Israel Says It Has Developed Laser Weapons To Intercept Missiles And Drones

• 17.09.2025, 22:54

Each intercept will cost less than five dollars.

Israel's Defense Ministry on Wednesday said it has completed development of a powerful laser weapon that will go on alert by the end of the year and strengthen the country's multi-layered air defense system. This was reported by Bloomberg.

The 100-kilowatt Iron Beam laser, created by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Elbit Systems Ltd. successfully destroyed drones, missiles, mines and aircraft during a series of tests in southern Israel, the ministry said in a statement. It will be integrated into the Iron Dome missile defense system in the coming months, providing an additional layer of protection.

The ministry, however, did not disclose the level of interception effectiveness. The system has a number of technical limitations and cannot operate in cloudy weather. However, the technology is positioned as a cheaper way of destroying drones and other projectiles: each intercept will cost less than 5 dollars. By comparison, current missile systems cost tens of thousands of dollars per launch.

Countries around the world are actively working on directed-energy weapons in an effort to replace expensive munitions, but scaling such technology is still a challenge. Israel claims to be the first to complete the development of such a system, although the status of other nations' projects is not known.

Israeli Defense Minister Katz, in a statement, hailed the creation of "a fast and accurate interception system at minimal cost that joins existing defenses and changes the threat equation." Earlier this year, Israel admitted for the first time that it had used a less powerful version of the laser in combat situations.