Defense Ministry reveals development of laser to down rockets

Israel’s Defense Ministry announces that it is developing a laser beam capable of shooting down incoming rockets and small drones, which it will be testing throughout the coming year.

According to the ministry, this laser system is possible due to a recent unspecified “technological breakthrough.”

This laser beam is meant to complement the Iron Dome missile defense system and would allow the Israel Defense Forces to intercept incoming projectiles and drones at a far cheaper cost than with existing technologies.

The head of weapons development in the Defense Ministry, Brig. Gen. Yaniv Rotem, says each firing of the laser would cost approximately one dollar — not including the cost of the system — compared to the tens of thousands of dollars that each Iron Dome interceptor missile costs.

The downside of the laser system is that it does not function well in times of low visibility, when there is heavy cloud cover and other inclement weather.

“We can only shoot down with a laser what we can see,” Rotem says.

According to the ministry, in the coming year, the weapons development division, working with the Elbit and Rafael defense contractors, will create three versions of the laser system: a static ground-based system, one that can be loaded onto a mobile platform and one that can be attached to aircraft in order to work around the visibility issue.

“We are entering a new age of energy warfare in the air, land and sea. The research and development investments made by the [Defense Ministry] in recent years have placed the State of Israel among the leading countries in the field of high-energy laser systems,” Rotem says.

— Judah Ari Gross