The Israeli military said Monday it has successfully tested an airborne high-power laser that can shoot down drones, technology it hopes to deploy on a larger scale in the coming years.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
Israel already boasts sophisticated, multilayered air defenses that include Iron Dome, designed to intercept and destroy short-range rockets and artillery shells; David's Sling, which counters medium- to long-range rockets and missiles; the Arrow 2 short- and medium-range ballistic missile interceptor, and the Arrow 3 long-range missile interceptor is the most advanced of its kind in the world.
During May's conflict with the Hamas and Islamic Jihad, Iron Dome successfully intercepted 90% of the 4,300 projectiles fired by terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip. The as-yet unnamed high-power laser system is designed to complement these defenses.
For the first time ever: the Israel MOD and @ElbitSystemsLtd and the IAF have successfully completed a series of interception tests employing an airborne, High-Power Laser system. Israel is among the first countries in the world to demonstrate such capabilities. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/F0Egg6HUI6
— Ministry of Defense (@Israel_MOD) June 21, 2021
A prototype, developed with Elbit Systems, was mounted on a civilian plane and successfully shot down several drones in a recent test over the Mediterranean Sea, according to Brig. Gen. Yaniv Rotem, head of R&D at the Administration for the Development of Weapons and the Technological Industry in the Defense Ministry.
"The ability to intercept and destroy threats from the air is groundbreaking," he told reporters. "Israel is among the first countries to use such capabilities."
In the recent test, the system shot down drones from within a range of about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles). In the coming years, Israel hopes to deploy a ground-based system with a range of 8-10 kilometers (5-6 miles) that can intercept rockets, mortar rounds, and drones.
Elbit makes C-Music, a defense system fitted to aircraft which uses a laser to "blind" incoming missiles.
Oren Sabag, a senior Elbit official, said the new laser weapon would use tracking technologies similar to C-Music's but would destroy targets by heating them up so they catch fire in "a few seconds."
Rotem said a 100-kilowatt prototype with a range of 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) would come out in three to four years. That suggested an operational version would take longer to roll out.
The airborne version would have an advantage because it could be operated over clouds, eliminating bad-weather disruptions that can afflict ground-based lasers, he said.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
