Abdelmageed Abu Alela‏‏

On 28 October 2024, the Israeli Ministry of Defense announced that it had allocated $530 million USD to accelerate the development of the laser-based air defense system known as the "Iron Beam" and officially named "Magen Or" by its developer. This high-energy laser weapon system is being developed by Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. The defense ministry stated that it had signed a major deal to significantly expand the acquisition of laser interception systems in collaboration with Rafael and Elbit Systems.The Iron Beam system has undergone a series of tests that Israel described as "successful," including field trials in 2022. These trials reportedly demonstrated the prototype’s ability to intercept drones, rockets, mortars, and anti-tank missiles.Israel’s MotivationsSeveral factors are driving Israel to develop this weapon and expedite its deployment. Key drivers include the system’s capabilities, the needs of the Israeli military, and current deficiencies in its defense systems that the ongoing war has highlighted, as outlined below:1- Enhancing the ability to neutralize various aerial threats: The Iron Beam system is designed to intercept and destroy a variety of aerial threats, including short-range rockets, artillery shells, mortar bombs, drones, and cruise missiles. This flexibility significantly boosts the resilience of Israeli air defenses against a wide range of potential threats. To this end, the Israeli company is developing a version of the Iron Beam capable of achieving energy levels of up to 300 kilowatts, which would enhance the system’s destructive capabilities in responding to diverse attack scenarios.2- Lower interception costs compared to the Iron Dome: Although estimates vary regarding the cost of interception using the Iron Beam system, all indications point to a significant reduction in costs. Some reports suggest that a single beam costs less than five dollars, while other estimates put the cost around $1,000 USD. Other analyses indicate that overall operational costs, including associated factors, could reach $2,000, but this is still considerably lower than the $40,000–$50,000 cost per interception with the Iron Dome system.This cost-effectiveness is critical for Israel, given the "rocket salvos" tactic employed by Palestinian factions and allied fronts, which have depleted the Iron Dome and imposed significant financial burdens on Tel Aviv. In 2022, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett outlined a plan to establish a "laser wall" to transition from excessive spending on intercepting large quantities of rockets to cost-effective laser beams.3- Unlimited energy supply for continuous operation: The Iron Beam system relies on thermal energy. When the laser beam is given a target, it generates intense heat in that direction. This heat damages the target or destroys its important components, whether the target is a missile, drone, or something else, rendering it ineffective and unable to complete its set path.The Israeli Iron Beam system works by employing a high-powered laser beam to intercept short-range missiles and shells. It uses a fiber laser to generate a high-powered beam. This use of laser weapons is one of the system’s key strengths, since the system has an unlimited stock of "ammunition." Because the system relies on generating and directing laser energy, rather than on interceptor missiles that need to be purchased, transported, and stored, the system can continue to operate as long as energy is available, without worrying about depleting a physical stock of ammunition.4- Reducing the time needed to neutralize air threats: Reports suggest that the new defense system will significantly shorten the interception time for air threats facing Israel, neutralizing them within seconds of detection. The Iron Beam system can destroy targets within approximately four seconds of contact. Unlike other air defense systems and the Iron Dome, in which missiles explode upon impact with air targets and require calculations for the travel time from launch pad to target, the Iron Beam’s laser requires only a few seconds of contact with an object to generate sufficient energy to destroy it.5- Minimizing collateral damage with high precision: Israel aims to equip the new system with a high degree of accuracy in targeting, thereby reducing unintended collateral damage compared to traditional air defense systems, Iron Dome missiles, and similar technologies. The precision of the laser beam significantly decreases the risk of damage to civilian or strategic areas during interception operations.6- Enhancing flexibility with multi-platform integration: The Iron Beam system is designed to be versatile, allowing for installation on various platforms, including aircraft, ground vehicles, and fixed or mobile ground stations. Future iterations could include versions specifically for naval use, enabling