The Israeli Ministry of Defense announced on October 28 that it has allocated $537 million to accelerate the development of a laser air defense system called Iron Beam.
"The Defense Ministry has signed a major deal worth around 2 billion shekels (around $537 million) to significantly expand the procurement of Iron Beam laser interceptor systems," AFP quoted the Israeli announcement as saying.
The Iron Beam system was displayed in Israel in 2022 during a visit by US President Joe Biden.
The Iron Beam system is intended to improve the ability to intercept unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other munitions that Lebanon's Hezbollah has launched toward Israel in support of its ally Hamas since the start of the conflict in the Gaza Strip.
Iron Beam will complement other air defense systems such as Iron Dome, David's Sling, and Arrow. In a multi-layered defense system, Iron Dome specializes in dealing with short-range artillery and rockets, while David's Sling and Arrow systems are used to counter ballistic missiles.
Iron Beam laser weapon to join Israel's Iron Dome air defense system
These systems cannot intercept every type of projectile launched by Hezbollah, which sometimes leads to casualties among both civilians and Israeli troops.
The Israeli Defense Ministry will partner with defense companies Rafael and Elbit to develop the Iron Beam system. Senior Defense Ministry official Eyal Zamir expressed hope that the new system will be "operational within a year."
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems is Israel's defense research and development unit. Defense company Elbit said in a separate statement that it had been awarded a contract worth about $200 million by the Defense Ministry to develop Iron Beam.
In late September, Israel announced it had received a new US military aid package worth $8.7 billion, amid Tel Aviv's conflict with both Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Israel's Defense Ministry said $5.2 billion of that is allocated to air defense systems, including "support for the continued development of an advanced high-power laser defense system currently in the later stages of development."
After a test in 2021, the Israeli Defense Ministry released a video showing a laser system mounted on a small aircraft firing an energy beam at a UAV. The shot appeared to burn a hole and set the UAV on fire.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/israel-day-nhanh-phat-trien-vu-khi-laser-phong-khong-giua-chien-su-cang-thang-185241028220629099.htm
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