TEL AVIV — Israel is projected to produce its own JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) bombs in mass quantities within two years. The effort forms a central component of a broader national strategy to achieve munitions self-sufficiency, initiated after a May 2024 U.S. partial arms freeze on certain bombs due to differences over the IDF’s invasion of Rafah.

Israel began increasing domestic bomb production in late 2024 under orders from then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and recommendations from a commission led by former Justice Jacob Turkel. This shift accelerated in January 2025, when the Israeli Defense Ministry signed two agreements with Elbit Systems totaling approximately NIS 1 billion to strengthen IDF self-sufficiency in munitions and raw materials.

By November 2025, over 120,000 tons of military equipment, munitions, weapons systems, and protective gear had been transferred to Israel via 1,000 aircraft and approximately 150 maritime vessels, mostly from the United States. Amir Baram, who assumed the position of director-general of the Defense Ministry in March 2025 after serving as the IDF’s deputy chief, marked the arrival of the 1,000th aircraft with a public statement. “The Defense Ministry has led a tremendous effort to ensure the supply of weapons, equipment, technology, and everything required to enable the IDF to fight and prevail,” Baram said. “The 1,000th aircraft that landed today represents another crucial link in the strategic supply chain for the State of Israel.”

Baram emphasized a dual-track approach to Israel’s defense posture. “It is critical to pursue two parallel tracks: on one hand, strengthening Israel’s defense production base to ensure manufacturing independence, and on the other hand, strengthening cooperation and political and defense relations with our allies around the world, to maintain such an airlift, both in routine and emergencies, and to further strengthen the IDF’s capabilities,” he said.

In January 2026, the Defense Ministry issued a multi-year order for air munitions manufactured by Elbit Systems valued at approximately NIS 570 million. Baram described the deal as part of a larger series of force-building agreements. “This air munitions deal joins a series of multi-year force-building agreements currently being advanced across air, land, and additional domains,” he stated. “These agreements will enable inventory replenishment and procurement for years ahead, while investing in the expansion of our defense industrial base.” He added that the initiative would “enhance the IDF’s readiness for a challenging security decade, support increased defense exports, and strengthen the economic resilience of Israel’s defense industries and the broader Israeli economy.”

By March 2026, Baram reported that the Defense Ministry’s central focus remained on aerial munitions. “Months of preparation and early readiness have enabled the IDF to operate with virtually no constraints in Iran and Lebanon,” he said. He noted that Israel was simultaneously working to replenish all expended munitions and leverage earlier decisions to expand domestic production lines.

“The decisions we made to expand and accelerate production lines in Israel before the operation will now allow us to take production rates to the next level,” Baram added. He credited the “distinctive integration between the IDF, the Defense Ministry, and the defense industries” for enabling “the rapid translation of operational needs and battlefield lessons into real-time modifications and upgrades, creating exceptionally fast feedback loops.”

The Defense Ministry also used funds from the sale of Arrow missile defense systems to Germany to finance increased domestic munitions production and Arrow interceptor manufacturing. Only a small percentage of Arrow interceptors were sent to Germany as part of the deal, while the sale increased Israel’s domestic production capacity for those interceptors by two to four times.

Israel’s push toward munitions self-sufficiency reflects a strategic recalibration in response to fluctuating foreign arms supplies and escalating regional security demands. The projected mass production of JDAM bombs within two years signals a significant expansion of Israel’s domestic defense industrial capacity, reducing reliance on external suppliers during prolonged military operations.

The initiative builds on a series of multi-year contracts, policy directives, and financial mechanisms—including arms sales—that collectively aim to sustain long-term IDF readiness. With aerial munitions identified as a central priority, this effort not only supports ongoing operations but also positions Israel to maintain deterrence amid what officials describe as a “challenging security decade.”