''Defense Update'' is an online defense magazine published by Lance & Shield Ltd. from
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
.
History
''Defense Update'' was established in 1978 as a printed magazine, founded by IDF Retired LtCol. David Eshel. (דוד אשל) It was the first international defense publication published from Israel, and the first privately operated defense magazine published in Israel.
Initially it was known as ''Born in Battle'', commemorating Israel's 30th Anniversary. It was first published in six editions, themed after
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the Israel, State of Israel. It consists of three servic ...
(IDF) 30th anniversary,
Israel Air Force
The Israeli Air Force (IAF; he, זְרוֹעַ הָאֲוִיר וְהֶחָלָל, Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal, tl, "Air and Space Arm", commonly known as , ''Kheil HaAvir'', "Air Corps") operates as the aerial warfare branch of the Israel Defense ...
's 30th anniversary, the
Yom Kippur War
The Yom Kippur War, also known as the Ramadan War, the October War, the 1973 Arab–Israeli War, or the Fourth Arab–Israeli War, was an armed conflict fought from October 6 to 25, 1973 between Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egy ...
, Israel's Armor Corps, Israel's infantry and special forces and the
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War (, ; ar, النكسة, , or ) or June War, also known as the 1967 Arab–Israeli War or Third Arab–Israeli War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab world, Arab states (primarily United Arab Republic, Egypt, S ...
. Over 200,000 copies of these English titles were published, in several versions, as soft and hard cover books, and magazines. They were also translated into German, Spanish and French editions.
Following the launch of the book series, ''Born in Battle'' expanded its coverage to include general military topics,
military history
Military history is the study of armed conflict in the history of humanity, and its impact on the societies, cultures and economies thereof, as well as the resulting changes to local and international relationships.
Professional historians norma ...
,
strategy
Strategy (from Greek στρατηγία ''stratēgia'', "art of troop leader; office of general, command, generalship") is a general plan to achieve one or more long-term or overall goals under conditions of uncertainty. In the sense of the "art ...
and techniques. To reflect these changes, the magazine changed its name to ''Defense Update International''.
Over the next 12 years 99 issues of ''Defense Update'' were published, distributed worldwide, written, edited and managed by a small team of Israeli veterans. At the peak of its success, during the late eighties, ''Defense Update'' was published simultaneously in four languages (English, German, French and Hebrew).
''Defense Update'' ceased publication in the early 1990s. Its Hebrew predecessor 'Romach' (רומח) continued publication for several years.
''Defense Updates publisher Lance & Shield embarked on a new concept, supporting Israel's defense export activities with a dedicated magazine, highlighting Israel's defense technology programs. The magazine called ''Defense Review International'' was published periodically in support of major airshows and defense exhibitions. The editor was Tamir Eshel, (תמיר אשל) David's son and the assistant editor in charge of the production of Defense Update publications.
By the year 1994 ''Defense Review International'' was transformed from a print publication into a
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM (, compact disc read-only memory) is a type of read-only memory consisting of a pre-pressed optical compact disc that contains data. Computers can read—but not write or erase—CD-ROMs. Some CDs, called enhanced CDs, hold both comput ...
-based directory style publication, employing a groundbreaking
hyperlink
In computing, a hyperlink, or simply a link, is a digital reference to data that the user can follow or be guided by clicking or tapping. A hyperlink points to a whole document or to a specific element within a document. Hypertext is text wit ...
editing technology, developed by Israel's
hypertext
Hypertext is E-text, text displayed on a computer display or other electronic devices with references (hyperlinks) to other text that the reader can immediately access. Hypertext documents are interconnected by hyperlinks, which are typi ...
pionee
Enigma A year later, the new digital and interactive defense directory transformed into an online publication.
Lacking local industry understanding and acceptance of the new initiative, the publication could not muster enough support to sustain the publication. Moreover, the host service provider went bust, practically erasing the young website from the web around 1997.
Five years later, ''Defense Update'' returned - now focusing on advanced defense technology, with special focus on Israel's defense topics. By 2002 ''Defense Update'' published the first edition which was irregularly updated until January 2004, when the new online venture once more assumed the brand and tradition of the former magazine. In 2009 Noam Eshel (נועם אשל) joined the editorial team as photographer and news editor. In his role as assistant editor for technology Noam was responsible for several phases of upgrading the pionee
defense-updateinto a modern website.
