Iron Beam: Israel’s New High-Power Laser System to Combat Missile Threats Amid Conflict

Iron Beam: Israel declared a “new era in warfare” this week after signing a multi-billion shekel deal for a laser based missile defence system. The system — Iron Beam — will be operational in a year or so. Experts say it will be much cheaper than the interceptor missiles Israel uses to take out enemy rockets and drones.

The Israeli defence ministry has signed a deal with local contractors — state owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Elbit Systems — for a high power laser.

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Israel announced in September it got a new $8.7 billion US military aid package when it’s at war with Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The Iron Beam will be a high power laser to counter aerial threats, rockets, mortar bombs, drones and cruise missiles. It will be used to supplement other aerial defence systems (like the more famous Iron Dome) in a multi front war with the neighbours.

Israel’s air defence has a multi layered shield that intercepted around 200 missiles fired by Iran on October 1. Iron Dome is short range protection against missiles and rockets, like those fired from Gaza and Lebanon.

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The system is meant to improve the interception of drones and other projectiles that Hezbollah in Lebanon has fired at Israel since the start of the war in Gaza in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas. Existing defence systems in Israel haven’t been able to intercept every projectile fired by the Lebanese armed group — resulting in civilian and military casualties.

The Iron Beam uses a high power laser to target and disable projectiles from hundreds of meters to several kilometers away. This is different from Israel’s current missile defence approach that uses radar and interceptor missiles. Military analysts say it will improve Israel’s defence and be cheaper.

Yehoshua Kalisky from the Institute for National Security Studies said each interception with the Iron Dome requires two missiles, £50,000 each. Rafael Advanced Defense Systems say laser interceptions have “almost zero cost per interception”.

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