IDF appoints first commander of new Space Division as Israel eyes galactic warfare

The Israel Defense Forces on Monday announced the appointment of the first commander of a new Space Division, which will lead the military’s space warfare efforts.

The military said the Space Division, based out of the Planning Directorate, will “lead force buildup and operations, consolidate knowledge and training, and advance the field of space as a dedicated military profession.”

The division was established after the military said it identified that “the space domain has become an active combat domain and will become an increasingly expanding military arena in the coming years, with national significance.”

Brig. Gen. “Shin” — identified by only his first initial in Hebrew — was selected as head of the Space Division on Monday night, as part of a new round of senior appointments in the military made by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir.

Alongside the establishment of the Space Division, a series of space-related military projects was approved over the past year, involving both the operation of sensors from space toward Earth and space warfare, according to the IDF.

Until now, the Israeli Air Force, whose full official name is the Air and Space Branch, had been responsible for space-related operations, including satellite launches and ballistic missile defense.

The military’s spy satellites, after their launch, are controlled by Unit 9900 of the Military Intelligence Directorate, a visual intelligence detachment.

It was not immediately clear which responsibilities would be transferred to the new Space Division.

Defense Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday morning said he welcomed the military’s decision to open the new Space Division, saying that it was part of his policy to turn “Israel into a security space power: Star Wars, made in Israel.”

“The goal set for the IDF and the defense establishment is to make Israel one of the world’s leading countries in the field of space security,” Katz said.

He said that the “ability to monitor, defend and attack from space any target across vast areas will cement Israel’s status as a regional and global power, deter near and distant enemies, and ensure our security for generations to come.”

“Developing military capabilities in space will also inspire and provide a major boost to Israel’s industry and economy in the fields of development, entrepreneurship and manufacturing in leading global sectors, and will make Israel a technological and space nation in the civilian sphere as well,” Katz added.

The militarization of space is as old as the space race itself — as soon as Sputnik was launched into orbit in 1957, Washington and Moscow began exploring ways to both arm and destroy satellites.

The biggest worry was once about nuclear weapons in space, but the superpowers and other countries signed the Outer Space Treaty in 1967, banning weapons of mass destruction in orbit.

Since then, Russia, the United States, China, and India have explored ways to fight in space outside of that treaty, including by targeting rivals’ satellites, which are key for military communications, surveillance, and navigation.

Iran has also been developing capabilities to attack satellites, according to the Israeli military. In March, during the recent war, the IDF said it struck and destroyed an Iranian space facility in Tehran used to develop various military space programs, including Iran’s Chamran-1 satellite, as well as “capabilities to strike satellites, posing a threat to the State of Israel’s satellites and to space assets of other countries around the world.”

New Robotics Division, revived armored brigade

Zamir on Monday night also announced the appointment of a commander for a new Robotics Division.

Brig. Gen. “Yud” was selected to head the Robotics Division, which will be based out of the Depth Corps, a mostly dormant, shadowy multidisciplinary unit responsible for military operations beyond Israel’s borders. The corps was recently reorganized to be tasked with military operations within the so-called “second circle,” meaning Iran’s proxies in Yemen and Iraq.

Zamir last month said he had finalized plans for the establishment of a new branch of the military that will be tasked with unmanned systems and AI. From Monday’s announcement, it appeared that, as an initial step, the branch would be established as a division under an existing top-tier unit, rather than as an independent branch.

Additionally, as part of the new round of appointments, the military said Lt. Col. “Resh” will be promoted to colonel and command the 500th Armored Brigade, a tank unit that was closed in 2003 and is now being reopened. Last year, the military said that starting in 2026, it would establish the new brigade’s tank battalions.

The complete list of appointments announced Monday included one new brigadier general and 36 new colonels, along with two brigadier generals and 24 colonels moving to new roles at the same rank.

Five more senior officers were being sent to academic studies between roles.

The list of appointments was still pending the approval of Katz, although there was no indication he was opposed.

Agencies contributed to this report.