Israel is ready to fully deploy its powerful and cheap air defense system, the Iron Beam Laser System, this month. Defense Ministry Research and Analysis Chief Danny Gould announced on Monday that Israel’s Iron Beam paradigm-shattering laser defense system will be deployed on December 30. Earlier in September, the Israeli Defense Ministry announced that Iron Beam had become operational, and that the entire series of batteries would be deployed across the country in the coming months to provide a cutting-edge new air defense capability.
Israel happy with Iron Beam deployment
In June, the Israeli Defense Ministry and Iron Beam maker Rafael Advanced Defense Systems announced that Light Beam, a smaller relative of Laser Dome (Iron Beam), had become operational. At the time, the ministry also reported that Israeli laser defense systems had shot down about 40 Hezbollah drones in October 2024. This gives an idea of how effective a much larger and more powerful iron beam would be. Israel has created this defense system specifically to protect against attacks by Hamas and Islamic Jihad, which operate in the Gaza Strip.
Iron Beam: A Powerful Defense System
The Iron Beam has more power than the Light Beam, has a longer range, and can be used to defend against a variety of threats. The Iron Beam, in particular, can take down not only drones but also missiles, rockets and mortars, making it a much more dangerous threat than just shooting down drones, which is a slow-moving threat. This announcement means that iron beam batteries will be manufactured and deployed on a large scale across the country. This will make it difficult for the enemy in the border area to find out where the iron beam is deployed and where not.
Iron Beam will protect Israel from aerial threats
The ministry and the IDF hope the Iron Beam will immediately begin reducing the cost of shooting down air threats, an issue that grew out of Israel’s control during the Gaza war. During this period, thousands of missiles and rockets have been fired from the air at Israel from six fronts. In this case, Iron Beam would not only deflect enemy air attacks, but also provide Israel with a low-cost air defense option.
How powerful is Iron Beam?
The iron beam is known as Or Eitan in Hebrew. The Iron Beam laser system has an effective range of 7 to 10 kilometers (4.3 to 6.2 mi) against common threats such as drones, mortars, and rockets. Range varies between versions, with a mobile 50-kilowatt system having a range of 5 to 7 kilometers. The system is designed with a short-range, high-power laser that can intercept projectiles that bypass other defense systems such as Iron Dome. Iron Beam has two telescopes. One will fire a powerful laser, while the other will monitor its performance. This system will integrate with Iron Dome, which will provide 360-degree security to Israel.