Israel says it’s developed ‘Iron Beam’ laser weapon to stop missiles, drones

Israel’s defence ministry said on Wednesday that it had completed the development of a powerful laser weapon that will become operational by the end of the year to bolster the country’s multilevel air defences.

The 100-kilowatt Iron Beam laser, developed by Rafael Advanced Defence Systems and Elbit Systems, successfully intercepted drones, rockets, mortars and aircraft in a series of tests in southern Israel, according to a ministry statement.

It will be integrated into the Iron Dome missile defence shield in the coming months, offering another layer of protection.

The ministry did not disclose the interception rate of the system, which has numerous technical limitations and cannot work in cloudy weather.

The technology has been touted as a cheaper way to repel drones and other projectiles, with each interception costing less than US$5. Current missile-based systems run tens of thousands of dollars per hit.

Nations around the world have been pursuing directed-energy weapons to replace expensive munitions, but the technology has proven difficult to scale.