Israel’s Iron Beam set to make global debut in Paris
After battlefield success against Hezbollah drones, Rafael unveils next-gen laser defense system for the world stage.
About a week after Israel’s defense establishment confirmed that the Iron Beam high-power laser air defense system had successfully intercepted dozens of Hezbollah drones during the northern front conflict, its developer and manufacturer, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, announced on Wednesday that it will publicly showcase the system for the first time at the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget, opening on June 16th.
Built on a technological breakthrough that allows the interception of rockets, mortars, drones, and missiles using a focused laser beam, Rafael has developed three variants of the system - two of which are mobile and designed for the defense of sensitive sites and maneuvering forces against a wide array of threats.
The primary system, capable of targeting threats up to 10 kilometers away, is scheduled to be delivered to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for operational deployment by the end of the year. Compared to earlier prototypes, its guidance system has been significantly upgraded, enhancing precision and improving the “laser process”, the mechanism by which the laser beam locks onto and neutralizes incoming threats.
Rafael executives stated that the improved guidance system reduces interception time, even under complex combat conditions. However, the company declined to comment on whether Iron Beam can simultaneously handle barrages involving dozens of rockets. At least in the initial phase, Iron Beam will serve as a complementary layer to the Iron Dome missile defense system.
Rafael also revealed that it is developing tactical laser systems with smaller, more compact guidance units than those used in the current Iron Beam (known in Hebrew as “Magen Or”). These systems aim to increase deployment flexibility and extend interception range. The company is also working on integrating the laser into the Sa’ar 6-class missile corvettes operated by the Israeli Navy.
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Given Rafael’s recent technological progress, a senior defense source told Calcalist that new capabilities enable Iron Beam to operate effectively even in heavy rain. “We can now say that in 90% of the year’s weather conditions, we’ll be able to direct a high-powered laser at incoming threats. This will drastically cut interception costs. While a single Iron Dome interception costs tens of thousands of dollars, Iron Beam could do the same for just a few shekels,” the source said.
Israel’s defense industry is preparing for a major presence at the Paris Air Show after the French government barred Israeli exhibitors from last year’s Eurosatory and Euronaval defense expos, in protest of the war in Gaza. Political and public pressure is mounting in France to once again restrict Israeli participation in Le Bourget.
During a press briefing, Rafael Chairman Yuval Steinitz and CEO Yoav Turgeman emphasized the performance of Israel’s current air defenses. Since the war began on October 7, they noted, Iron Dome has intercepted more than 90% of the rockets fired at Israel. They also said that the Windbreaker (Trophy) active protection system, which defends tanks and armored vehicles from anti-tank missiles, has achieved similarly high success rates.
