This laser weapon can strike targets such as drones,
rockets and mortars and can do so for a fraction of the price of other missile power defense
systems.
The iron beam is an experimental project built by Israel.
It could be used in conjunction with the iron dome,
which launches rockets and is considered one of the most advanced air defense systems in the world.
Israel says the iron beam could enhance protection against threats from Iran's allies in Lebanon and
Gaza,
but some defense experts say the technology has several weaknesses,
including its short range to perfect the system.
Israel is in talks with the US about cooperating on the technology.
Here's how the laser beam system works and why some military analysts say american expertise could
enhance it.
The iron beam is composed of a laser gun located on this swiveling unit,
a surveillance system that tracks incoming threats and a command center where operators give directions.
Israeli officials say the laser gun fires a fiber optic beam that uses 100 kW of
power,
that's around the same amount of electricity that the average US household uses in three days.
Here's what it looks like in action.
This footage from the Israeli Defense Ministry shows the laser striking down a rocket.
Israel's goal is to integrate this weapon into its arsenal and also save some money.
That's according to military analysts who say the laser would allow the country's army to reduce its
reliance on the more expensive iron dome.
One interceptor missile fired from the iron dome can cost $50,000 or more.
In contrast,
Israelis departing Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said the iron beam could do the same thing for as little as
$2.
I said there are two advantages.
One,
the cost per kill,
the recovering this is long and the second is that there is no ammunition.
You save all this train of production and logistics.
That's Uzi Rubin,
a defense engineer and military analyst.
Years ago he developed earlier defense systems for Israel.
He says the iron beam,
despite all its advantages,
has a lot of issues to overcome.
This is not a silver bullet,
one is a shorter range and the other is a sensitivity to weather and the third is
the local,
let's start with the weather.
The issue is that the system sensors can be hampered in rainy and cloudy conditions.
That means the iron B may not be operational in Israel in colder months,
such as november and december according to Ruben.
If the weather prevents it from working,
Israel's Defense Ministry says the iron dome could kick in another
vulnerability.
Is said to be the range,
the beam loses powers,
it travels through the air,
making its impact on the target less powerful.
It's known as the bloom effect.
It starts blooming,
the big widens up and after a while it's so diluted it doesn't have
an effect and then there's the speed at which it can take down objects.
The period of dwell time before the laser damages its target,
makes it slower than the iron dome.
When you push the button,
you beam touches the rocket at the speed of light but then it has to keep pumping
energy into the pocket until it melts or explore something.
That process could take a few seconds and hamper its ability to combat multiple incoming rockets,
Rubin says On its own,
the system could struggle to counter strike.
Similar to those seen in this video footage where rockets are fired from position in Gaza City toward
Israel.
In May of 2021 still,
Israeli officials said the iron beam could be deployed early next year.
Israel's project comes amid a global wave of interest in laser powered weapons.
Countries such as the US Russia and china all claim to work in the technology,
which some defense experts say could be a key component in future warfare.
The Pentagon is working with major defense contractors and testing advanced systems based on similar
technology to Israel and some US tools are estimated to be capable of firing a 300
kilowatt laser,
which is more powerful than the iron beams.
The more kilowatts of power the system has,
the farther the laser can strike targets.
Although laser makers in the US and Israel told WsJ that the range of laser weapons can
vary widely also depending on the type of target.
The iron beam is designed to detect small targets up to 12.4 miles away.
According to Israel analyst.
Uzi Rubin estimated that American lasers could strike twice as far as Israel's.
That's still much lower than the iron dome,
which can hit rockets at a distance of up to 43 miles.
The range is limited
because of all those limitations.
Security analysts say.
Israel is seeking support from the US to enhance the weapon.
President biden was showcased the iron beam during a state visit to Israel and signaled US
support for the tool.
We have reformed the unshakeable commitment to the United States to Israel's security,
including partnering with Israel on the most cutting edge defense systems in the
world,
including the U.
S.
Support for the iron dome and Israel's new laser enable
system called the iron beam.
Congress is moving ahead with plans to send Israel another $1 billion to the iron dome,
which the U.
S.
Army has also been testing in some military bases.
Now,
any new cooperation on the iron beam could accelerate the process of making laser weapons a
reality on the battlefield.