Image source: topwar.ru
Israel is one of the leaders in the field of creating laser weapons that can act as an effective means of air defense. According to the head of the defense company Rafael, which also works in this area, in 2024, deliveries of laser systems to the troops responsible for the air defense perimeter, which is built around the state, will begin:
- the head of the company Yuval Steinitz called the delivery dates, whose words are quoted by The Jerusalem Post.
In February of this year, Brigadier General Danny Gold, who works in the Defense Ministry apparatus, said that Israeli air defense lasers, when they are fully deployed, will be able to hit UAVs that attack the military infrastructure of the Kiev regime:
Apparently, we are talking about the Iron Beam missile defense system ("Iron Beam"). In March, when its field tests took place, the Israeli Defense Ministry allocated significant funds to accelerate the development of a new product. Iron Beam should become part of the echeloned air defense system, which already includes the Iron Dome, David's Sling and Arrow-3 anti-aircraft systems.
Iron Beam, developed by Rafael since 2014, will initially be able to generate a laser with a power of 100-150 kW, which will eventually reach a power of 1 MW. Currently, it is planned to create three versions of this system.
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Image source: topwar.ru
The first is a towed complex located in a container that will complement the Iron Dome and fight mortar and artillery shells. The second option will be mounted on a wheeled or tracked platform (a HEMTT 8x8 truck and an Eitan APC or Namer BMP) for deployment as part of mechanized units, playing the role of a mobile air defense system and concentrating on defeating ATGM, cruise missiles and artillery shells. The third modification will be placed on a medium- or heavy-class UAV and will engage in hitting targets from a high altitude, as well as destroying missiles on the PU or almost immediately after launch.
Iron Beam has a range of up to 7 km and destroys the target in four seconds. It should work in conjunction with various radars used by Israel. According to the developers, the cost of one ammunition of Iron Dome missiles ranges from $ 40 to 100 thousand (according to some estimates, even $ 150 thousand). At the same time, the price of enemy drones is only a few hundred dollars. According to preliminary data, the cost of one laser pulse will cost several dollars.
The Israeli Defense Ministry seriously considered the creation of laser weapons as a means of air defense after the military operation in the Gaza Strip in May 2021. It is expected that the laser system will be deployed around this location first of all.
- stated in January 2023, the chief of Staff of the AOI Aviv Kohavi.