Order Michael Finch’s new book, A Time to Stand: HERE. Prof. Jason Hill calls it “an aesthetic and political tour de force.”
The Israelis, having been stung by the embargos, both partial and full, on weapons sales to Israel put in place by Spain, the U.K., France, and previously by the Biden administration, are keen to become as independent as possible in the manufacture of weapons the country needs. The Israelis are constantly working to improve their weaponry, both as to performance and as to cost.
The Israeli defense industry, led by the big three — Rafael, Elbit, and Israel Aircraft Industries — keeps on coming up with new weapons, such as the laser-based anti-missile weapon, the Iron Beam, that will cost only a few dollars as compared to the tens of thousands for the Iron Dome that does the same thing, and in improving those it already possesses.
The Iron Dome anti-missile system, first introduced in 2006, has been impressive enough, capable of intercepting more than 90% of the missiles launched toward Israel. However, it is expensive: each interception requires the firing of two Tamir missiles. Each Tamir missile costs $40,000, meaning that each interception costs $80,000.
But now, the Israeli scientists at Rafael and Elbit have developed a high-energy laser system, the Iron Beam, that will reduce the cost of such interceptions to the scarcely believe price of two dollars. Israel’s multi-layered anti-missile defense array now includes the Iron Dome, the David’s Sling, the Arrow 2 and 3, and the newest component, that laser-based Iron Beam.
Let me be the first on the block to congratulate the state of Israel and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems for having used — since the fall of 2024 — the incredibly effective and incredibly cheap Iron Beam laser anti-missile defense weapon.
Now the Defense Ministry is going full steam ahead to replenish the supply of these systems that have been so depleted during the war in Gaza. The Americans are helping to finance this effort. More on this build-up of Israel’s aerial defense systems can be found here.
The Defense Ministry and various US officials on Thursday announced the acceleration of Iron Dome, Iron Beam, and David’s Sling production for future air defense purposes.
There has been concern that after the tens of thousands of rockets and drones Iron Dome had to intercept during the 2023–2025 Middle East war, Israel could be left vulnerable simply by running out of interceptors for future threats.
The current deal appeared intended to address such concerns.
Defense Ministry Director-General Maj.-Gen. (res.) Amir Baram said, “We remain committed to strengthening the readiness and operational capacity of the IDF in an increasingly complex security environment.”
Notably, he said that “The Iron Dome system has fundamentally transformed the battlefield, demonstrating unprecedented interception capabilities on a global scale against a vast spectrum of threats. This contract will dramatically enhance the multi-layered defense posture and strategic stability of the State of Israel. Joint production in Israel and the United States exemplifies the potential of our technological and industrial partnership.”…
From the bottom of our hearts, we who are on the right side of history thank you, Israel, for another breakthrough that, once again, demonstrates the brilliance of your weapons scientists. Thank god we are on the same side.
Iron Beam, which is the first laser-based air defense system in the world, has many advantages, especially its extraordinarily low cost. Among numerous other advantages, the Iron Beam “quickly and effectively engages and neutralizes a wide array of threats from a range of hundreds of meters to several kilometers. Engaging at the speed of light, IRON BEAM has an unlimited magazine, with almost zero cost per interception, and causes minimal collateral damage. IRON BEAM can be integrated with a range of platforms and can become part of any multilayer defense system.”
The Laser Defense System — the Iron Beam — was a product of Israeli scientists, and it will now be shared with the American military. The U.S. now has the benefit of wonder-working Israeli weapons scientists, giving it a huge advantage over its enemies in air defense systems. American investment in the Israeli defense industry continues to pay spectacular dividends.
Iron Beam has been deployed on the battlefield intermittently during the Gaza War, beginning in October 2024. That has allowed Israeli missile defense experts to see where this defense weapon needed to be tweaked, and they have been doing so. The Americans will reap the benefits of all this testing and trial-and-error. For the American military, Israel is the gift that keeps on giving.
