Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has handed over to Israel the world’s first “combat-ready” 100 kW laser weapon.
The high-power laser air defense system, known as Iron Beam, was deployed by Israel in a bid to reduce the costs of countering rockets, mortars and drones.
The system, capable of neutralizing aerial threats, costs a fraction of traditional interceptors.
According to the Israeli Defense Ministry, the system will be absorbed by the country’s air force and integrated into a multi-layered air defense network including Iron Dome, the Arrow missile system and David’s Sling.
The laser weapon system specializes in targeting low-flying targets that can evade radar-guided interceptors.
Defense Minister Israel Katz hailed the delivery as historic, adding: “This changes the rules of the game in that expensive missiles would no longer be used to intercept inexpensive threats.” »
He added that instead of using missiles costing up to $100,000 per interceptor, the combat-ready laser weapon will be able to do the job with just pennies of electricity.
The ministry said the Iron Beam reached operational maturity after weeks of testing, during which it successfully shot down rockets, mortars, drones and many other aerial threats.
Israel’s air defense systems are already considered one of the most powerful in the world, with an interception rate of around 90 to 95 percent; however, it encountered difficulties against drones and low-flying targets. Iron Beam is expected to significantly strengthen Israel’s defense capabilities.
Development of the system was first announced in 2014 and it took almost a decade to reach deployment.
