The Defense Ministry says it, alongside the IDF, has completed the distribution of thousands of Israeli-made Arad assault rifles to local emergency response teams across the country.
The rifles were supplied under a deal estimated at around NIS 100 million ($31 million) with the rifle’s manufacturer, Israel Weapon Industries, as part of the Defense Ministry’s and IDF’s “Mashiv HaRuach” program, which was launched two months after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught to bolster community defenses.
In addition to the weapons, the agreement includes full maintenance of them for the next decade, including upkeep of M5 sights manufactured by Meprolight.
According to the Defense Ministry, the move will standardize emergency response teams’ equipment around Israeli-made weapons and optics, in line with efforts to strengthen domestic defense production based on lessons learned from the war.
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