Israel has completed the nationwide distribution of thousands of Arad assault rifles to local rapid response teams, marking a major milestone in the country’s effort to standardize and strengthen community-level defense capabilities. The initiative is led by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Ground Forces Command and focuses on improving readiness in border-adjacent and high-risk areas.
The rollout follows a 100 million new shekel ($31.8 million) procurement contract signed with Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) through the Ministry of Defense’s Defense Procurement Directorate Land Acquisition Unit. The agreement includes a 10-year sustainment package, while Meprolight M5 optical sights were provided from existing IDF stockpiles, ensuring rapid fielding and logistical continuity.
Israeli officials said the program reflects lessons learned from the October 2023 Hamas attack, when civilian security squads were often the first to encounter infiltrators but lacked standardized weapons and firepower. The revised defense approach emphasizes forward defense, equipping local response units to delay, disrupt, or contain attacks until regular IDF forces arrive. Complementing this effort, Israel announced in December 2025 that M4 and M16 rifles would be issued for home storage to around 10,000 soldiers, primarily members of the 96th Division “Gilead”, a reserve unit formed to protect civilian communities.
The IWI Arad rifle, based on the AR platform, is designed for infantry, special operations, and law enforcement use. Weighing 2.85 kilograms without a magazine, the rifle features an 11.5-inch barrel, ambidextrous controls, a free-floating barrel, Picatinny rail, and M-LOK handguard. Chambered in 5.56×45 mm NATO and .300 BLK, the short-stroke gas-piston system supports rates of fire up to 1,100 rounds per minute with an effective range of 500 meters, while newer variants include the Arad 7 and Arad 7 DMR for enhanced long-range precision.
