Israel has a multi-layer anti-aircraft and anti-missile umbrella, consisting of the Arrow and “David’s Sling” systems specifically designed to intercept ballistic missiles and the “Iron Dome” system, which intercepts rockets and missiles at shorter range. And now the “Iron Beam” system (“laser beam” in French) should be “operational within a year”, according to the director general of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, Eyal Zamir.
The development of this powerful project, also known as the “Shield of Light”, was launched a few years ago, but it has just returned to the forefront boosted by a “huge contract” of around 530 million dollars. The Israeli Ministry of Defense actually announced this Monday the allocation of this substantial envelope to several Israeli companies to accelerate its revolutionary defense system. “The Defense Ministry signed a huge contract, worth about two billion shekels, for a significant expansion of equipment for laser interception systems, with its main developer, the Rafael company, and with the company Elbit Systems”, indicated the ministry in a press release.
Aim at any flying object
So, what is it? Well, a system that would add to the other air defense means already used by Israel and which should allow the army to intercept drones more effectively. According to the ministry, “Iron Beam” was designed to complement, rather than replace, the “Iron Dome.” In particular, it could be installed on board a small civilian aircraft to target any flying object, such as “drones, shells, rockets, ballistic missiles”. The latter, widely used by the Lebanese Islamist movement Hezbollah against Israel since October 7, 2023, have repeatedly escaped Israeli air defense, causing civilian and military victims.
On April 13, Israel faced an unprecedented attack of more than 300 drones and missiles from Iran. Simultaneous attacks, aimed at overwhelming Israeli defense systems. “Iron Beam” would thus be designed to intercept these aerial threats, up to a distance of approximately 7 kilometers. Unlike other means of defense that Israel already has, the new laser would offer “almost unlimited firing capacity”.
According to Reuters, Naftali Bennett, former Prime Minister of Israel, was quoted as saying during a visit to the manufacturer last June: “This system is a game changer, not only because we are hitting the enemy army, but also because we are let’s put it out of business. » Indeed, an interception by “Iron Beam” would only cost two dollars, compared to 50,000 dollars for the “Iron Dome” for example, according to Israel.
“Support for Israel’s ongoing military effort”
At the end of September, Israel announced that it had obtained a new package of American military aid worth $8.7 billion “in support of Israel’s ongoing military effort”, in open war with Lebanese Hezbollah and Palestinian Hamas in Gaza. The Ministry of Defense specified that of this total, $5.2 billion had been allocated to improving existing anti-aircraft defense systems as well as an “advanced defense system using a very powerful laser beam in the final stages of its development. “Iron Beam” was therefore relaunched.
For its part, the defense company Elbit clarified on Monday that the ministry had awarded it a contract worth around $200 million as part of the development of the famous system. A project closely followed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, an Israeli authority, an emanation of the Ministry of Defense, in charge of the development of weapons and military technology.
