From the Iron Dome to the Iron Beam, Israel is slated to roll out a new laser-based, air-defence system to tackle with projectiles. This comes at a time when Israel is fighting a multi-pronged war on the Gaza, Lebanon and Iranian fronts. Earlier this week, Israel’s Ministry of Defence signed a $500 million deal to expand the production of the laser system with lead developers Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Elbit Systems. The Director General of the Ministry of Defense, Maj. Gen. (Res.) Eyal Zamir, signed the deal at a ceremony at the Ministry's headquarters in Tel Aviv. In a post on X, the IMoD said that Iron Beam represents a “global technological breakthrough, with its impressive interception capabilities demonstrated through a series of successful trials”. So, what exactly in the Iron Beam? According to Israel, the newly conceived system is a “ground-based high-power laser air defense system” designed to counter an array of aerial threats, including rockets, mortars, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and cruise missiles. “It heralds the beginning of a new era in warfare,” Eyal Zamir, director general of the defense ministry, said in a statement this week, according to CNN. The Iron Beam is expected to integrate into Israel's multi-layered defence infrastructure and compliment the capability of the Iron Dome system. At present, the Israeli aerial defence system includes systems such as Arrow 2 and Arrow 3, David’s Sling (Stunner), Iron Dome, Patriot Advanced Capability-2, PAC-3 and advanced fighter jets operated by the country’s air force. The IMoD notes that the integration will significantly enhance Israel's defence capabilities against external threats and even lower operational costs. According to the CNN report, the system will function differently from conventional air defence systems. Sophisticated lasers stationed on the ground will heat up the target’s shell in vulnerable areas, which might include its engine or warhead, until the projectile is destroyed. What does the Iron Beam protect against? According to Rafael, the company that develops the Iron Beam, the system engages and neutralises aerial targets — from small and short-range ballistic threats such as small-caliber mortars, rockets, artillery, and UAVs. The Iron Beam can be made operational up to several kilometres and the system uses an unlimited magazine at almost zero cost per intercept. In terms of ground usability, the Lite Beam system in it can intercept C-mUAVs and ground targets such as IEDs and UXOs. It can be integrated with any detection or C-UAV system to neutralise targets up to 2,000 metres.
