Danny Gold, head of the Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D) under Israel's Ministry of Defense, announced on 1/12 that the country has completed the development and capability confirmation tests for the Iron Beam laser air defense system.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) expects to receive the first batch on 30/12. Gold stated, "The Iron Beam system will fundamentally change the rules of engagement. We are developing the next generation of this system."

Israel began developing Iron Beam, also known as Or Eitan, in 2014 and announced the system's operational deployment in early September after testing. Each Iron Beam system costs approximately 10 million USD and has a maximum range of up to 10 kilometers.

The IDF's newly re-established 946th air defense battalion last year used a low-power variant of Iron Beam to shoot down approximately 35 unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) launched from Lebanon during the conflict with Hezbollah.

The combat cluster of the Iron Beam laser air defense system. *Photo: Rafael*.

Defense contractor Rafael, the company that developed Iron Beam, stated that the system will not replace Iron Dome and other Israeli air defense systems. Instead, Iron Beam will complement Israel's air defense network by countering drones, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and other small-sized targets.

Israeli officials declared that Iron Beam "will never run out of ammunition as long as its energy supply is secured". They called this system a breakthrough in countering small-sized targets.

However, laser weapons generally perform poorly in limited visibility, including dense fog or severe weather conditions.

Brigadier General Benny Aminov, head of DDR&D's research and development department, stated that Israel is researching and developing interceptor drones to counter swarms of UAV attacks, as well as accelerating the development of new laser weapons.

"The adversary continues to evolve in this race, pushing us to develop robust solutions, and laser weapons have demonstrated their unique power. This type of weapon allows us to address many threats we don't yet know we will face", General Aminov said.

Nguyen Tien (According to AP, Times of Israel, AFP)