The chances of a “narrow or wide” armed conflict involving the IDF have grown
recently, the head of the army’s technology and logistics branch told officers
this week.
Maj.-Gen. Kobi Barak told the officers that his task was to
“look 20 years into the future to ensure that our logistical concepts are
compatible with the developing battlefield.”
He warned that the global
economic crisis could have a negative effect on the IDF’s budget. Barak was
addressing officers in the North, promoted to the rank of lieutenantcolonel
after completing a two-week logistic course at the IDF’s Command and Staff
College.
Col. Zvika Gefen, who headed the course, said one of the central
challenges facing officers was the increasingly unstable arena in the Middle
East.
Last week, Deputy Chief of Staff Maj.-Gen. Yair Naveh warned
that for the first time in years, Israel must be ready for unexpected security
developments on multiple fronts.
“We will have to be flexible and
responsible in following the changes in the entire area,” Naveh told 375 new
army officers during a ceremony held at Mitzpe Ramon.
Addressing the
Iranian threat, Naveh said, “Far off in the East, leaders are making threats
without shame at every stage, expressing their desire to destroy Israel. On the
Gaza border, we are in a continuous combat situation with terror
organizations.”
He added that residents in the South come under fire on
occasion as part of the same conflict, “due to hatred of Israel alone.”