Israel has officially confirmed the introduction of Iron Beam, the first-ever operational high-energy laser air defense system in the world. Israeli manufacturer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, in cooperation with the Israeli Ministry of Defense, developed Iron Beam to take out rockets, mortars, drones, and low-flying aircraft, using a 100 kW laser*that burns and melts a target’s components. Iron Beam provides substantial advantages over missile-based systems like Iron Dome, including lower cost (from a few dollars a shot versus thousands for a missile), the ability to intercept attacks at the speed of light, and unlimited “magazine depth” as long as the system has power and cooling.
Tests have reportedly demonstrated successful destruction of the multiple threats. There is potential for the system to be fielded in late 2025. However, there are challenges that may complicate the operational utility of Iron Beam. Some challenges include performance in adverse atmospheric conditions (fog, rain, smoke), heavy weight (power requirements), and large drone saturation of an area. The emergence of Iron Beam is likely to impact on the global arms race for laser weapons across the globe, particularly when attention is paid to countries like the US, China, and Russia, as well as India (through its KALI project). Ultimately, Iron Beam complements (as opposed to replaces) Israel’s multi-layer approach to defense against aerial threats.
