Rockets from the Gaza Strip keep falling on Israel. During the most recent large-scale attack, the Iron Dome missile defense proved to be overwhelmed by the sheer mass of projectiles. The new laser weapon Iron Beam should turn the tide – and drive the opponent to ruin.
The last major attack from Gaza in May 2021 came as a shock to Israel. Militant Palestinians attacked Israeli cities with massive volleys of several hundred rockets. These mass tactics put the country’s state-of-the-art missile defense system, the so-called Iron Dome, to a severe test. Despite a reported 90 percent success rate, the system failed to intercept all missiles. Dozens of rockets got through, and there were dead and wounded on the Israeli side.
Because the Iron Dome has a weakness: at some point it reaches a point of saturation, i.e. the maximum number of missiles that can be fought at the same time. If this is exceeded, individual rockets can overcome the defense. In addition, the Tamir anti-missiles used are not only expensive, but also limited in number. Militant Palestinians, on the other hand, rely on mostly self-made rockets, which are extremely imprecise but cheap to produce and have so far had the cost advantage on their side.
A new weapon should now close the gap in the Israeli defense: the Iron Beam. The name is recognizable based on the Iron Dome missile defense system, but unlike this it is a high-energy laser weapon system that is powered by electricity – so it can never run out of ammunition. According to the manufacturer, Iron Beam should be able to intercept missiles and drones from a distance of a few hundred meters to several kilometers. A rocket is heated with a targeted laser beam until it finally explodes. Other advantages: light-speed shots and negligible cost per intercept.
It is currently expensive to stop an enemy missile, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett emphasized during a visit to the manufacturer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems this week. “Now you can put hundreds of thousands of dollars in a missile and we’re going to invest two dollars in electricity to intercept that missile,” Bennett said in a video posted on Twitter. “This is a game changer, not only because we’re hitting the enemy military, but also because we’re ruining them.”
Israel only presented a prototype last year, and the first successful tests of the high-performance laser system were reported in mid-April this year. According to the Defense Ministry, drones, rockets and mortar shells were intercepted. Israel’s Defense Minister Benny Gantz spoke of a “dramatic change on the battlefield” and an “improvement in Israel’s security in view of the growing threat emanating from the Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria”.
The Iron Beam is scheduled to go into service early next year, Bennett announced this week. According to the “Jerusalem Post”, the first system is to be stationed in southern Israel – near the border with the Gaza Strip.
