In the global race to dominate the future of unmanned defense technology, a new player is emerging from an unexpected place: the Givati Brigade Association. As Washington monitors the pace of drone innovation and Beijing pushes to close the gap in unmanned systems, Israel is quietly building something that could shift the balance, the Givati Drone Center.
“Every major power is watching how this technology develops, because whoever masters it first sets the standard for everyone else,” said Itzhak Levit, Chairman of the Givati Brigade Association. “Israel has always found a way to lead in moments like this, and this Center is proof that leadership is still being built, right now, on the ground.”
Levit sees the current global environment, one defined by intense competition among the United States, China, and other major powers over drone and unmanned systems capability, as exactly the moment for an institution like Givati to step forward. “We are not trying to compete with the size of these countries’ defense budgets,” Levit said. “We are competing on speed, on real battlefield knowledge, and on the ability to turn lessons from the field into technology faster than anyone else.”
A Development Model the World Is Taking Notice Of
That speed comes from the work of Jessica Zandani, a Major Director of the Academy, who has built a training and innovation model designed around rapid iteration rather than slow-moving research cycles. Combining live battlefield data, hands-on maintenance training, and on-demand hardware development through 3D printing, Zandani’s approach produces new solutions in a fraction of the time typically required in traditional defense development.
“While other countries are running long-term research programs, we are solving real problems in real time,” Zandani said. “That difference matters more now than ever. The countries watching us most closely understand that whoever can move fastest from problem to solution is the one who ends up ahead.”
Zandani said she is aware the Center’s work is being observed well beyond Israel’s borders. “We know eyes are on what we’re building here, from allies and from competitors alike. That tells us we are doing something right. It also tells us we cannot slow down.”
Positioned Between Alliance and Competition
The Center’s rise comes at a moment when American defense circles are increasingly interested in partnerships with Israeli innovators, even as China accelerates its own investment in drone and unmanned systems technology. Levit believes the Center’s structure, built on decades of institutional trust and now paired with Zandani’s fast-moving innovation engine, positions Givati to be a serious part of that conversation.
“The United States has always valued what Israel brings to defense innovation,” Levit said. “And when a country like China is investing heavily to catch up, that only reinforces how important it is for Israel to keep pushing forward, and to keep proving that this kind of leadership isn’t just historical, it’s happening right now.”
Zandani added that the mission is bigger than any single relationship. “This isn’t about choosing sides in a race. It’s about making sure Israel stays exactly where it has always been, at the front of it.”
A Legacy Built for This Moment
The Givati Drone Center operates under the Givati Brigade Association, founded in 1985 by Givati veterans of Israel’s 1948 War of Independence under Major General Itzhak Pundak z"l. What began as a mission to honor fallen soldiers and preserve Givati’s legacy has, under Levit’s leadership and Zandani’s innovation, placed the Association at the center of a global conversation about who will define the next era of defense technology.