Let There Be Laser Light

By Abe Greenwald

We desperately need good news, and we’ve got some. On Wednesday, Israel’s Defense Ministry announced that its “Iron Beam” laser-defense system is operational and will be deployed throughout the country over the next few months.

In fact, Israel already used a smaller laser-defense system to shoot down 40 Hezbollah drones last year. But Iron Beam goes far beyond what was operational then. Unlike the smaller Lite Beam, Iron Beam can also shoot down mortars, rockets, and missiles. 

Iron Beam is meant to augment, not replace, Israel’s current air-defense. But it beats the non-laser systems on multiple fronts. First off, there’s the cost. Every time Israel uses Iron Dome to fire off an interceptor missile, it costs roughly $50,000. For the Arrow system, it’s $2 million. Iron Beam costs only a few dollars per shot of laser light. 

And because the beam travels so fast, it can take out aerial threats well before they reach Israeli skies. That high speed also means that the IDF will know very quickly whether it hit a target. If not, they can keep firing until they succeed. The system can even hit multiple targets simultaneously. And in using a beam of light, there’s no risk of running out of ammunition. 

The hope is that Iron Beam’s ability to take out so many incoming threats while in enemy territory will result in far fewer warning sirens and trips to bomb shelters. 

There are three versions of the system in all, each suited to different challenges: the short-range and mobile Lite Beam, the more powerful but less mobile Iron Beam M, and the most powerful but stationary Iron Beam. Israel will surely continue to refine and innovate these systems, and perhaps develop a version that can be mounted on aircraft.

Everything entails trade-offs, and there are a few here. As the Wall Street Journal reports, laser systems “have trouble in low-visibility conditions, and electronic components of drones can be hardened to withstand their attacks at long range.” 

But if you ask me, Iron Beam, like so much that we’ve witnessed since this war started, is another Israeli miracle. Several other countries—including the U.S., Russia, and China—are working on laser-defense systems of their own, but Israel’s is the only one that’s ready for action. 

There is a potential concern, and it doesn’t have to do with Iron Beam’s possible shortcomings. When a country’s defense systems are so good, it can create a false sense of impenetrability. Something of the sort contributed to Israel’s lack of readiness on October 7, 2023. Although one imagines that Israelis won’t be caught off guard again anytime soon. 

Of course, no people should have to get used to living under a dome of protective rockets and laser beams. And when Israel wins the war started by Hamas on October 7, the need for all of its air-defense systems will decrease dramatically. But it’s good to know those systems will be stronger than ever. And it’s a testament to Israeli genius that however dazzling its military, intelligence, and technology have already proved, the Jewish state is nowhere near done with historic breakthroughs. 

Abe Greenwald is the executive editor of COMMENTARY.