Israel Plans To Use Lasers To Shoot Down Incoming Missiles

Israel anticipates its “Iron Beam” laser defence system will be fully operational within a year, marking what it describes as “a new era of warfare” amid ongoing confrontations involving drones and missiles with Iran and its allies.

This week, Israel invested over $500 million in contracts with Rafael Advanced Defence Systems, the developer behind the Iron Dome, and Elbit Systems to ramp up production of the new system.

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Known as the Iron Beam, this high-power laser defence system is designed to intercept and neutralize a range of airborne threats, including missiles, drones, rockets, and mortars, according to Israel’s defence ministry.

“It heralds the beginning of a new era in warfare,” Eyal Zamir, director general of the defence ministry, said in a statement this week. “The initial capability of the ground-based laser system… is expected to enter operational service within one year,” he said.

Israel initially introduced a prototype of the Iron Beam laser defence system in 2021 and has since accelerated efforts to bring it into operation.

The defence ministry’s latest comments come as Israel intensifies its military campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon, alongside recent missile exchanges with Iran. Since launching its offensive against Hamas following the October 7 attacks last year, Israel has also confronted the Iran-backed “Axis of Resistance,” extending across Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, and Iraq. Experts suggest that Iran and its allies have aimed to overwhelm Israel’s Iron Dome with a barrage of rockets, drones, mortars, and ballistic missiles.

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From southern Lebanon, where Israel has begun a ground operation, Hezbollah’s rockets have struck deep within Israeli territory. Recently, a drone strike claimed by Hezbollah damaged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence in Caesarea after one of three drones bypassed Israel’s air defence system.

Experts highlight that the Iron Beam could provide an additional defence layer for Israel, enhancing both operational effectiveness and cost-efficiency.

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