The Defense Ministry of Israel has announced that the delivery of the first operational Iron Beam system is expected by the end of December, a high-powered laser (HEL) set to be used for C-UAS tasks and beyond.
The Iron Beam will operate in conjunction with the point defense system Iron Dome (or the “Iron Cupola”), which is composed of missile effectors, EW systems for jamming, and microwave systems for drone and loitering munitions resistance.
It will be the command and control system (C2) of the Iron Dome that, thanks to its powerful processor, the actual “brain”, will determine which type of effector to use to counter the incoming threat, be it with the Tamir missile or Iron Dome’s laser beam or even jamming or microwave systems.
The cornerstone of the system is indeed the computational capability which allows the system to rapidly identify the most dangerous targets and focus the fire of the effectors on them.
The High Power Laser system is intended to provide the IDF with a robust defense against a range of threats.
Characteristics of the Iron Beam
Iron Beam is a high-energy laser weapon system (HELWS) with a power of 100 kW, the first system of this power class to be declared operational.
The laser system in question is capable of engaging and quickly and efficiently neutralizing a wide range of threats, within distances of a few hundred meters up to several kilometers.
Matching the speed of light, Iron Beam has a virtually unlimited loader (linked to the power supply), with a near-zero interception cost and minimal collateral damage, given the extreme precision of the laser beam directed at a specific target point.
Iron Beam uses a fibre laser to engage and destroy a target in flight within 4-5 seconds from the “firing” or illumination at a maximum distance of 7 km (the theoretical maximum system range would be 10 km).
A typical Iron Beam unit is organized with an air defense radar, a command and control center, and a pair of High Energy Laser (HEL) instruments.
It’s clear that, in the case of the IDF, operating in connection with the Iron Dome, the Iron Beam system leverages the command and control capabilities and resources interconnected with the multilayered air and missile defense system composed of David’s Sling and Arrow.
Source and photos credit @Ministry of Defense of Israel/Elbit Systems Ltd
