Five Things Pete Hegseth Could Learn From Israel After Oct. 7

Yahoo

28-04-2025

The world changed on Oct. 7, 2023. Too many in Washington are still thinking like its Oct. 6.
That day made one thing painfully clear: Wars are no longer fought only with tanks and jets. Our adversaries are moving faster than our procurement cycles - using commercially available drones, pickup trucks, bulldozers, motorcycles, and ATVs - to devastating effect. They dont wait for approval chains or perfected systems. They innovate on contact. In Israel, we paid a horrific price for this lesson. We wont let it happen again.
As the U.S. looks to deter tomorrows war - not the last one - Israel offers more than cautionary lessons. We serve as a crucible for how modern militaries must adapt - fast. As a country where nearly every citizen serves, and where the frontline is so close, we are building, deploying, and refining technology under real battlefield pressure. Secretary Hegseth is right to call for acquisition reform. We live that urgency - and we believe these five lessons from Israel can help accelerate change.
Speed isnt a feature. Its a prerequisite.
When the enemy is iterating fast, insistence on perfection is a liability. The wars of tomorrow will be fought with the tools we have today. A solution that works today is more valuable than one thats still in testing in 2030. Yet Americas acquisition machine still moves like its in peacetime, and integration is always one step away from done. We need modular systems, rapid deployment cycles, and real-world stress testing. The goal isn't just deployment speed - its iteration speed. Deploy, learn, update, repeat. Iteration under fire is what wins wars. Because in war, there is no staging environment.
Warfighters know best.
Doctrine matters, but no plan survives first contact.
The best feedback doesnt come from specs or slides, it comes from the field. Soldiers are more thanjust operators - theyre frontline system co-designers. We built Kela Systems after Oct. 7, and as veterans ourselves, we understand that solutions must start with feedback from the field. The U.S. may not have Israels soldier-to-citizen ratio, but you can still build systems that learn from every mission, every failure, every use. Give warfighters the ability to shape their tools - and the tools will improve faster than any roadmap.
Open systems or dead ends?
Closed systems protect revenue. Open systems protect lives.
When Hamas attacked, it wasnt just their use of commercial drones that shocked us, it was how quickly they repurposed tools never designed for warfare. Our experience shows that relying on a single platform - or assuming one company has the complete answer - doesnt just inflate costs but also, crucially, creates fatal blind spots. No single vendor can move as fast as an open ecosystem. No closed system can adapt to the chaos of modern warfare. Open architecture, plug-and-play interoperability, and real-time data-sharing arent nice-to-haves - theyre the difference between responsiveness and irrelevance. If the U.S. enters its next fight with a vendor-locked technology stack, it wont just be expensive, it could be fatal. Not collaborating is the privilege of an Oct. 6 mindset - and we cannot afford to live in the past.
Rethink command. Reimagine how we fight.
Strapping smart, new tools onto old frameworks wont cut it anymore. When AI and computers live at the edge, decisions should too.
After Oct. 7, Israel didnt just field new systems - we rewrote the playbook. We collapsed the distance between boots-on-the ground insights and real-time decision making. We relied less on central command, moved faster with real-time data, and built for tempo over hierarchy.
The U.S. must do the same. Its not just about a tech upgrade; its a shift in mindset. By changing the way units coordinate, maneuver, and engage, we can build new habits and trust structures, and reimagine Concept of Operations (CONOPS) to reflect the true speed of war.
The future is hybrid - and thats not just about drones.
Todays battlefield is a blend of physical and digital, old and new. Enemies tunnel beneath borders while spoofing GPS signals. They jam satellite communications and livestream their attacks. The future wont be won by shiny new platforms - it will be won by systems that integrate legacy and next-gen hardware and software, human and AI.
Building a future, together
Oct. 7 was more than a wake-up call - it was a preview. In Israel, the Iron Dome has protected our skies. But todays threats dont stop at borders - from autonomous weapons to cyberattacks. Thats why President Trumps Golden Dome concept matters: Its about moving first, not reacting last.
But big investments alone wont win the next war. Without speed, integration, and real-time adaptability, even the best platforms will arrive too late. In Israel, were already iterating under fire. We dont have it all figured out, but we constantly learn and adapt. Were your early warning system.
Secretary Hegseth, youve called for a faster, stronger, more lethal force. Come see what that looks like in action - where software meets soldier, and systems adapt in real time.
The next fight wont wait. Neither should we.
Hamutal Meridor is co-founder and president of Kela Systems.