From Field to Market: The Operational Edge Driving the Defense Tech Industry
Former defense officials explain how translating field needs, managing under uncertainty, and understanding real-world conditions turn advanced technology into winning commercial products.
Ami Rojkes Dombe
| 08/10/2026
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From left to right: Golan Malka, TSG, Photo: TSG / Yoely Or, Cando Drones, Photo: Boaz Zarfati / Itzik Schwartz, Techmer, Photo: Eyal Toueg
In recent years, an increasing number of former defense establishment officials have entered the defense tech industry as founders, executives, board members, and consultants.
For companies, their value goes far beyond familiarity with the establishment or networks built over years of service. Operational experience allows them to identify real gaps in the field, anticipate how a product will cope with complex conditions, and assess whether it truly answers the end user’s operational challenges.
At the same time, managerial experience and deep familiarity with defense organizations in Israel and abroad assist companies in the post-development stages—from product definition and tailoring to customer needs, to penetrating new markets. The core question is how knowledge accumulated in uniform translates into a tangible competitive advantage.
“I began my path in the defense establishment as a naval officer in the Israeli Navy, serving in an operational role aboard vessels where I was responsible for operating combat systems and leading the teams operating and maintaining them,” says Itzik Schwartz, CEO of Techmer from the Mer Group. “Later, I completed engineering studies and returned to the Navy in development and project management roles. That transition moved me from the operational user side to the side developing systems for them, allowing me to bridge the gap between field requirements and technological solutions, and to understand how engineering decisions translate into operational capability.”
“One of my primary insights is that the most advanced solution ‘on paper’ is not necessarily the right solution in the field. A good system is one that provides a precise answer to the need and integrates well with the user and their operational environment,” Schwartz adds. “When I meet with a customer or take part in design reviews, I examine not only technical specifications, but also constraints and extreme scenarios that could become bottlenecks. This background also carries great weight when working with foreign militaries, as operational experience creates a shared professional language and shortens the path to understanding customer requirements.”
Yoely Or, CEO and co-founder of Cando Drones, a reserve brigadier general and veteran of the Golani Brigade, emphasizes the command perspective: “Over nearly 30 years of service, I held a series of operational and command positions. The main value I bring to the business world is the ability to lead a complex organization in a dynamic environment and make decisions under conditions of uncertainty.”
“In the fields of drones, robotics, and autonomous systems, where technology advances rapidly, the ability to recognize in real time that reality has shifted and respond accordingly is critical,” Or says. “Therefore, the advantage of defense veterans lies not just in reputation, but in a mindset forged by the necessity of acting even when the intelligence or operational picture is incomplete. This approach also dictates how products are developed at Cando. The customer does not seek technology for technology’s sake—they need a mission successfully accomplished. We therefore focus on the complete picture, connecting aerial platforms, sensors, communications, command and control, software, artificial intelligence, and ground systems according to operational requirements.”
Golan Malka, VP of Business Development and Sales at TSG, has been active in the defense ecosystem for roughly 26 years—from command roles in the Artillery Corps, through VP positions at Elbit, Elisra, and NICE, to serving as head of a dual-use administration at DDR&D (IMOD). “My time at DDR&D, which serves as the technological innovation engine of the defense establishment, allowed me to gain an intimate view of future developments designed to address emerging threats,” he notes.
“In my view, the distinct advantage of defense veterans in defense tech is the ability to always start from the perspective of operational need,” Malka explains. “Anyone who commanded in the field is aware of the real gaps, and can therefore define what is right to develop and how to deploy it effectively. At TSG, this connection is not limited to the executive tier. Most company employees are IDF veterans with operational and technological backgrounds, embedding this knowledge across the entire value chain—from requirement definition to system delivery. Our solutions are not born in an isolated lab; they are tested and refined under realistic field conditions.”
“In the international arena as well, dialogue with customers begins with the operational challenge and addressing an existing gap, and only then delves into technical details,” Malka adds. “Operational experience establishes a common language and demonstrates how lessons learned in Israel are relevant to them. That is the correct order: first an operational need, followed by a technological solution, and only then a project and a commercial agreement.”
Tags
Defense Tech
TSG
Cando Drones
Mer Group
IDF Veterans
