Israel's military conducted an unannounced readiness assessment on Sunday, testing how its command structure would handle a complex, multi-front security crisis. The exercise, known as the Chief of Staff's Drill, examined the General Staff and regional command headquarters without advance warning. Military planners designed scenarios involving simultaneous threats erupting across different theaters, requiring coordinated responses at the highest levels of command. The drill included simulated ground incursions from land, air and sea, alongside rocket and missile fire, shooting attacks, mass casualty incidents, abductions and hostage-taking situations—all testing Israel's defensive doctrine and emergency protocols across various sectors.
Military Preparedness
IDF Tests Multi-Front Readiness in Drill
Exercise "Dawn's Cost 2.0" tested military headquarters' ability to respond simultaneously to ground raids, missile attacks, hostage situations and mass casualty events across multiple theaters
The exercise involved activating reserve units and regular forces, with battalions and special operations units physically deploying to different regions and operational zones to provide rapid response. Commanders practiced multi-domain coordination integrating air, ground and naval forces, while testing decision-making processes and operational responses across all command levels—from regional commands and service branches through the General Staff up to the Chief of Staff himself.
An IDF spokesperson stated that the military "will conduct in-depth learning from the exercise's lessons, marking weaknesses and points of note with the goal of continuing to improve defense and IDF readiness for a variety of scenarios." The drill was part of the Operations Directorate's training schedule for 2026, the spokesperson added.
IDF drill| צילום: Video: IDF Spokesperson
