Israel’s Defense Ministry, Air Force, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, and Elbit Systems have completed final tests of the Iron Beam, a high-power laser air defense system capable of intercepting rockets, UAVs, and mortars. The trials mark the system’s readiness for deployment by year-end, making Israel the first country to field an operational laser interceptor. Integrated into the nation’s multi-layered air defense, Iron Beam offers rapid, precise, and low-cost protection—hailed by officials as a historic breakthrough in global military technology. They write:
The R&D Unit within the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD) Directorate of Defense Research & Development (DDR&D), the Israeli Air Force (IAF), and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems have successfully completed a series of tests lasting several weeks, demonstrating the capabilities of the Iron Beam high-power laser system, with Elbit Systems serving as a project partner manufacturing the laser source.
The test series, conducted at a facility in southern Israel, concludes the development phase and represents the final milestone before delivering the system to the IDF for operational deployment. The system proved its effectiveness in a complete operational configuration by intercepting rockets, mortars, aircraft, and UAVs across a comprehensive range of operational scenarios. The successful trials mark a critical milestone towards operational deployment, with the first systems set to be integrated into the IDF air defense arrays by year-end.
Iron Beam is a ground-based high-power laser air defense system designed to counter aerial threats, including rockets, mortars, and UAVs. It features an advanced targeting system that enables enhanced operational range, high precision, and superior efficiency while maintaining its unique advantage of rapidly neutralizing threats using laser technology at negligible cost. The R&D Unit within the Ministry’s DDR&D has spearheaded the system’s development, working alongside primary developer Rafael.
The Iron Beam system represents a global technological and engineering breakthrough, expected to integrate into Israel’s multi-layered defense array as a complementary capability to the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow air defense systems. The system utilizes Rafael’s unique “adaptive optics” technology, enabling a stable, focused, and precise beam.
As announced last May, operational prototypes of Rafael’s short-range tactical laser systems have been deployed throughout the current war and have successfully intercepted and defeated dozens of threats. Now that the Iron Beam’s performance has been proven, we anticipate a significant leap in air defense capabilities through the deployment of these long-range laser weapon systems.
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