Capturing Contemporary Innovation: Studying IDF Innovation against Hamas and Hizballah

Abstract

The question of what enables some militaries to innovate effectively is of great interest to both scholars and commanders. However, the traditional models of military innovation fail to capture the complex innovation process. This study develops a new analytical framework that examines the pressures on and incentives for military innovation in the international, civil/military, organizational, and cultural planes and uses it to evaluate Israel Defense Forces (IDF) innovation between 2000 and 2009. Based on interviews with Israeli commanders and extensive research in Israel, this work finds that the IDF struggled to innovate before the 2006 war against Hizballah, but innovated effectively after the conflict once military and civilian leaders understood threats similarly. New models are needed to analyze the contemporary multi-dimensional innovative process.

Key Words:

• Military Innovation
• Hybrid War
• Israel Defense Forces

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank General Itai Brun, Dr Eitan Shamir, and the staff at the Dado Center for Interdisciplinary Military Studies, Israel, for their support and insight while researching this issue.

Notes

¹Ozlem Kayhan, ‘The US War in Afghanistan: A Case for Military Innovation’, Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Studies Association, Hilton Hawaiian Village, Honolulu, Hawaii, 5 March 2005, <www.allacademic.com/meta/p71212_index.html>.

²Rebecca Damm Patterson, ‘The US Army and Nation-building: Explaining Divergence in Effective Military Innovation’, PhD diss., George Washington University, 2009.

³Theo Farrell, ‘Improving in War: Military Adaptation and the British in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, 2006–2009’, Journal of Strategic Studies 33/4 (Aug. 2010), 567–94.

⁴John Arquilla, Jeffrey Isaacson and Christopher Layne, Predicting Military Innovation (Santa Monica, CA: RAND 1999).

⁵James Russell, ‘Innovation in War: Counterinsurgency Operations in Anbar and Ninewa Provinces, Iraq, 2005–2007’, Journal of Strategic Studies 33/4 (Aug. 2010), 621.

⁶This study uses the RAND framework as a starting point, adding factors the RAND scholars do not analyze.

⁷Greg Jaffe, ‘Short '06 Lebanon war stokes Pentagon debate’, Washington Post, 6 April 2009,<www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/05/AR2009040502235. html>.

⁸Gen. George Casey, ‘Complex Operations and Counterinsurgency: Building the Army of the 21st Century’, Lecture, Commanders Series from Atlantic Council, Washington DC, 28 May 2009.

⁹Frank G. Hoffman, Conflicts in the 21st Century: The Rise of Hybrid Wars (Arlington, VA: Potomac Institute for Policy Studies 2007), 21.

¹⁰Ibid., 28.

¹¹Shlomo Hasson, interview by author, 27 Dec. 2009, Glilot, Israel.

¹²Stuart Cohen, ‘Why is the IDF crying wolf?’, Jerusalem Post, 30 July 2007, <www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?id=70380>.

¹³Itai Brun, ‘The Second Lebanon War, 2006’, in John Andreas Olsen (ed.), A History of Air Warfare (Washington DC: Potomac Books 2010), 18.

¹⁴Amos Harel and Avi Isacharoff, 34 Days (New York: Macmillan 2008), 40–2.

¹⁵Yoaz Hendel and Zaki Shalom, ‘Conceptual Flaws on the Road to the Second Lebanon War’, Strategic Assessment 10/1 (June 2007).

¹⁶Ibid.

¹⁷April 2010: 3.7 New Israeli Shekels (NIS) to the American dollar.

¹⁸Ibid.

¹⁹‘Rocket threat from the Gaza Strip, 2000–2007,’ IICC, Dec. 2007, <www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/pdf/rocket_threat_e.pdf>.

²⁰Mickey Rosental, ‘Mehdal Kippat Barzel (Iron Dome Crisis)’, Nana 10, 3 April 2009, <http://news.nana10.co.il/Article/?ArticleID=627816&TypeID=1&sid=126>.

²¹Ibid.

²²Rafael, Iron Dome: Defense System against Short Range Artillery Rockets,<www. rafael.co.il/marketing/SIP_STORAGE/FILES/6/946.pdf>.

²³Amos Harel, ‘IDF tanks to be fitted with Trophy anti-missile systems’, Haaretz, 4 Dec. 2006,<www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/795790.html>.

²⁴Yotam Feldman, ‘Dr Naveh, or, how I learned to stop worrying and walk through walls’, Haaretz, 1 Nov. 2007,<www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/917158.html>.

²⁵Ibid.

²⁶Shimon Naveh, ‘Operational Art and the IDF: A Critical Study of a Command Culture’ (report for Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment, 30 Sept. 2007), 83.

²⁷Feldman, ‘Dr Naveh, or, how I learned to stop worrying and walk through walls’.

