The IDF recently canceled its annual general staff training exercise, Keystone, due to the coronavirus pandemic. The exercise puts the army's various commands through a variety of multifaceted scenarios, with an emphasis on the northern sector.
IDF officials told Israel Hayom that one of the main reasons for canceling the exercise, which was supposed to take place in September, is the fact that the army had planned to call up a large contingent of reservists, but in light of the pandemic will not because it wants to avoid a situation of mass infection within its ranks.
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Another reason for the cancellation is the severe budgetary deficit stemming from the fact that the 2020 defense budget hasn't been approved yet. Keystone is the flagship exercise of the IDF general staff, whose declared goal is to improve the military high-command's battle readiness.
The training exercise, which is devised by a special directorate, is also designed to test the chief of staff, among others.
The severe budgetary crisis in the IDF also threatens the multi-year plan laid out by Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, "Tnufa" (Momentum), which IDF officials say is already being implemented despite the lack of funds, although they admit that many components of the plan will have to be put on hold until the budget is approved.
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit told Israel Hayom in a statement: "As part of the situational assessment that was donedue to the coronavirus, the IDF decided to tailor its training blueprint to the [public safety] directives, without detracting from the battle-readiness of the units in the field. As part of the new training blueprint, there will be two large general staff exercises by the end of the year, one of which will comprise components of Keystone."
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