Israel’s New ‘Iron Beam’ Laser Defense System Set for Deployment This Year
Israel’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday that its high-powered laser air defense system, the Iron Beam, has completed final testing and is now declared ready for operational use.
The ministry said its Directorate of Defense Research & Development (DDRD), the Israeli Air Force, and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Iron Beam’s developer, tested the system for several weeks in southern Israel. It said the series of tests, “concludes the development process and constitutes the final stage before delivering the system for operational use in the IDF.”
“In these landmark tests, Iron Beam 450 intercepted rockets, mortars, and UAVs with unmatched speed, precision, and near-zero cost per engagement — a breakthrough that sets a new global benchmark in air defense,” Rafael Advanced Defense Systems wrote on X.
The ministry said the first Iron Beam systems are scheduled to be integrated into the military’s air defenses by the end of the year.
The system, capable of intercepting short-range rockets, mortars, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at ranges up to 10 kilometers, has been in development for over a decade and was first unveiled in 2014.
Unlike missile-based interceptors such as Iron Dome or David’s Sling, Iron Beam employs a high-energy laser, eliminating the need for physical munitions.
Meanwhile, the ministry also announced that the system would be officially named Eitan’s Light in honor of Cpt. Eitan Oster, a commander in the Egoz Commando Unit who was killed fighting Hezbollah in southern Lebanon in October 2024. The ministry noted that Oster’s father, an employee of the DDRD, was among the “initiators and developers” of the Iron Beam project.
Wednesday’s announcement drew praise from officials, with Defense Minister Israel Katz saying the Iron Beam “places the State of Israel at the forefront of global military technology and makes the State of Israel the first country to possess this capability.”
“This is not only a moment of national pride, but a historic milestone for our defense envelope: a fast, precise interception at marginal cost that joins the existing defensive tools and changes the threat equation,” Katz added.
