8 July 2024

Beyond Missiles: Could Israel’s Laser Weapons Rewrite Rules Of Air Defense? – Analysis

Girish Linganna

Israel’s advanced Iron Beam high-energy laser weapon system will not be operational ahead of schedule, even with the growing threat of a full-scale war with Hezbollah on its northern border with Lebanon. Israel’s Defense Ministry and industries are working hard to speed up deployment of the Iron Beam, but the earliest this unique air defence system will be ready is still end-2025. This timeline has been set for a while, according to Newsweek.

Gideon Weiss, head of international marketing and business development for Israel’s state-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, said the timeline for the Iron Beam remained unchanged since October. According to Newsweek, it is still expected to be operational by next year-end. Israel’s Defense Ministry told the news outlet that the government and Israeli industries were doing their “best to speed up any resolutions for the current conflict, tailored to combat needs and battlefield conditions.”

Israel, now almost nine months into an all-out war in Gaza after Hamas’s surprise attacks on October 7, is also facing pressure from Hezbollah, which is advancing from southern Lebanon into Israel’s northern towns and villages. The Tehran-backed group has stated it is launching drones, rockets and missiles into northern Israel to support Hamas after Israel vowed to eliminate the latter from the Gaza Strip.

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