Israel has revealed the launch date of a £413million laser weapon, dubbed the Iron Beam, that uses extremely concentrated bursts of light to shoot down missiles, rockets and drones at next to no cost per shot.
The Iron Beam, made by Israeli defence companies Rafael and Elbit, will be able to fire beams of light with between 100kW and 150kW of energy at targets several kilometres away with pinpoint accuracy.
It also has a smaller, secondary beam, that it can use against drones and IEDs from a distance of between 100m and 2,000m.
The IDF, having signed the multi-million dollar deal with the two companies, is set to introduce the Iron Beam to Israel on October 28 next year.
And it couldn’t come sooner, given that the Iron Dome has been working overtime to parry missiles, rockets and drones from Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah and Yemen’s Houthis for over a year now.
While Israel is planning on integrating the Iron Beam into its existing defence infrastructure, already believed to be among the most advanced in the world, the Iron Beam is expected to drive the cost of defending the nation.
The Iron Beam, made by Israeli defence companies Rafael and Elbit, will be able to fire beams of light with between 100kW and 150kW of energy at targets several kilometres away with pinpoint accuracy
The IDF, having signed the multi-million dollar deal with the two companies, is set to introduce the Iron Beam to Israel on October 28 next year
Israeli media reports that a single Iron Dome interception can cost around $50,000 (£39,000) per interception, making it an incredible expensive system to operate.
But the Iron Beam will cost just ‘a few dollars’ to fire, making it far cheaper to run.
Other benefits include requiring less manpower to operate and move, making it easier to conceal.
There is, however, a significant tradeoff.
While the Iron Dome is an all-weather system, able to defend against missiles and rockets in rain, fog, dust storms and low clouds, the Iron Beam can only be effectively used in dry conditions as water particles in the air diffuse and absorb the concentrated light.
There also needs to be a direct line of sight to the targets, meaning there are limited places Iron Beam systems can be, and it has a far lower rate of fire.
The Iron Beam will cost just ‘a few dollars’ to fire, making it far cheaper to run than the Iron Dome
A test run showed it setting off a missile in mid-air by simply firing light at it
While Iron Dome missiles can destroy targets in an instant, Iron Beams often have to stay trained on their targets for several seconds
While Iron Dome missiles can destroy targets in an instant, Iron Beams often have to stay trained on their targets for several seconds before they are destroyed.
Israel has faced massive internal pressure to bolster its defensive capabilities in recent weeks, given the outbreak of war with Hezbollah on its northern border with Lebanon, which is supported by Iran.
Today alone, the IDF said Hezbollah had fired a barrage of 115 missiles against it.
The Lebanese terror group said it had fired the salvo of advanced rockets towards a naval base in Haifa, northern Israel.
It comes as successive Israeli airstrikes pummelled the southern port city of Tyre in Lebanon following an evacuation warning from the Israeli military for parts of the city, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported.
Footage aired by local media and the Lebanese Civil Defence showed thick plumes of smoke rising against the Mediterranean skyline, with fires and widespread destruction of residential buildings. No casualties have been reported immediately.
Search and rescue team members try to search possible victims at a damaged building after an Israeli airstrike, in Tyre, Lebanon, 28 October 2024
Lebanese women pass in front of a destroyed building hit in an Israeli airstrike in Tyre, Lebanon, Monday, Oct. 28, 2024
Israel’s air defense system ”Iron Dome” exterminates missiles fired by Hezbollah as clashes between Hezbollah and Israeli army continue in Haifa, Israel on October 23, 2024
Following the Israeli evacuation warning, Lebanese Civil Defense teams patrolled the city with loudspeakers, urging residents to leave the area immediately.
An Arabic-speaking spokesperson for the Israeli army, Avichay Adraee, said in a post on X that Israel attacked Hezbollah targets in Tyre, including ‘weapons and anti-tank missile depots, military buildings and reconnaissance sites of various Hezbollah military units, including the Aziz unit.’
The Aziz unit is one of Hezbollah’s three military units and is responsible for the western sector in southern Lebanon. The Israeli army accused Hezbollah of launching operations from the Tyre area into Israeli territory.
Egypt’s president on Monday called for coordinated international efforts to establish a cease-fire in Gaza and Lebanon, a day after he proposed a two-day cease-fire between Hamas and Israel.
Israel’s air defense system ”Iron Dome” exterminates missiles fired by Hezbollah as clashes between Hezbollah and Israeli army continue in Haifa, Israel on October 23, 2024
People take cover as a siren warns of incoming rockets during the funeral of Alexei Popov, who was killed during a rocket attack fired from Lebanon last weekend, at the Tel Regev cemetery in the outskirts of Haifa, northern Israel, Monday, Oct. 21, 2024
A rescue worker uses a bulldozer to remove the debris of destroyed buildings hit in Israeli airstrikes in Tyre, Lebanon, Monday, Oct. 28, 2024
President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi’s comments came in a meeting in Cairo with Manfred Weber, the chairman of the European People’s Party, the largest political group in the European Parliament.
‘The president stressed the need for all international parties, including the European Union, to combine efforts to push hard for – a cease-fire in Gaza and Lebanon,’ el-Sissi’s office said in a statement. He also called for Israel to halt raids in the occupied West Bank, and allow unfettered and immediate delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
El-Sissi told reporters Sunday that Egypt, a key mediator between Hamas and Israel, has proposed a two-day cease-fire during which four hostages held in Gaza would be freed.
He said the proposal, which aims to jumpstart the stalled negotiations, also includes the release of some Palestinian prisoners, the delivery of humanitarian aid to besieged Gaza and negotiations on making the cease-fire permanent.
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