Are IDF reservists properly armed during post-war operations?

The long duration and overwhelming logistical complexity of the Israel-Hamas War has led to a negative economic impact that may be taking a bite out of the budgets for arming reservists.

A consistent concern pre-war, mid-war, and post-war has been whether IDF reservists are properly armed.

There is no question that, pre-war, they were not, and that it took significant time to arm them in late 2023 and early 2024 as the war unfolded.

Also, there is little question that at some point, the IDF – partially due to public pressure – made progress and was supplying more and better gear to its reservists’ officers.

But as with so many things in this longest war in Israel’s history, there have been later points where conditions worsened again.

Some of the worsening conditions were due to the war lasting so long and overwhelming logistics managers, and some were more fundamental: the mega-funds spent, and the war’s lasting negative economic impact were starting to take a bite out of the budgets for reservists again.

The current state of play for reservists is complex, and the answer can vary widely depending on the specific unit and front.

But The Jerusalem Post has learned that at least some reservist units have seen a shortage of M4 rifles, particularly for sharpshooter versions.

Some reservists unhappy with rifle performance

Other reservists are using Arad rifles and are unhappy with their performance.

Moreover, since October 7, some reservists have contended that there has been no attempt to update night scopes for sharpshooters, who are still using the largely obsolete Akila 4 system.

The IDF Spokesperson’s Office responded that multiple distinct and complex processes are underway, each with its own timeline.

For example, the IDF said that it has purchased and continues to purchase tens of thousands of M4s to distribute to both mandatory service and reserve soldiers.

In parallel, it is purchasing some thousands of Arads for certain soldiers.

According to the IDF Spokesperson’s Office, the process for providing soldiers with the M4 is already well underway, but is not necessarily linear.

The IDF said that reservist soldiers who are involved in operations in Gaza are more likely to receive the latest weaponry sooner than reservists who are doing guard duty on the outskirts.

This meant that some soldiers already had the latest weaponry, others would receive it soon, and still others would not receive it for much longer.

It was unclear how the ceasefire affected these distinctions, but there remain different gradations in how close some soldiers are to the front lines compared with others.

The process of replacing the “Akila 4” sharpshooter night scope system with the T75 system – a rugged, long-range thermal imaging weapon sight that mounts as a clip-on in front of a day scope – is a separate process from the M4 and Arad distribution process.

Its is expected to take at least several months, and the IDF recognizes that this means for the time being there will be reserve units using the much older night scope.

Some of the discussion on these issues was reignited on Thursday when the Defense Ministry announced it would distribute thousands of Arad rifles to local border-village volunteer security teams.

That announcement was focused on demonstrating the IDF’s commitment to providing the local villages with better weaponry in their own relative terms.

But the statement struck some soldiers the wrong way, given that for portions of the war they were provided with Arad weapons, some of which they still have, and have been told they are adequate.

The superior M4

In contrast, it is clear that the M4 is superior, and some soldiers are frustrated that they were issued weapons that are now being distributed to local security teams.

In other words, these weapons may be better than what local security teams have, but they are clearly being given to them because they are lower performing than what much of the IDF has, and so will not be missed by the military.

There has also been some confusion among reservists about why the IDF has moved away in many respects from the Tavor rifle after many years of successful use.

It appears that, over time and in large numbers, the M4 was determined to be more affordable, more sustainable, and easier to repair or replace when parts are missing or need to be replaced regularly.

It seems that the Arad was used when not enough M4s or Tavors were available to a particular unit.

Once all that is available to a particular unit at a given time is the Arad or some other weapon, they will be told that this weapon is just as good or about as good as other weapons that are circulating.

Reserve units might appreciate greater forthrightness in such situations, even if what they would value most is better weapons.

The true answer to the question of whether reservists are properly armed post-war is that some are, some are not, some will be, but are not yet, and some may get caught up, only to later fall further behind if the economic situation worsens again.