The Israeli laser-based interceptor Iron Beam reached a major milestone on Thursday after a series of tests was completed with success.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
The groundbreaking tests involved the successful interception of unmanned aerial vehicles, mortars, rockets anti-tank missiles in a variety of simulated scenarios.
The announcement puts Israel as the leader of the pack when it comes to the development of precise laser interceptors, which are considered less costly and easier to operate. in comparison with traditional methods. The system was developed under the auspices f the Defense Ministry and by Rafael Advanced Defense System and Elbit Sytems
"A month ago we announced a major decision when we made a massive order for the development of this system, and today this big step becomes an accomplishment that is on a global scale," Defense Minister Benny Gantz said, calling it a "victory for Israeli innovation." He said the ministry will make sure it gets deployed as soon as possible so that it could complement the other interceptors Israel has at its disposal and improve the defense against rockets and missiles.
Brig.-Gen. Yaniv Rotem, who heads the research and development unit at the ministry's Directorate of Defense Research and Development said this was a "game-changing" system. "The completion of these tests in this high-capacity laser shows that we are realizing the technological vision in energy warfare. For the first time, we managed to intercept a variety of threats from mortar shells, rockets and UAVs in challenging ranges and periods."
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