installation on ships and aircraft carriers to protect against drone swarms and anti-ship missiles. Additionally, smaller models with an output power of 10 kilowatts and a range of 2,000 meters could be developed for deployment on light vehicles, offering protection for mobile units.7- Addressing weaknesses in drone defense: Israel’s current air defense system has faced growing criticism, particularly in the wake of drone swarm attacks and missile barrages. A notable incident involving a Hezbollah-launched drone attack on a Golani Brigade training base near Haifa resulted in four fatalities and over 60 injuries among Israeli soldiers. Critics pointed to the system’s limited ability to intercept low-flying drones, as its effectiveness is primarily focused on short-range and advanced ballistic missiles.Reports indicate that the Sayyad 107 drone used in this attack flew at a low altitude, which made it difficult for Israeli surveillance systems to detect. Interception rates against drones are reported to be lower than against missiles and shells, prompting accelerated development of systems like the Iron Beam to counter emerging air threats effectively.8- Distributing air threats across defense systems: Israel aims to achieve greater integration among its air defense systems by distributing air threats across these systems, thereby enhancing their overall effectiveness. The Israeli Ministry of Defense has stated that the Iron Beam system will complement but not replace existing systems like the Iron Dome. The Iron Beam will handle smaller projectiles, while larger projectiles will be managed by more robust systems such as David’s Sling and Arrow. The Iron Dome provides short-range protection, whereas David’s Sling and Arrow utilizes advanced US-Israeli technologies for intercepting ballistic missiles.9- Leveraging US support and funding: The United States has been actively involved in the development of the Iron Beam system, with the US Department of Defense and major defense contractors like Lockheed Martin collaborating on the project. In December 2022, Lockheed Martin signed an agreement with Israel’s Rafael under the auspices of both the Israeli defense ministry and US Department of Defense to co-develop the laser-based missile and projectile interception system.The US military has shown interest in adopting the Iron Beam technology. During a visit to Israel, Acting Assistant Secretary of the US Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology Douglas Bush described the system as "interesting" and noted that if successful, it could meet US military needs. In November 2023, reports indicated that the US government planned to allocate $1.2 billion from its emergency supplemental budget to invest in Iron Beam development.In September 2024, Israel received $8.7 billion in US military aid, with $5.2 billion earmarked for air defense improvements. This included support for the continued development of advanced laser defense technology, specifically the Iron Beam system, which was described as being in its final stages of development.Multiple ChallengesThe Israeli Iron Beam system faces several current and potential future challenges, which can be summarized as follows:1- Insufficient coverage across Israel: In 2023, reports revealed that the IDF and Rafael Defense Industries, the developers of the Iron Beam, possessed only a limited number of laser stations. These stations were inadequate to cover all Israeli territory effectively. A single station or a small cluster of stations cannot secure a large area, especially if threats emerge from multiple directions. Consequently, the Iron Beam is expected to initially protect only high-priority areas. This limitation presents a significant challenge for the Israeli government in deciding which areas to prioritize during the early deployment stages.2- Concerns over targeting artillery missiles: The prototype Iron Beam operates at approximately 100 kilowatts, a power level seen as potentially insufficient for neutralizing certain targets, such as artillery missiles with thick engine casings. The missile’s speed and distance also compound the difficulty, as the system might struggle to fix the laser beam on a specific point long enough to destroy the missile before it reaches its target. This issue is especially pronounced with short-range artillery missiles that provide little reaction time.3- Vulnerability to swarms and barrages: The use of overwhelming swarms of drones and missile barrages is a key factor undermining the capabilities of the Israeli air defense system, which cannot deal with huge quantities of drones and missiles at the same time. However, this is projected to remain a weak point in the Iron Beam system, just as it has been for the Iron Dome system. While the system only needs seconds to focus its beam on a missile or drone, those seconds—however few—can be problematic if the system is faced with large batches of