Israel has completed the nationwide issue of Arad assault rifles to its rapid response teams, reinforcing a push to modernize and standardize local defense forces across the country.
The initiative is part of a wider Ground Forces Command effort to strengthen homeland security, with particular focus on border-adjacent communities.
The rifle distribution stems from a 100-million-new-shekel ($31.8 million) contract awarded to Israel Weapon Industries (IWI) by the Defense Procurement Directorate’s Land Acquisition Unit. The deal includes long-term sustainment support and Meprolight M5 optics sourced from existing Israel Defense Forces stockpiles.
Officials said the program reflects operational lessons from the October 2023 Hamas attack, when civilian security squads were often the first to engage attackers but were inadequately equipped.
Under the revised concept, local response units are intended to provide immediate, forward defense, buying time and disrupting assaults until regular forces can intervene.
Supporting this approach, the government announced in December 2025 that roughly 10,000 soldiers would be authorized to keep M4 and M16 rifles at home, including reservists from the 96th Division “Gilead,” created in 2024 to defend local communities during large-scale infiltration scenarios.
The Arad is a modern AR-pattern rifle designed for military, special operations, and law enforcement use. The weapon weighs 2.85 kilograms without a magazine and features an 11.5-inch barrel, ambidextrous controls, a free-floating barrel, Picatinny rail, and M-LOK handguard.
Its standard configuration supports both 5.56×45-millimeter NATO and .300 BLK ammunition and employs a short-stroke gas-piston operating system with an adjustable regulator. The rifle has a cyclic rate of up to 1,100 rounds per minute and an effective range of 500 meters.
Expanded variants include the Arad 7, chambered in 7.62×51-millimeter NATO or 6.5-millimeter Creedmoor, and the Arad 7 DMR, a semi-automatic designated marksman version tailored for enhanced accuracy and extended service life.
