
This integration allows the intelligence process to identify a target, transition to operational processes, and then move to concrete planning, approval, and the actual attack, followed by battle damage assessment (BDA). Matzpen’s role is to bridge intelligence and operations, transmitting data to and from field operations closest to the front. Beshi indicated that this could lead to different Matzpen data processes for targeting Iranian ballistic missile threats versus targeting "IRGC and Basij forces used to oppress domestic Iranian protesters," though specifics remained classified. The system also enables the air force and IDF intelligence to integrate targets more effectively and rapidly into the overall targeting plan.
During the war, which unfolded on both Iranian and Lebanese fronts, Matzpen’s data streaming facilitated quickly changing plans and maximized operational flexibility. This included influencing aircraft trajectories to focus on specific targets and maintaining fluid attack streams. To fully exploit the data, a joint intelligence picture was maintained with the US. During the Iran war, the impact of air force attacks and Israel’s extensive network of sensors, relaying data via Matzpen to the IDF Home Front Command, enabled faster warnings. This allowed the command to plan further in advance and make real-time protective adjustments.
Targeting Dissent, Managing Civilians
In the months between the June 2025 Iran war and the 2026 war, the IDF Home Front, in collaboration with Matzpen, overhauled processes for establishing Iranian attack coordinates and relaying that data interactively to the police, Magen David Adom, and the broader civilian population. These new Matzpen data processes empowered the IDF to track all Home Front Command forces, directing them to optimal locations. Another Matzpen application, referred to as “Binah” (insight), coordinated the positioning and capacities of all local village security teams and their commanding security coordinator.
Matzpen has also conducted joint big data AI research with IDF Intelligence, the air force, and home front district units to reduce the size of the potential target elliptical area within Israel, known as “the polygon,” that required warnings. This made warnings and responses more focused, reducing the disruption of everyday life routines from missile alerts to more specific residential areas. For instance, initial warnings at the start of the war for a potential Iranian ballistic missile hit covered a polygon of two million people, which was eventually reduced to 900,000 people, and in some cases, even fewer.
Beyond the home front, Matzpen assists in conveying warnings to IDF forces operating within southern Lebanon. Numerous sensors analyze diverse threats, including rockets, anti-tank missiles, and low-flying drones, while other threats are identified by analyzing video footage from human sources. In Lebanon, Matzpen’s partnership with the air force, combined with ground force sensors, has created a detailed real-time threat picture for the Northern Command. Matzpen has used complex algorithms to issue targeted warnings only to specific IDF forces in a locality of southern Lebanon, avoiding disruption to other military operations. Less than one month ago, Matzpen added new digital infrastructure to expand its capacity to issue warnings on radio frequencies and improved its ability to dissect multiple geographic threats, issuing different warnings for simultaneous attacks from Iran and Hezbollah. An example from late March, less than one month ago, involved a Hezbollah fighter firing an anti-tank missile toward IDF troops in southern Lebanon; a Matzpen application warned those forces within two seconds, allowing them to take cover without harm.
Capital's Logic of War
Matzpen’s program, MAPIT, works with satellites, including IDF Unit 9900, which handles satellite information. Part of MAPIT’s work was acknowledged less than one month ago, on March 16, when a senior 9900 official made a public statement following strikes against Iran’s satellite launch center and its center for attacking other countries’ satellites. MAPIT integrates AI to process operational geographic media and share data across defense entities, mapping information onto a digital map. Beshi explained that if a threat report for Beersheba or Haifa comes in, MAPIT categorizes the data, such as a video of a ballistic missile, and displays it on a digital map. He emphasized its vast data capacities, multiplying the power of big data, and the importance of connectivity.
Matzpen’s big data and programming abilities have also contributed to reducing friendly fire incidents. Its applications map friendly forces with precision, though accidents still occur, often because soldiers are pinned down and lack the time and space to properly interface with the available data. The IDF is undergoing a major revitalization of its AI, data, and media management for operations, absorbing reports from around the world, including open-source data, to build a comprehensive information platform. Beshi stated that the IDF, "like any large business or entity," understands the value of its data, and that the value of AI and big data, if inaccessible, can directly impact real-world military front lines. In recent months, Matzpen has become even more central to IDF operations, differing from other data managers by operating across all military lines and arms, increasing the value of data for the IDF.