Israel's Ministry of Defense is arranging for an additional and important trial for the Iron Beam laser missile defense system

Israel's Ministry of Defense is arranging for an additional and important trial for the Iron Beam laser missile defense system, senior sources at the Ministry of Defense and defense companies have told "Globes."

Israel's Ministry of Defense is arranging for an additional and important trial for the Iron Beam laser missile defense system, senior sources at the Ministry of Defense and defense companies have told "Globes."

If the trial is successful, the Ministry of Defense and the main developer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems will move forward towards the goal of launching operations in the last quarter of the year. However, if there are unexpected problems, meeting the planned timetable will be cast in doubt.

The trial will be conducted with the prototype of the system that has already proven itself on several levels. In a trial conducted back in 2022 with the prototype observed how a UAV was intercepted. During the war, Israel has been unprepared for the threat of UAVs, especially along the mountainous Lebanese border, and had Iron Beam been operational, it would have been very advantageous. Throughout the war, trials have been carried out with the laser system.

What is the Iron Beam laser defense system?

Iron Beam is designed to be a complementary system to Iron Dome. Both will be operated from the same control vehicle. Iron Dome is an interception system for rocket threats within a range of 40 kilometers, while Iron Beam intercepts threats up to a range of 10 kilometers, using a powerful laser beam of about 100 kilowatts. There is no similar laser system in the world that produces such power, and for a 100 kilowatt beam, the production of about 128 kilowatts is actually required.

However, in creating unprecedented physical technology, there are challenges. Throughout the development of Iron Beam, there were unexpected responses by various components to loads. A central challenge with any laser is attenuation, that is, the degree to which the beam weakens as it moves away from the launcher. The laser has several disadvantages, including that cloudy weather, fog or mist limit its activity and affect its effectiveness, and it also works in a column and moves from target to target.

Rafael chairman Dr. Yuval Steinitz has told the National Defense website that Iron Beam launches hundreds of tiny beams each the size of a coin towards the target. He explains that when a hit by one beam is detected using telescopic reflection, additional beams are directed at the target and the concentration of energy results in the rapid interception of the target.

Dramatically cheaper than other air defense systems

The Ministry of Defense Directorate of Defense R&D (DDR&D) (MAFAT) leads the Iron Beam project with Rafael, the head developer, and Elbit Systems. US defense giant Lockheed Martin joined the initiative in late 2022 through an agreement to invest in the project. Since then, the company has invested tens of millions of dollars in financing unrelated to the US aid package that includes $500 million annually for joint ventures in air defense. Eventually Lockheed Martin will sell the system in the US market.

The Ministry of Defense itself financed a deal worth about NIS 2 billion last October to expand production of Iron Beam, with the first delivery of several systems on the agenda. Although the Ministry of Defense is very strict about the schedules, which include first operations in the last quarter of the year, there are widespread estimates is that some of those systems will only be delivered during 2026. This is providing, nothing unexpected occurs during the final trial.

There are two reasons behind the Ministry of Defense's pressure to meet the schedules. First, Israel does not have hermetic defense and will never have, but the combination of Iron Beam with Iron Dome will expand it, both in the range of interception capabilities and in Iron Beam's dealing with a variety of threats, including rockets, mortars, drones and cruise missiles. Furthermore, laser-based air defense is dramatically cheaper than defense using rockets or missiles. While an interception with an Iron Dome costs around $30,000, an interception with Iron Dome will cost just $5-$10.

The powerful system will be sought after for export, with $1.2 billion already invested in Iron Beam during the Biden administration. The same funding will be used to develop the second Iron Beam system cluster. In the second cluster, which will include several more systems, the US is expected to integrate 50% local production, in a way that will benefit it economically, in accordance with Trump's policy, and in terms of knowhow for the benefit of US defense.

The Ministry of Defense declined to comment. Rafael said, "Rafael will deliver the Iron Beam system to the Ministry of Defense as planned in the last quarter of 2025 and the supply will continue in accordance with the agreement. As a rule, systems under development are constantly undergoing testing and examination procedures for various and diverse scenarios."