A game-changer on the battlefield’: Israel makes history with combat laser interceptions

Israel has become the first country to deploy high-power laser systems in combat, successfully intercepting scores of active enemy threats, the Defence Ministry announced on Wednesday.

“The State of Israel is the first in the world to demonstrate large-scale operational laser interception capabilities, said Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Dr. Daniel Gold, head of the ministry’s Directorate of Defence Research & Development (DDR&D). Combat units, he said, “displayed boldness in integrating and carrying out the first successful operational deployments of the systems, and the lessons learned will be applied as we deploy more operational laser systems.”

The laser systems used during the war are precursors to the more powerful Iron Beam, a directed energy weapon expected to be delivered to the Israel Defence Forces later this year. The Iron Beam, also developed by Rafael, uses adaptive optics and high-energy lasers to intercept a range of aerial threats quickly and at a fraction of the cost of traditional missile interceptors.

“We will continue to advance this technology and deliver world-leading systems and capabilities to the IDF, turning vision into security in air, sea, land, and across every dimension,” Gold said.

Brig. Gen. Yehuda Elmakayes, head of the DDR&D’s Research and Development Division, described the deployment as a critical learning experience. “During the war, we deployed several high-power laser system prototypes, resulting in significant achievements, culminating in the world’s first successful high-power laser interceptions on the battlefield,” he said. “We are currently integrating these insights into the systems under development, while expanding the range of laser-based systems to protect Israeli civilians and IDF forces.”

The lead contractor for the project is the Haifa-based Rafael Advanced Defence Systems.

“Israel is the first country in the world to transform high-power laser technology into a fully operational system – and to execute actual combat interceptions,” said Dr. Yuval Steinitz, Rafael’s chairman. “This is a game-changer with an unprecedented impact on the modern battlefield.”

The laser systems are expected to be integrated into the Iron Dome system. Algorithms will determine when to activate the lasers and when to fire the kinetic Iron Dome interceptors, known as Tamir missiles.

In addition to being considerably cheaper than traditional air defences, laser systems do not need replenishment. Furthermore, the laser strikes its target within seconds, far faster than kinetic interceptors.

“Until today, it cost us a lot of money to intercept each rocket. Today they can invest tens of thousands of dollars in a rocket and we will invest $2 on the electricity for intercepting that rocket,” said then-prime minister Naftali Bennett said in 2022.

However, the 100-kilowatt laser has a range of about eight to 10 kilometres (five to six miles), which is considerably shorter than Iron Dome, and each laser can engage a single threat at a time.

The laser system follows on the success of the Arrow-3 system, which made its first interception when it shot down a ballistic missile fired by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen in October 2023.

It is widely believed that the interception took place outside the Earth’s atmosphere, which would make Israel the first country to shoot down a missile in space. Israel has not confirmed that detail. The Arrow system is developed and produced by the Lod-based Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI).

Other layers of Israel’s air defence system include David’s Sling, which is designed to shoot down medium-range threats at high altitudes, and the C-Dome system, designed to protect naval assets from short-range threats. C-Dome made its first operational intercept in April 2024.