A laser dome

It is designed to engage short-range aerial threats at distances of up to 10 kilometres (km), depending on the target and atmospheric conditions. Its effectiveness can be reduced by fog, dust, smoke, and heavy rain, which can scatter or absorb the laser beam.

The 100-kilowatt (kW) laser is equipped with an electro-optical targeting system and has the ability to engage short-range targets using heat to disable or destroy them.

The system is built around threats that can overwhelm air-defence systems through numbers, including rockets, mortars, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) at a low marginal cost per interception.

However, the challenge is not to simply generate a powerful beam, it is to keep the laser concentrated on a moving target despite atmospheric disturbances.

The company, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, has also developed a smaller version named Iron Beam M — a 50-kW class laser system with a 250-millimetre (mm) beam director, designed for mobile deployment on military vehicles. It uses a high-resolution thermal imager, targeting system, and adaptive optics to track and engage aerial threats for several km.

A missile interceptor has to be manufactured, stored, transported, and eventually replaced after launch, whereas the Iron beam only uses electrical power as ammunition.

Israel signed a deal worth over $500 million with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Elbit Systems in October last year to expand serial production of Iron Beam.

Major General Rajan Kochhar (retired) said the Iron Beam’s operation can be understood through a “sensor-track-point-dwell-kill” sequence. Surveillance radars first detect an incoming UAV, rocket, or projectile and pass it to the command-and-control network. Iron Beam then acquires the target through its infrared sensors, continuously tracks its position, and directs the laser at a point.

Rather than exploding the target like a missile, the laser deposits heat until a critical component such as the airframe, motor, fuel system, or control surface fails. “A relatively small amount of precisely delivered thermal damage at the right location can produce a mission kill,” said Kochhar.

Its advantage over missiles lies in its low marginal engagement cost, deep magazine, precision and rapid re-engagement capability. However, it cannot replace conventional interceptors and will work within Israel’s layered air-defence network of Arrow, David Sling and Iron Dome, he added.