Israel declared that its “Iron Beam” laser defense system is fully operational and ready for use. It represents the first operational defense laser to be deployed by a nation facing immediate threats.
The Israeli Ministry of Defense said the laser had proven useful in tests against rockets, mortars, aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles. It will be integrated into Israel’s wider missile defense network alongside kinetic interceptors such as the Iron Dome and David’s Sling. The system completed its last tests and is set to enter active use in the Israel Defense Forces by the end of the year.
“The series of tests, conducted at a testing ground in southern Israel, concludes the development process and constitutes the final stage before delivering the system for operational use in the IDF,” Israel’s defense ministry said.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz boasted that the completion of the laser “places the State of Israel at the forefront of global military technology and makes Israel the first nation to possess this capability.”
“Our enemies from Gaza, Iran, Lebanon, Yemen, and other arenas should know: just as we are strong in defense, we are strong in offense — and we will do everything to protect the security of Israeli citizens,” Katz added.
Iron Beam can intercept targets over 6 miles away, all at the cost of roughly $5. The cheap price is one of its most desirable attributes, giving militaries a cost-effective way to intercept cheap drones without using multimillion-dollar interceptor missiles. The necessity of an economic air defense system has been showcased by Israel’s war with Iran, Russia’s drone attacks against Ukraine, and the United States’s struggle to quell the Yemeni Houthis.
The laser was developed by the defense contractor Rafael in cooperation with the Israeli Ministry of Defense.
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Rafael’s chairman, Yuval Steinitz, boasted that “Rafael’s laser system, built on our proprietary adaptive optics technology, will undoubtedly be a game-changing system with unprecedented impact on modern warfare.”
In a symbolic move, the system was renamed from Magen Or (light shield) to Or Eitan (Eitan’s light), after Cpt. Eitan Oster, 22, an Israeli commando commander whom Hezbollah killed during fighting in southern Lebanon in October 2024, the Times of Israel reported. His father was one of the “initiators and developers” of the Iron Beam.
