Israel’s Defense Ministry R&D chief announced that the Iron Beam laser system, after years of development and testing, is entering initial operational capability. The system is scheduled for official handover to the Israeli army by December 30, 2025.
Iron Beam is a directed-energy defense system classified under high-energy laser (HEL) weapons, designed to intercept and destroy a wide range of short-range aerial threats including rockets, mortars, and drones. This system has been developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems in collaboration with the Israeli Ministry of Defense and Elbit Systems. Iron Beam introduces the concept of “unlimited firing” with an operational cost of just a few dollars per shot. It serves as a crucial complement to Israel’s multi-layered missile defense architecture, which has so far relied on more expensive systems such as Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow.