The Israeli Iron Beam anti-missile laser system has successfully completed testing in southern Israel and will be ready for operational use by the military later in 2025. This was reported by the Israeli Ministry of Defense.
The joint development by Elbit Systems and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems is intended to complement existing Israeli anti-missile systems.
Reuters notes that the cost of modern interceptor missiles is at least $50,000 per unit, while the cost of a single laser shot is much less.
"Now that the Iron Beam’s performance has been proven, we anticipate a significant leap in air defence capabilities through the deployment of these long-range laser weapon systems," the Ministry of Defense said.
The department also noted that the system can shoot down missiles, mortar shells, aircraft and drones "in a wide range of operational scenarios."
"This is the first time in the world that a high-power laser interception system has reached full operational maturity," said Amir Baram, Director General of the Ministry of Defense.
It was previously reported that EOS, an Australian company, has created the Apollo laser system, which can destroy up to 50 drones per minute. It takes less than two hours to deploy.