- David Hambling Contributor
- Based in South London, David Hambling specializes in military technology, especially drones and counter-drone systems. He is the author of Swarm Troopers: How Small Drones Will Conquer the World.
- Courtesy: Popular Mechanics
IN AN UNPRECEDENTED NIGHTTIME ATTACK on April 13, 2024, Iran launched more than 300 drones and missiles at Israel. Simultaneously, Hezbollah fired dozens of Grad rockets at Israel Defense Forces positions in the Golan Heights. What followed was a barrage of missiles that met a wall of resistance.
Israel’s Arrow 3 interceptors hit ballistic missiles while they were still in space. At lower altitudes, David’s Sling missiles, which resemble the U.S. Patriot, took out even more. Meanwhile, U.S. warships and aircraft shot down some attackers. The last line of defense was Israel’s famed Iron Dome, a network of short-range interceptor missiles guided by radar.
Israel had defeated virtually the entire attack, swatting cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, rockets, and drones from the sky. And that was by design.
“Israel is a narrow strip of land with dense urban population centers. That does not leave much depth, so there is a premium on intercepting threats in flight,” explains James Black, assistant director at RAND Europe, a nonprofit think tank.
But Israel’s sophisticated, multi-layered integrated air-defense systems couldn’t stop everything. Nine Iranian missiles reportedly struck Nevatim and Ramon Airbases, and one person was injured by shrapnel. The waves of drones, missiles, and rockets synchronized to hit simultaneously were meant to overload Israeli defenses and exhaust stocks of interceptors. The wall held well this time, but Israeli planners know it’s a numbers game.
“Looking at both Israel and Ukraine, we are seeing defenders burning through missiles faster than industry can replace them,” Black says. So, Israel wants an air-defense system that never runs out of ammunition: Iron Beam.
A $1.2 billion U.S. aid package will help fund deployment of Iron Beam, Israel’s one-of-a-kind, high-power laser system designed to knock down missiles, rockets, and drones. It’s a big bet on unproven technology—but success would yield an almost invincible defensive shield.
Assuming all goes to plan, Iron Beam will be a lifesaver for the Israelis, who suffer regular aerial attacks. Yemen’s Houthi Rebels alone have lobbed more than 220 kamikaze drones and missiles at Israel since the war with Hamas broke out in October 2023. And then there is Iran and Hezbollah, of course.
As weapons proliferate and ranges increase, America could one day face the same problem—but lasers could solve that issue at the speed of light.
OFFICIALLY KNOWN AS “SHIELD OF LIGHT,” Iron Beam is a 100 kilowatt-class High-Energy Laser Weapon System, which Rafael Advanced Defense Systems first unveiled in 2014. Rafael is also a contractor on Iron Dome.
“Iron Beam will not replace Iron Dome, but complement it. Directed Energy offers a way to prioritize kinetic interceptors against the threats they are most needed for,” Black says. Specifically, Iron Beam will be integrated as an additional short-range layer to destroy threats up to 4.3 miles away.
Unlike missiles, Iron Beam can keep firing as long as it has power.
“Much of the interest in lasers stems from the magazine depth they offer,” Black says. “This is not quite infinite—parts and energy supplies do not last forever—but they do give a very deep magazine compared to batteries of missiles.”
Another important aspect is the cost per intercept. One Iron Dome interceptor missile costs $40,000–$50,000, according to Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies. While cruise missiles can run to millions of dollars, Iran’s long-range Shahed-136 drones are simple, low-tech machines costing less than $30,000 apiece. Hamas mainly relies on Qassam home-made rockets, assembled from industrial pipes and improvised explosives, costing less than $1,000 each.
“It comes down to a cost equation,” says Mark Neice, CEO of Directed Energy Consultants, an Albuquerque, New Mexico-based firm that provides technical consultations on high-energy lasers. “The current system is effective but it’s expensive. When you’re shooting off $50,000 missiles against $10,000 targets, how long can you sustain being on the wrong end of the cost curve?”
In 2022, Naftali Bennett, then Prime Minister of Israel, said that Iron Beam would cost just $2 per intercept, fending off any number of attacks at a negligible cost.
Iron Beam also reduces the risk of collateral damage. Interceptions often take place over populated areas, and the Iron Dome’s supersonic Tamir interceptor missiles weigh 200 pounds each; an engine failure or misfire could cause serious damage as a result. But a laser always goes exactly where it’s pointed, and will not fall to Earth somewhere unexpected.
IRON BEAM WAS SUCCESSFULLY TESTED in 2022, with deployment originally planned for two to three years later. To expedite that timeline, President Biden approved a $15 billion military aid package for Israel back in April, with $1.2 billion earmarked for Iron Beam. Earlier plans described this as R&D funding, but now the money is meant for procurement.
But this is not the first attempt to field a defensive laser. “There have been repeated rounds of excitement—or cycles of hype—over Directed Energy for decades,” Black says.
The U.S. currently has as many as 31 laser programs (Pentagon researchers have been shooting down drones with lasers since 1973), but has struggled to field robust, reliable systems.
The XN-1 LaWS (“Laser Weapon System”), installed on the U.S. Navy amphibious warfare vessel USS Ponce in 2014, was sent to the Persian Gulf but never fired a zap in action. A review found LaWS had issues with tracking and destroying small targets, and the weapon was ultimately shelved.
The U.S. Army is currently fielding lasers to protect troops from drones launched by insurgents in Iraq. But an MSN piece states “feedback from soldiers thus far indicates significant disparities between laboratory and test range results and actual tactical deployment.” That’s military speak for: “it doesn’t work like it’s supposed to.”
Black believes that a system like Iron Dome could succeed where others have failed. “Now we have a convergence of enabling technologies, including energy generation and storage, miniaturization of components, and, importantly, big advances in targeting,” he says.
Neice agrees. “We are now able to leverage fiber and electric lasers from the commercial marketplace, developed for cutting and welding,” he says. “The difference is that they are focusing the lasers on an object millimeters away, we focus on something kilometers away.”
A laser defense system would be a historic first and form the template for American laser programs. These could defend bases and warships abroad or provide homeland security against terrorist drone attacks.
“If Israel successfully deploys Iron Beam, they will help iron out the kinks in the technology and give a proof-of-concept,” Black explains.
Neice says that Israel is not more technically advanced in lasers, but Iron Beam deployment will provide essential data about the practicalities of real-world operation such as maintenance, repairs, and the supply chain needed to keep the lasers working. Unlike other allies, Israel might use the laser on a regular basis.
“One would assume this is a capability they would be anxious to use, and that they will share information about that use with the U.S.,” Neice says.
Both Black and Neice note a successful program would pave the way in non-technical aspects such as training, doctrine, and integration with other systems.
As well as providing Israel with an unbeatable shield, Iron Beam could also provide the missing pieces for a successful American laser defense system. Both countries could then offer systems for export to protect allies.
“If Israel can get this right, it will be win-win-win for everyone,” Black says.