The defense establishment has recently declared, for the first time in years, that the State of Israel isunder an "existential threat."
The Israeli Defense Forces' annual work plan for 2009 officially defines Iran as"a threat to Israel's existence," with all that implies from it - training, equipment and preparation-wise.
In the outline of the plan, presented to Defense Minister Ehud Barak ,IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi definesthe Iranian peril as "the No.1 threat the IDF is now preparing for."
Faced with a credible threat, the IDF stands to focus on investing funds in its strategic aerial capabilities, especially developing remote-piloted vehicle and unmanned aerial vehicle, as well as infrastructural investments in intelligence and communications systems.
The IDF also stands to increase ground forces' training, both in the regular army and for reserve forces.
The onset of 2009 marks the second year in the military's perennial Tefen Program, launched as part of the Brodet Report, which reviewed the defense establishment's budget.
The report indicated a NIS 1.5 billion (approximately $369.4 million) budget deficiency, as well as concerns as to the home front's readiness. The funds to remedy the situation are supposed to be allotted via the various government bureaus, but the financial crisis enveloping Israel has clouded the entire program's future.
Meanwhile, the Iranian news agency Fars reported Sunday that Iranian Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar announced Tehran would be upgrading its military ties with Russia in the near future.
According to the report, Najjar is scheduled to arrive in Moscow on Monday, where he will meet his Russian counterpart, Anatoliy Eduardovich Serdyukov. The two will reportedly discuss future defense contracts.