²⁸Dan Halutz, ‘Airpower as a Variable of Hachraah’, in ‘Ben Hachra'ah L'nitzachon (Between Decision and Victory)’: A Joint Seminar between the Center for Study of National Defense–Haifa University and the National Defense College–IDF, 28 Jan. 2001 (Haifa: University of Haifa 2001), 96.

²⁹Ibid., 98.

³⁰Ibid., 18.

³¹Moshe Ya'alon, ‘Victory and Hachra'ah in LIC’, in ‘Ben Hachra'ah L'nitzachon’, 76.

³²Ibid., 79.

³³Udi Adam, interview by author, 5 Jan. 2010, Modi'in, Israel.

³⁴Eitan Shamir, interview by author, 3 Jan. 2010, G'lilot, Israel.

³⁵Feldman, ‘Dr Naveh’.

³⁶Pinkas interview.

³⁷As witnessed by the author, June 2007.

³⁸Brun, The Second Lebanon War, 2006, 3.

³⁹Ibid., 9.

⁴⁰Adam interview.

⁴¹Yisrael Bar-Tov and Eli Pollack, ‘Yisrael-Hizbullah: “Hamilhama” al Narativ Hanitzachon’, MA diss., IDF–The National Defense College, Israel, 2008, 24.

⁴²Harel, 34 Days, 81.

⁴³Harel, 34 Days, 221.

⁴⁴Ibid., 225.

⁴⁵Michael Oren, interview by author, 5 March 2009, Washington DC.

⁴⁶Yitzhak Benhorin, ‘Syria arming intensely, minister says’, Ynetnews.com, 5 April 2007, <www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3395604,00.html>.

⁴⁷Ze'ev Schiff, ‘Israel's message in talks with Gates: Syria is preparing for war’, Haaretz, 22 April 2007, <www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/851282.html>.

⁴⁸Jonathan Lis, ‘IDF intelligence chief: Israel's next war will see heavy casualties’, Haaretz, 2 Nov. 2010, <www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/idf-intelligence-chief-israel-s-next-war-will-see-heavy-casualties-1.322484>.

⁴⁹The IDF used minor financial irregularities at his institute to force him out in 2005 after his biggest supporter, CoS Ya'alon, retired.

⁵⁰Shimon Naveh, ‘Operational Art and the IDF: A Critical Study of a Command Culture’, report for Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment, 30 Sept. 2007, 9.

⁵¹Ephraim Segoli, interview by author, 1 Jan. 2010, Glilot, Israel.

⁵²Bar-Tov and Pollack, ‘Yisrael-Hizbullah’, 31–2.

⁵³Hendel, ‘The Reserves Comeback’.

⁵⁴Steven Erlanger, ‘Reservists in Israel protest conduct of Lebanon war’, NYTimes. com, 22 Aug. 2006, <http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/22/world/middleeast/22 israel.html?_r=2&th&emc=th&oref=slogin>.

⁵⁵Ilan Marciano, ‘52% of Israelis: the IDF failed’, Ynetnews.com, 14 Aug. 2006, <www.ynetnews.com/articles/1,7340,L-3291214,00.html>.

⁵⁶Yael Branovsky, ‘Poll: violence more worrisome than corruption’, Ynetnews.com, 16 Nov. 2009, <www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3805682,00.html>.

⁵⁷Ibid.

⁵⁸Hendel, ‘The Reserves Comeback’.

⁵⁹Yaakov Katz, ‘Israeli tank defense system behind schedule’, Jerusalem Post, 16 Sept. 2008,<www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1221489040961&pagename=JPost%2F JPArticle%2FShowFull>.

⁶⁰Ibid.

⁶¹Yiftah Shapir, ‘Hamas’ Weapons', Strategic Assessment 11/4 (Feb. 2009), <www.inss.org.il/publications.php?cat=21&incat=&read=2648>.

⁶²Eitan Shamir, ‘Coping with Non-State Rivals’, Infinity Journal, No. 2 (Spring 2011), 11.

⁶³Barbara Opall-Rome, ‘Gaza war is battle lab for joint combat ops’, DefenseNews, 11 May 2009, <www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4083045>.

⁶⁴Ibid.

⁶⁵Ibid.

⁶⁶Brun, The Second Lebanon War, 2006, 37.

⁶⁷Segoli interview.

⁶⁸Brun, The Second Lebanon War, 2006, 29.

⁶⁹Adam Grissom, ‘The Future of Military Innovation Studies’, Journal of Strategic Studies 29/5 (Oct. 2006), 907.

⁷⁰Hillel Fendel, ‘Public likes IDF, postal service; dislikes politicians, police’, Arutz Sheva, 23 Dec. 2009,<www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/135166>.

⁷¹Stephen P. Rosen, ‘Societies, Military Organizations and the Revolution in Military Affairs: A Framework for Intelligence Collection and Analysis’, unpublished manuscript, June 1996, 1.