Just days after the IDF revealed it had quietly used a laser defense system to down dozens of Hezbollah drones over northern Israel last year, defense giant Rafael has pulled back the curtain even further — unveiling a next-generation family of laser weapons poised to revolutionize the battlefield.
At the heart of the showcase is the Iron Beam 450, an upgraded version of Israel’s first operational laser air defense system, slated for delivery to the IDF by the end of 2025. Billed as the most advanced high-energy laser system in the world, the Iron Beam 450 can take down drones, rockets, and other airborne threats from up to 10 kilometers away — silently and at a fraction of the cost of traditional missile interceptors.
“This is a game-changer,” Rafael officials declared ahead of the Paris Air Show, where the new systems will debut. “With speed-of-light neutralization, nearly zero cost per shot, and deep coverage, the Iron Beam complements — not replaces — Israel’s existing air defense network.”
The laser weapon is designed to work alongside missile-based systems like Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow, taking out smaller threats and conserving missiles for larger targets. And as long as the system has a power source, it never runs out of ammunition — a critical edge in protracted conflicts.
The company also unveiled:
Iron Beam M: A mobile, truck-mounted variant for battlefield flexibility and defense of strategic sites.
Lite Beam: A lower-powered version small enough to be mounted on armored vehicles, giving ground troops an edge against drone threats during operations.
A maritime version: Currently under development, designed to protect naval assets at sea.
These advancements come after the IDF disclosed that a laser system operated by its revived 946th Air Defense Battalion had intercepted roughly 35 Hezbollah drones during last year’s clashes in the north. That system, a less powerful predecessor of Iron Beam, marked Israel’s first known operational use of laser weapons in active combat.
The only catch? Like all laser systems, performance drops significantly in poor weather — cloud cover, fog, or heavy rain can disrupt the beam. Still, in favorable conditions, it promises a level of sustained defense few adversaries are prepared to counter.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
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One Response
> “The only catch? Like all laser systems…”
To be pedantic it’s not the ONLY catch. There are a few other drawbacks which is why, for all its positive attributes, it will never totally replace the kinetic interceptors. For instance each laser can only target at at time unlike interceptor batteries that can target many targets simultaneously.