Ranges and self-defense training: The change in the observation unit after October 7

Three years after the October 7 failure, the IDF is overhauling its observation unit: developing an advanced "see-and-shoot" system, upgrading command centers, providing weapons and Krav Maga training, and relocating command centers away from the border. The process is not yet complete—unprotected command centers still exist. The change stems from lessons learned after observers warned before the war and their alerts were ignored.

Three years after the October 7 failure, the IDF has begun a significant overhaul of its observation unit as part of the broader lessons learned in the Border Defense Corps. The changes include developing an advanced version of the "see-and-shoot" system, alongside upgrading command centers and technological tools. Observers will receive training and equipment for self-defense, including weapons drills, shooting ranges, and Krav Maga. New orders for conduct during attacks have been established, and some command centers have been moved away from the border. However, the process is not yet complete: there are still command centers that are not protected, and the IDF's goal is to fortify or relocate all of them. The change stems from lessons learned after observers warned before the outbreak of the war and on the morning it began, but their warnings were not heeded. "There is no doubt that we were wrong. It was a total failure," said a senior military official. The IDF is establishing a collection agency to consolidate information from soldiers and observers and strengthen joint work with Military Intelligence. According to a security source, one of the failures was in connecting, processing, and fusing information between bodies. The collection field is being rebuilt as a unified profession, including collection for maneuvering forces, the observation unit, and border defense. The recruitment process is also changing: new recruits are in early contact with veteran observers through the "Big Sister" program. In the Gaza sector, observers are no longer stationed on the front line as an isolated unit, and the IDF is reexamining the force structure and size. Meanwhile, the collection unit is transitioning to a new technological system designed to improve information processing from the field.