The Weapon Wizards: How Israel Became a High-Tech Military Superpower

by Yaakov Katz, Amir Bohbot

Overview

"A lively account of Israel's evolving military prowess...if The Weapon Wizards were a novel, it would be one written by Horatio Alger; if it were a biblical allegory, it would be the story of David and Goliath." —The New York Times Book Review

From drones to satellites, missile defense systems to cyber warfare, Israel is leading the world when it comes to new technology being deployed on the modern battlefield. The Weapon Wizards shows how this tiny nation of 8 million learned to adapt to the changes in warfare and in the defense industry and become the new prototype of a 21st century superpower, not in size, but rather in innovation and efficiency—and as a result of its long war experience.

Sitting on the front lines of how wars are fought in the 21st century, Israel has developed in its arms trade new weapons and retrofitted old ones so they remain effective, relevant, and deadly on a constantly-changing battlefield. While other countries begin to prepare for these challenges, they are looking to Israel—and specifically its weapons—for guidance. Israel is, in effect, a laboratory for the rest of the world.

How did Israel do it? And what are the military and geopolitical implications of these developments? These are some of the key questions Yaakov Katz and Amir Bohbot address. Drawing on a vast amount of research, and unparalleled access to the Israeli defense establishment, this book is a report directly from the front lines.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250822475
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	01/31/2017
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	176,246
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.68(d)

About the Author

Yaakov Katz is Editor-in-Chief of The Jerusalem Post. He previously served for close to a decade as the paper's military reporter and defense analyst and is the co-author of the books The Weapon Wizards: How Israel Became a High-Tech Military Superpower and Israel vs. Iran: The Shadow War. Prior to taking up the role of Editor-in-Chief, Katz served for two years as a senior policy adviser to Israel’s Minister of Economy and Minister of Diaspora Affairs. In 2013, Katz was one of 12 international fellows to spend a year at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. Originally from Chicago, Katz also has a law degree from Bar Ilan University. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife and four children.

Amir Bohbot is the military editor and senior defense analyst for Walla, Israel’s leading news website. Amir previously covered military affairs for Maariv, one of Israel’s high-circulation daily newspapers, where he worked for 12 years.

Bohbot is a popular lecturer on security and defense issues in Israel and is often interviewed by local radio and TV news stations. Bohbot has a Master's Degree in Political Science from Ben-Gurion University and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Intelligence Studies at Bar Ilan University. He lives in Lehavim with his wife and their three children.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Introduction 1

1 Beginning in a Bunker 27

2 Creative Drones 53

3 Adaptive Armor 86

4 Chutzpadik Satellites 132

5 Rocket Science 143

6 Intelligent Machines 174

7 Cyber Viruses 197

8 Diplomatic Arms 222

Conclusion: Armageddon and the Future of Weapons 246

Acknowledgments 269

Notes 271

Index 279

Editorial Reviews

…a lively account of Israel's evolving military prowess, from the early days of Jewish paramilitaries operating within the British Mandate to Israel's recent emergence as exporter of 60 percent of the world's drones…The Weapon Wizards offers plenty of good stories about fascinating people.

The New York Times Book Review - Rosa Brooks

"Riveting." —The National Interest

"From missile defence systems to drones, Israel is a world leader in the lucrative field of military technology. So much so that it is changing the face of warfare in the Middle East and around the globe, say Yaakov Katz and Amir Bohbot in their highly informative book." —Sheldon Kirshner, The Times of Israel

"Many of the weapons that make precise combat possible have their origins in Israel. The Weapon Wizards recounts how and why the small state has developed such advanced weaponry." —The New Atlantis

"[Katz and Bohbot] ask how such a small country has managed to be at the forefront of advanced weapons development, having made significant contributions to drones, satellites, missle-defense systems, cyber warfare and more." —Survival

"Fascinating." —The Israel Journal of Foreign Affairs

"Fascinating...[Katz and Bohbot] present an intriguing and engrossing account of Israel's defense capabilities development." —The American Thinker

"The challenges of defending the Jewish state get very real in the pages of The Weapon Wizards... the story of its weapons development and deployment is especially fascinating and highly consequential." —The Jewish Journal

"Israel has succeeded in myriad areas where entire continents have failed. How they have done that is something that can partially be duplicated. And it’s something that every responsible politician concerned about job growth, and every CEO concerned about leadership and teambuilding should attempt to learn from. A stimulating read, The Weapon Wizards should be on the required reading list of every executive, politician and business manager." —Ben Rothke, The Times of Israel

