Iron Beam Laser Weapon System

Originally scheduled to enter service in 2025, Israel has expedited the deployment of the Iron Beam to the Defence Force following the 7 October attacks on the state by Hamas. The Iron Beam is a 100kW-class high-energy laser weapon system being developed by Rafael Advanced Defence Systems; a defence technology company based in Israel. It is a state-of-the-art, mobile, land-based directed energy interception system capable of neutralising a broad spectrum of threats with pinpoint accuracy, covering distances ranging from a few hundred metres to several kilometres.

The high-power laser system will complement the country’s existing missile defence system in countering the increasingly sophisticated airborne threats to protect both military forces and civilian populations. It provides a cost-effective and highly efficient way to intercept a wide range of threats such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), rockets and mortars at a short range.

In March 2022, the Israeli Minister of Defence approved the allocation of funds for the advancement and manufacture of the Iron Beam system in collaboration with Elbit Systems, a defence electronics company based in Israel. During the same month, Rafael, in collaboration with the DDR&D, successfully conducted a series of live field tests using an Iron Beam system demonstrator to counter steep-trajectory threats. The demonstrator effectively intercepted UAVs, mortars, rockets, and anti-tank missiles in a variety of challenging scenarios at a range of up to 4.34km.

In December 2022, Rafael partnered with Lockheed Martin, an aerospace company based in the US, for the joint development, testing and manufacture of a high-energy laser weapon system (HELWS). The collaborative project will build upon assets that have been independently developed by Rafael and the DDR&D.

Details

The key components of an Iron Beam battery include an air defence radar, a command and control unit, and two high-energy laser (HEL) systems.

The system is adaptable for integration into multiple platforms, such as the existing Iron Dome air defence system, and can integrate into multifaceted air defence systems. The specific configuration of the Iron Beam system can be customised to meet the unique requirements of each customer.

Adverse weather conditions such as high dust, high fog and cloud levels can impact the system’s performance as the laser beams tend to underperform in these conditions. The system employs dual lasers to deliver the necessary energy required to overcome atmospheric disruptions.  

Iron Beam’s air defence radar detects an incoming projectile, and a thermal camera takes over the tracking responsibilities until the projectile is concurrently engaged by two HELs. It concentrates the laser beams on an area roughly the size of a coin to physically eliminate the target. The system’s high-energy solid-state laser technology fires electrically sourced laser beams to silently intercept the incoming threats.

The laser system of the Iron Beam features an optical director, which includes multiple channels, a multichannel HEL transmitter, a visible zoom wide or narrow field of view, and a laser range finder to measure distances precisely.

In addition, it is equipped with a laser illuminator that indicates the target of interest using laser beams for detection by humans and a thermal cabin telecommunications unit.

Iron Beam offers the capability to engage targets at the speed of light, possesses an unlimited ammunition supply, features a minimal cost per interception and incurs limited collateral damage.

The system will serve as the innermost layer within Israel’s comprehensive missile defence network, effectively intercepting mortar shells, rockets and other aerial threats with trajectories that fall below the operational range of the Iron Dome.