JERUSALEM — The Israeli military this week said it had intercepted about 40 unmanned aerial vehicles by high-power laser systems in the wider Gaza war, a first in a combat engagement.
The majority of interceptions were of Hezbollah UAVs from Israel’s Northern border, along with other unspecified battle arenas, the government said. The systems were operated by the Israeli Air Force’s new tactical air defense battalion, which was attached to the IDF’s Northern Command during the war.
The Israeli Ministry of Defense declined to specify which systems brought down the drones, saying only that no Iron Beam components were involved. Iron Beam describes Israel’s main laser-defense architecture, meant to work in tandem with the kinetic interceptor-based Iron Dome.
In released images accompanying the announcement, Rafael’s Lite Beam system can be seen. Israeli defense officials also point to an Iron Beam-M system that Rafael unveiled during last year’s AUSA exhibit in Washington.
A Rafael spokesperson declined to clarify which company weapons were involved in the combat engagement.
Rafael’s website says that the Lite Beam is a 10-kW class high energy laser weapon system (HELWS) for countering a wide range of low altitude aerial threats including small UAVs and swarms of drones alongside ground-based threats.
It is designed for light 4×4 vehicles as well as for 6×6, 8×8, and tracked armored fighting vehicles. The weapon focuses intense heat on a coin-sized spot, neutralizing up to 10 targets simultaneously at ranges of up to a few kilometers, according to Rafael.
The Iron Beam-M system is based on the larger Iron Beam system, but modified for mobility. According to Rafael, the system employs a 50-kW laser.
Tzally Greenberg is the Israel correspondent for Defense News. He has experience reporting on economic affairs as well as defense and cyber companies.
