13 billion in nine months: the global race for the new battlefield

At the UVID 2026 conference in Tel Aviv, it was revealed that $13 billion was invested in unmanned systems in the first nine months of the year. Senior defense industry executives presented the technological race and the challenges.

At the UVID 2026 conference in Tel Aviv, it was revealed that $13 billion was invested in unmanned systems in the first nine months of 2026. Senior defense industry executives presented the global technological race, investments in Israel, and operational challenges. Eitan Ard, senior vice president at Israel Aerospace Industries, described how in April the Pakistanis attacked the Indians with unmanned systems, and how Iron systems supported the Indians during and after the fighting. Orly Hockerman-Fromer, senior vice president at Rafael, emphasized the need to shift to developing simpler and faster systems, producing large quantities at high quality and affordable cost, along with a transition to autonomy.