As of March 2012 it serves 220,000 unique users per month, reaching over two million readers on an annual basis. Defense Update covers worldwide topics, highlighting
strategy
Strategy (from Greek στρατηγία ''stratēgia'', "art of troop leader; office of general, command, generalship") is a general plan to achieve one or more long-term or overall goals under conditions of uncertainty. In the sense of the "art ...
,
defense technology and
military affairs
''The Journal of Military History'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal covering the military history of all times and places. It is the official journal of the Society for Military History. The journal was established in 1937 and the ed ...
related to
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
, Israel's defense industries,
Global War on Terror and global military power.
Coverage
''Defense Update'' coverage spans land, air, naval,
C4ISR, intelligence, and
network-centric warfare
Network-centric warfare, also called network-centric operations or net-centric warfare, is a military doctrine or theory of war that aims to translate an information advantage, enabled partly by information technology, into a competitive advantag ...
,
infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marine i ...
warfighting tactics and techniques,
homeland defense
Homeland defense (HD) is the protection of a territory, sovereignty, domestic population, and critical infrastructure against external threats and aggression. (Definition will be incorporated into JP 3-26Definition deferred to ''Homeland Defense, J ...
etc. Defense Update covers
Armoured Fighting Vehicle
An armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is an armed combat vehicle protected by armour, generally combining operational mobility with offensive and defensive capabilities. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked. Examples of AFVs are tanks, armoured car ...
s (AFV),
Future Combat Systems
Future Combat Systems (FCS) was the United States Army's principal modernization program from 2003 to early 2009. Formally launched in 2003, FCS was envisioned to create new brigades equipped with new manned and unmanned vehicles linked by an unpr ...
,
Aerospace
Aerospace is a term used to collectively refer to the atmosphere and outer space. Aerospace activity is very diverse, with a multitude of commercial, industrial and military applications. Aerospace engineering consists of aeronautics and astrona ...
- and unmanned systems, as well as
robotics
Robotics is an interdisciplinary branch of computer science and engineering. Robotics involves design, construction, operation, and use of robots. The goal of robotics is to design machines that can help and assist humans. Robotics integrat ...
and Precision Strike weapons. Analysis of trends in Command, Control, Communications and Computing, Intelligence,
Surveillance
Surveillance is the monitoring of behavior, many activities, or information for the purpose of information gathering, influencing, managing or directing. This can include observation from a distance by means of electronic equipment, such as c ...
and
Reconnaissance
In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities.
Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...
(C4ISR) is included.
The site focuses on trends such as hybrid and
asymmetric warfare
Asymmetric warfare (or asymmetric engagement) is the term given to describe a type of war between belligerents whose relative military power, strategy or tactics differ significantly. This is typically a war between a standing, professional ar ...
, and
network-centric operations
Network-centric warfare, also called network-centric operations or net-centric warfare, is a military doctrine or theory of war that aims to translate an information advantage, enabled partly by information technology, into a competitive advanta ...
,
force protection
Force protection (FP) refers to the concept of protecting military personnel, family members, civilians, facilities, equipment and operations from threats or hazards in order to preserve operational effectiveness and contribute to mission succes ...
and
homeland security
Homeland security is an American national security term for "the national effort to ensure a homeland that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards where American interests, aspirations, and ways of life can thrive" to ...
. Defense Update and its authors are referenced by defense establishments and publications, including the British Ministry of Defens
U.S. Arm
The site maintains a defense forum on Linkedin, and an interest group on Facebook, distributes instant updates on Twitter, and supports media channels on Flickr and YouTube, featuring photos and videos. The site is designed to enable effective use of mobile phones.
References
{{Reflist
Defense-Update content index on Aeroflight World's Best Armor Websites/ Israel's Armored Corps Association Website - Yad Lashiryon
External links
Defense Update websiteDavid Eshel Merkava article, Armor Magazine
Magazines published in Israel
Magazines established in 1978
Military magazines
Online magazines with defunct print editions