Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country has launched a new programme aimed at strengthening its defenses against unmanned aerial threats, while expanding domestic defense military production and advanced air capabilities.

In a video statement, Netanyahu said he had recently ordered the establishment of a dedicated initiative to counter drones, and that an initial progress report was already being prepared for him.

“A few weeks ago, I ordered the establishment of a special project to counter the drone threat,” he said. “Already today, I will be presented with a progress report on the matter.”

“It will take time — but we are on it,” he added.

Netanyahu said the effort is part of a broader strategy to reinforce Israel’s military independence and maintain its technological edge, particularly in air power. He said procurement plans include the acquisition of additional advanced fighter jets.

“We are acquiring two squadrons of advanced aircraft, F-35 and F-15IA,” he said, describing them as key assets in maintaining what he called Israel’s “overwhelming air superiority.”

He linked that advantage to recent military operations, saying Israel’s air dominance had been demonstrated in previous campaigns, which he referred to as Operation Rising Lion and Operation Roaring Lion.

“Our pilots can reach anywhere in the skies of Iran, and they are prepared to do so — if required,” he said.

Turning to domestic production, Netanyahu said Israel was working to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers by investing heavily in its own defense manufacturing base.

“Regarding independence,” he said, “I have instructed investment in domestic production capabilities for munitions.”

He added that the government plans to increase defense spending by 350 billion shekels over the next decade to support large-scale local production of weapons and ammunition.

Beyond current procurement plans, Netanyahu said Israel was also developing new types of advanced aircraft that would be built domestically and significantly alter the country’s military capabilities.

“We will also develop groundbreaking aircraft made in Israel,” he said, adding that they “will change the entire picture,” without specifying whether he was referring to unmanned systems or manned platforms.