In today’s evolving theaters of war, resilience has become more than a human trait; it is a strategic, technological necessity.
From Israel to Ukraine and beyond, defense innovation is reshaping not only the battlefield but also the very concept of survival. Through missile interception, AI-driven intelligence, and empowering civilians with real-time information on their smartphones, nations under fire are leveraging innovation to protect lives.
Israel, long a global leader in defense technology, remains at the forefront of this transformation.
Forged under the constant pressure of persistent threats, Israel has built a multi-layered air defense architecture that has proven vital in real-time conflict. The Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow 3 systems constitute a robust shield against short, medium, and long-range threats.
During the recent 12-day war with Iran, this integrated system intercepted the majority of more than 550 ballistic missiles launched at Israeli cities, averting mass casualties and safeguarding critical infrastructure. The Arrow 3 system, operating outside Earth’s atmosphere, proved vital in neutralizing these potentially deadly payloads.
Of the 1,100 drones launched by the Islamic Republic of Iran toward Israel, only one struck a residential home, causing damage. The rest were downed by the Iron Dome as well as aerial platforms of the Israel Air Force.
Yet Israel’s resilience extends well beyond air defense platforms. Its civilian tech ecosystem has become a global engine of rapid innovation. A wave of defense-focused entrepreneurship is underway, with startups developing autonomous systems, AI-integrated analytics, and advanced communication tools. This reflects a culture where innovation under pressure is not just a byproduct of conflict; it is a patriotic mission.
Avi Hasson, CEO of Startup Nation Central, views the convergence of defense and technology as both strategically vital and culturally transformative.
“Once again, we’ve seen how critical technological advantage is to our national security,” Hasson said. “Much of the tech deployed on the battlefield was blue-and-white. It made a direct contribution to our defense.”
According to Hasson, Israel’s tech sector itself is a pillar of national resilience.
“Data shows rising productivity, no sign of brain drain, and peak performance. The past six months have been our best since 2021–2022. Even under major disruptions, including grounded air travel, Israeli high-tech met deadlines and delivered, outperforming much of Europe and Asia and the US.”
“But none of this would matter without Iron Dome. The ability of the high-tech sector to do everything it does would be worthless if we didn’t have our missile defense systems. Our software-driven tech sector is less vulnerable to supply chain disruptions, and our wartime adaptations helped keep operations going,” Hasson said, adding that “this isn’t just a local trend. There’s momentum toward purpose-driven innovation. We call it ‘Impatient innovation’- bold, fast, bottom-up, and it is defining this era. It’s a cultural response, and it’s uniquely Israeli.”
Ongoing war has tested Israel's resilience
The Swords of Iron War, now in its 21st month, has tested Israel’s resilience. And according to Brig.-Gen. (ret.) Dr. Meir Elran, Senior Researcher Emeritus at INSS, resilience is more than systems and software; it’s a layered social reality.
“Resilience is the capacity of any system, whether a family, community, or nation, to withstand severe disruptions, maintain functional continuity, and then bounce back rapidly. In some cases, systems don’t just rebound; they bounce forward. The shorter the recovery time, the more resilient they are,” he said.
Speaking to The Jerusalem Post, Elran said that Israeli society has been navigating an extended period of major disruptions.
“Even before October 7, we faced compounded upheaval: COVID-19, judicial reform unrest, and multiple rounds of elections. These events weren’t just political, they altered the fabric of our societal conduct. Each disruption impacted the public differently. It's one thing to be disrupted by a pandemic, and quite another to face political strife or war.”
He added that traditional indicators of societal health, such as solidarity, public trust, and optimism, have shown persistent decline over the past five to six years.
“There were moments of unity during the wars in Gaza and with Iran, as Israelis rallied around the flag. Trust in the IDF surged to 80–90% among Jewish-Israeli citizens. The war with Hezbollah had a more localized effect, impacting mostly the northern population. But overall, these peaks were temporary. The resilience curve has been downward,” Elran said.
“We’ve seen this surge-and-drop pattern. From October to January 2023, there was elevated morale. But as security threats waned, divisive politics resurfaced, and so did societal fragmentation. Today, we are again seeing decline,” Elran said.
Despite this, he emphasized that resilience remains a defining trait of Israeli society.
“Retrospectively, we’ve bounced back from every disruption, including security, economic, and political. The Jewish people as a whole are considered remarkably resilient. Yet today’s challenges are testing us in new ways. There is a growing concern about our national cohesion. To what extent do we still believe in a shared future? Are we still one country?”
Meanwhile, Ukraine offers a parallel narrative of technological defiance. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine has transformed into an agile defense innovation hub.
With hundreds of new drone manufacturers and monthly production reaching thousands of first-person-view (FPV) drones, the country has weaponized affordability and scale. These drones, often developed by civilian engineers, are destroying multimillion-dollar equipment with minimal cost.
Ukraine’s embrace of AI, autonomous systems, and battlefield-ready software has turned it into a model of impatient innovation, where survival demands speed, adaptability, and continuous creativity.
Despite the ongoing war, Ukraine’s digital economy continues to grow, fueled by defense-sector entrepreneurship and international support. Like Israel, the country’s resilience is increasingly built on its ability to adapt, innovate, and deploy solutions at speed.
Both are embedding indigenous innovation into their national defense strategies, leveraging wartime experimentation to build long-term deterrence. Ukraine’s tech ecosystem, despite the war, continues to grow, attracting investment and reshaping its digital economy.
Elran sees a notable model in comparative resilience in Ukraine, stating that it’s “extraordinary that two-and-a-half years into full-scale war, they still demonstrate functioning continuity. Their ability to operate day-to-day under fire is resilience in action.”
Across these conflict zones, resilience tech is not just about defense; it’s about resilience. It’s the software that alerts civilians before a strike, the drone that spots a hidden threat in real-time, the encrypted network that keeps teams connected behind enemy lines. It’s the quiet hum of innovation in labs and bunkers, where engineers race against time to protect lives.
Ultimately, resilience in modern warfare is a mosaic of factors, technological, social, and institutional. In a world where warfare is increasingly asymmetric and unpredictable, resilience is no longer reactive, it’s proactive.
And as Israel and Ukraine both demonstrate, bouncing forward takes more than tools. It requires purpose, cohesion, and the will to turn disruption into transformation.