"The authors have skillfully conveyed a key component of the dynamic innovation culture that has made the Jewish state one of the most important entrepreneurial and technology-driven economies in the world." —The Wall Street Journal

"A lively account of Israel's evolving military prowess...if The Weapon Wizards were a novel, it would be one written by Horatio Alger; if it were a biblical allegory, it would be the story of David and Goliath." —The New York Times Book Review

"Military reporters and defense analysts Yaakov Katz and Amir Bohbot chronicle how Israel became one of the world’s top six arms exporters...tells the story of how an ancient and stateless people returned to their homeland after 2,000 years and, against all odds, not only survived, but prospered." —ReformJudaism.org

"Excellent...the authors tell engaging stories about weapons and ingenuity." —St. Lewis Jewish Light

"An enlightening look into one of the less-familiar corners of the modern military world." —Kirkus Reviews

"Katz and Bohbot have succeeded in presenting a picture of the way in which the particular culture of Israel has produced, and continues to produce responses to security problems and challenges of a uniquely innovative, creative and (generally) effective form." —Rubin Center

"A fascinating and ultimately exhilarating celebration of Israeli innovation, creativity, smarts and chutzpah in defending herself." —Elder of Ziyon

“These fascinating stories explain how Israel became a key source of brilliant military innovation for the entire world. From developing drones out of toy airplanes to cyber warfare against Iran, The Weapons Wizards tells Israel’s amazing tale.” —Elliott Abrams, Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies, Council on Foreign Relations

"The Weapon Wizards is a fascinating analytical history of a remarkable series of creative disruptions in weapons and strategy by Israeli military and technical organizations-sometimes by wonderfully stubborn individuals (e.g. Abe Karem) father of the Predator, standing alone against the crowd. Katz and Bohhot chronicle superbly how nations can survive and win: follow Gideon and nurture the troublemakers." —R. James Woolsey, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency between 1993-1995

"Israel would not exist today if it's technology were not a few steps ahead of the other side. This is the untold story of how Israel has solved technological challenges that seemed flat out impossible—like shooting down short range missiles. Yaakov Katz and Amir Bohbot tell this story with the authority and flair that only great journalists with deep experience in the field can bring. These challenges continue, and could not be more relevant not just for Israel, but for countries around the world." —Saul Singer, co-author Start-Up Nation

"The survival of Israel is not conventional. Having no natural resources, Israel became a champion of technology in agriculture and security. It started by using its human wealth and has remained a start-up nation. The Weapon Wizards shows that the merit of the human is the richest resource of our future; builders, fighters and pioneers can enrich a land more than the land enriched them." —Shimon Peres, Israel's president (2007-2014) and prime minister (1984-1986 and 1995-1996)

"The Weapon Wizards is an essential read for anyone trying to understand Israel and its military. Katz and Bohbot, two of the country's leading defense reporters, tell this fascinating tale how Israel became a military superpower amid endless conflict and against all odds." —Lt.-Gen. (res.) Shaul Mofaz, Israel's former defense minister (2002-2006) and IDF chief of general staff (1998-2002)

From the Publisher

2016-12-08
Two Israeli journalists look at how their country has become an innovator in battlefield technology. Jerusalem Post editor-in-chief Katz (Israel vs. Iran: The Shadow War, 2012, etc.) and Bohbot, a military editor and senior defense analyst for the Israeli news website Walla, make the convincing case that Israel, despite its small area and population, is a major player in weapons development. In fact, write the authors, the nation is in the top six globally in terms of arms exports, with annual sales averaging $6.5 billion since 2007. Its budget for research and development amounts to 4.5 percent of its gross domestic product, nearly a third of which is for weapons research. Equally important, the Israeli Defense Force encourages an informal structure in which a soldier with an idea can leapfrog over the chain of command to get it noticed. The authors tell the stories behind several different weapons systems Israel has developed or improved. The country began to research military drones in the late 1960s, when it needed to see what Egypt was doing on the other side of the Suez Canal. Over the years, its development of drones has spurred numerous other nations—including the U.S. and, inevitably, Israel's own hostile neighbors—to invest in the technology. Israel may be the smallest nation with its own space program, launching satellites to keep an eye on the movements of its enemies. Other areas of innovation include advanced cyberwarfare and a highly effective anti-missile defense system. The one area that readers curious about Israeli armaments might want to know about—its rumored nuclear capability—is (understandably) left unexamined, but on the whole, few readers will be disappointed. An enlightening look into one of the less-familiar corners of the modern military world.

Kirkus Reviews