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Israel delivers the first operational laser air-defense system in history

According to defense officials, the system has already proven itself in an extensive series of trials, successfully intercepting multiple types of aerial threats under realistic operational conditions.

By Kostis Konstantinou, TPS

Israel has formally presented and delivered the first Iron Beam high-energy laser interception system to the IDF today, bringing laser air defense from experimentation into operational reality, the Ministry of Defence has announced.

The handover ceremony took place at the headquarters of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems in northern Israel.

The Iron Beam was produced following years of development led by the Israeli Ministry of Defence’s R&D directorate in partnership with Elbit Systems and other defense industries, including SCD and Shafir Systems.

Designed to intercept rockets, mortars, and unmanned aerial vehicles at short ranges, Iron Beam will be integrated into the Israeli Air Force as an additional layer of defense alongside Israel’s existing systems: Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow.

According to defense officials, the system has already proven itself in an extensive series of trials, successfully intercepting multiple types of aerial threats under realistic operational conditions.

What sets Iron Beam apart, however, is its combination of a powerful laser source with advanced electro-optical tracking and adaptive optics.

This, according to the MoD, enables high-precision engagements at negligible marginal cost, about the price of electricity instead of thousands of dollars per launch, dramatically improving the cost-effectiveness balance against mass rocket and drone attacks.

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Defense Minister Israel Katz described today’s delivery as a ‘historic milestone,’ stating that, for the first time anywhere, a high-power laser system has reached full operational maturity.

He also said that Iron Beam ‘fundamentally alters the threat calculus’ and sends a clear strategic message to Israel’s adversaries that any attempt to overwhelm its defenses will come at a high cost.