During a large-scale exercise to prepare for the next war with Hezbollah, an underground field hospital, guided trucks, intelligent parachutes, hovercrafts for collecting the wounded and robots for transporting equipment were tested. Such things will shape the battlefield of the future.

In the Second Lebanon War (2006), the IDF deployed much simpler parachutes. As a result, much of the airlifted supplies ended up landing in Hezbollah hands. Although the new GPS-guided parachutes are not yet ready for operational use, the tests are promising.

Various hovercraft demonstrations showed that these maneuverable vehicles can safely and efficiently carry equipment, ammunition, water, fuel and even wounded soldiers. The IDF Medical Corps was convinced, with one military doctor noting that “the day on which these remotely-controlled vehicles are deployed to the battlefield is not far off.”

The exercise also included a convoy of unmanned transport vehicles. A senior officer said the trucks would greatly reduce threat to the soldiers since “most have no experience driving under fire.” Such vehicles will much more efficiently supply infantry forces in the field, especially those operating in...