Israel should be able to produce its own JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) bombs en masse within two years, The Jerusalem Post has learned. This development serves to revolutionize Israel’s warfare capabilities.
Under orders from then-defense minister Yoav Gallant and with recommendations from the commission of former justice Jacob Turkel, Israel started producing more of its own bombs in late 2024. This comes after decades of relying far more on the US for such weapons during crises.
In May 2024, the Biden administration imposed a partial arms freeze on certain bombs to Israel over differences related to the IDF’s invasion of Rafah.
Initially, the idea was for Israel to become more independent in producing JDAMs, also known as “dumb” bombs.
But that was only the beginning of the process of making Israel more independent in weapons production, particularly in the munitions department. This process accelerated and expanded much more in 2025-2026, and eventually began to focus on producing JDAMs and smarter bombs.
Israel already produces its own kits that convert “dumb bombs” into precision weapons, but it is not anywhere close to the necessary volume that it needs to be considered independent.
JDAMs convert bombs into precision-guided munitions
The JDAM is a guidance kit that converts unguided or “dumb” bombs into precision-guided munitions (PGMs) that can be used in all weather conditions, including those that would render dumb bombs ineffective.
On January 7, 2025, the Defense Ministry signed two major agreements with Elbit Systems, totaling approximately NIS 1 billion, as part of a strategic effort to strengthen the IDF’s self-sufficiency and operational readiness both in munitions and in raw materials.
In November 2025, the Defense Ministry announced that, to date, over 120,000 tons of military equipment, munitions, weapons systems, and protective gear were transferred to Israel via 1,000 aircraft and approximately 150 maritime vessels, mostly from the US.
Amir Baram, who had served as the IDF’s deputy chief, moved to the position of director-general of the Defense Ministry in March 2025.
Baram declared that the ministry, over the past two years, “has led a tremendous effort to ensure the supply of weapons, equipment, technology, and everything required to enable the IDF to fight and prevail. The 1,000th aircraft that landed today represents another crucial link in the strategic supply chain for the State of Israel.”
He said it was 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.”
In January of this year, the Defense Ministry announced it had issued a multi-year order for air munitions manufactured by Elbit Systems, valued at approximately NIS 570 million.
At the time, Baram stated: “This air munitions deal joins a series of multi-year force-building agreements currently being advanced across air, land, and additional domains. These agreements will enable inventory replenishment and procurement for years ahead, while investing in the expansion of our defense industrial base.”
“This will 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,” he said.
Munitions production ramped up during war with Lebanon, Iran
During the wars with Iran and Lebanon in March, Baram announced additional munitions production with Elbit. “The Defense Ministry’s central focus […] is aerial munitions. Months of preparation and early readiness have enabled the IDF to operate with virtually no constraints in Iran and Lebanon.”
“At the same time, we are now working to replenish all munitions expended in order to be prepared for any scenario,” he added. “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.”
He also complimented Israel’s “distinctive integration between the IDF, the Defense Ministry, and the defense industries that enables the rapid translation of operational needs and battlefield lessons into real-time modifications and upgrades, creating exceptionally fast feedback loops.”
While these statements do not specify where the money went to and when, Israel’s continuous funding towards weapons independence leaves room for emphasis on different weapons at different times.
Now, the question is: where did Israel get the money for its surge of homegrown munitions?
The Post has learned that, at some point, the Defense Ministry did not have the funds to pay for the rapid increase in munitions production, nor could it afford to increase Arrow 3 interceptor production.
Defense Ministry increased Arrow production funds through sales to Germany
This was made worse by fights with the Finance Ministry over the budget, which led to insufficient or delayed funding. The only way the Defense Ministry could get the funding it needed was by its quick and creative use of the Arrow sale to Germany. The influx of billions of dollars from the sale gave the Defense Ministry enough funding to further Arrow production.
In fact, these funds enabled an increase in the development of locally produced munitions, and exponentially increased the number of Arrow interceptors produced by two to four times.
Several Israeli media outlets criticized Israel for sending Arrow interceptors to Germany during the war, when Israel was carefully budgeting the use of its remaining interceptor supply. Despite the criticism, the Post understands that only a very small percentage of Arrow interceptors went to Germany.
This means that the deal, in essence, provided Israel with dozens or more interceptors that it never would’ve had.