Naftali Bennett, on the left, introduced Iron Beam as prime minister in May. He has called the new laser-based air defense system a “game changer.” Credit … Amos Ben Gershom / Israel Government Press Office
Among the weapons Israel showed Wednesday for President Biden was a prototype of a new laser defense system that Israeli leaders have described as a strategic change for the region.
The weapon, known as the Iron Beam, is the result of two decades of research and experimentation. And while there are still a few years to go before deployment, officials say the laser will be able to intercept rockets, mortar shells, drones and anti-tank missiles.
Israel has long been a pioneer in air defense, with significant and continued US support. The display of the multi-level air defense arsenal that Mr. Biden offered to Mr. Biden offered an opportunity to present the products of this cooperation and showcase Israeli military technologies to the world.
Iron Beam, that Mr. Biden saw at Ben-Gurion Airport, intends to complement, not replace, Iron Dome and David’s Sling, Israel’s short- and medium-range missile interception systems. Wednesday’s show also included the advanced Arrow 3 anti-ballistic missile system, which was jointly developed by Israel and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency.
Israel, one of the first countries to develop a deployable laser weapon, has earmarked hundreds of millions of dollars for the project as Israel and some of its Middle East allies, including the United Arab Emirates, increasingly face the air threats from their shared enemy, Iran. and their proxies.
Presenting the laser weapon this spring, Naftali Bennett, then Israel’s prime minister, hinted at the broader possibilities, saying it was an asset Israel could use to “gain support, build alliances and become even stronger.” .
“This new generation of Israeli air defense could also serve our friends in the region who are also exposed to serious threats from Iran and its representatives,” Bennett said.
Israel is not the only one to develop these weapons. At least one laser weapon, Lockheed Martin’s Helios, has begun deploying to U.S. Navy ships, and the U.S. Army has been working on more powerful ones capable of shooting down cruise missiles. .
The technology has shifted from the chemical laser, which required corrosive and toxic chemicals to induce a beam, as well as bulky machinery, to the solid-state laser, which only requires large amounts of electricity.
Israeli officials say they are working closely with the United States on laser technology and are looking to partner with its main strategic ally.
“We are sharing knowledge with the Americans,” said Daniel Gold, head of the Defense Research and Development Directorate of the Israeli Ministry of Defense and brigadier general on the reserves, in an interview shortly before the arrival of Mr. Biden on Wednesday.
“We’re talking about how to cooperate in the laser program,” he said. “The US has a very good program; we have a very good program, ”he said, adding that Wednesday’s show would be the first exhibition of Iron Beam at the highest level of American leadership.
Israeli defense officials said the laser gun had worked beyond expectations in a series of actual fire tests in the southern Israeli desert this spring, destroying a rocket, a mortar shell and a drone in flight. .
Iron Dome is heavily subsidized by the United States, with each interception costing tens of thousands of dollars. Mr. Biden recently approved an allocation of about $ 1 billion for the acquisition of additional interceptors. Israeli officials say the main advantage of the iron beam will be its profitability, with interceptions that will cost little more than the power needed to make it work.
A disadvantage, however, is that laser beams on the ground are ineffective in foggy and cloudy conditions.