missiles or drones. Launching a very large number of missiles or drones at the same time is a primary tactic used to confuse air defense systems. The Iron Dome batteries can become exhausted if they are overwhelmed by a large quantity of projectiles at the same time, which can enable some of those projectiles to penetrate the air defense system. In 2021, Hamas was able to launch approximately 125 rockets over the course of several minutes, while during the October 7th attack, Hamas reportedly launched between 3,000 and 5,000 rockets at Israel over a 20-minute period. Therefore, Tel Aviv could seek to develop a system capable of launching multiple beams towards multiple targets simultaneously in order to counter the pattern of flooding by drones and rockets.4- Weather-dependent effectiveness: The Israeli Iron Beam system is capable of countering a wide range of threats, but its performance is heavily influenced by weather conditions. This is one of the system’s major limitations, since it struggles in low-visibility situations, such as heavy cloud cover or severe weather. Its effectiveness relies on clear atmospheric conditions, while rain and clouds can scatter the laser beams, rendering them less effective. To mitigate this drawback, the Israeli military plans to mount the system on aircraft, enabling it to operate above the clouds. However, the Iron Beam faces still another challenge: Dust and smoke in the air can reduce the laser’s intensity and focus, potentially limiting its effectiveness in desert environments, windy conditions, or other dust and smoke generated by warfare, bombings, and armed conflicts.5- Countermeasures by adversaries: Some observers have suggested that adversaries could employ countermeasures and tactics to disrupt or reduce the effectiveness of laser defense systems like the Iron Beam. For example, reflective coatings on missiles and drones could be used to confuse the laser system, while efforts to conceal these projectiles from the Iron Beam’s detection and radar systems could further hinder its performance.Another potential countertactic could involve exploiting the system’s vulnerabilities during adverse weather conditions, such as launching missile and drone attacks during rainstorms or under heavy cloud cover. Additionally, deploying smoke barriers could obstruct the laser beams. Adversaries might also resort to overwhelming the system with swarming attacks or missile barrages, alongside other strategies that could evolve in tandem with advancements in defense technology.6- Controversy over effectiveness claims: In October 2023, the Israeli Ministry of Defense announced plans to deploy the Iron Beam along the southern border with Gaza for testing under real combat conditions. This decision came during the Gaza conflict, when the system was facing Palestinian and Hezbollah rocket attacks. According to Israeli reports, the Iron Beam was experimentally activated for the first time in a real conflict, claiming to intercept a missile during the fighting. Videos circulated online allegedly showing the Iron Beam in action; light beams that appeared in the sky were attributed to the system’s success.However, other reports later discredited these claims. It was revealed that some of the videos were modified clips from the military simulation video game Arma 3. On 10 October 2023, the game’s developer, Bohemia Interactive, confirmed that its footage was being misused to spread misinformation. Reputable sources such as the BBC, the War Zone, and the Times of Israel also reported that the videos were misleading.7- Awaiting full deployment for evaluation: Since the Iron Beam has not yet been fully developed or widely deployed, significant challenges remain. Its performance in real-world operations is expected to uncover additional vulnerabilities, similar to the early criticisms faced by the Iron Dome, which were only addressed after extensive operational experience.Ongoing DelaysThe Iron Beam system was first introduced at the Singapore Airshow in February 2014 as a high-energy laser designed to counter airborne threats. In early 2022, then-Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced plans for the system to become operational by 2023. However, the timeline was subsequently revised, with deployment pushed to 2024 and later to 2025.Under the current plan, the Israeli military aims to deploy and operate the Iron Beam system by 2025 without further delay. Gideon Weiss, head of international marketing and business development at Rafael, has stated that the system will not be ready before late 2025. Even under ideal conditions, it will take at least another year before serial production and widespread deployment can begin. Questions remain about whether Israel can accelerate development, production, and deployment to meet its planned targets or if further delays will occur.

Why is Israel Accelerating its Deployment of a Laser Air Defense System?