Katz unveils Israel Defense Prize winners tied to Iran war operations

Defense Minister Israel Katz announces the recipients of the 2026 Israel Defense Prize, highlighting projects tied to the ongoing war effort, including a unique weapons system used in the campaign against Iran, the Ofek satellite array, advanced electronic warfare systems used to preserve Israeli Air Force aerial superiority and other classified technological developments.

A ceremony to present the awards will be held with the attendance of Katz, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir and President Isaac Herzog at the President’s Residence.

According to the Defense Ministry, one of the winning projects is an unspecified Israeli-developed weapons system that played a “central role” in operations against Iran and achieved “exceptional results” with significant strategic impact. The prize is awarded to the IAF, the Defense Ministry and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

Other awarded projects include a classified Mossad operational system, the operational deployment of the Ofek-13 and Ofek-19 intelligence satellites, a technological development by Unit 81 and Unit 8200 in the IDF’s Intelligence Directorate, and electronic warfare systems credited with helping prevent the interception of manned Israeli aircraft during the war.

“The past year proved to the entire world the immense power of the State of Israel, the defense establishment and Israel’s defense industries,” Katz says in a statement.

“The capabilities, systems and groundbreaking developments that were demonstrated in the campaign against our enemies – and struck and eliminated our enemies in Iran, Lebanon, Gaza and other arenas – gave the State of Israel unprecedented operational, intelligence and technological superiority,” Katz says.