High-energy laser air defencefieldedpartial data
Iron Beam
Laser Dome, Or Eitan, Magen Or
A ground-based 100 kW-class laser that burns down drones, rockets and mortar bombs as a cheap layer alongside Iron Dome.
No public price No usable dollar figure. Rafael told JNS each interception costs 'only a few dollars in electricity', and Israeli officials say 'a few shekels'; both cover energy only, not the launcher, crew, upkeep or amortisation. Calcalist reports each laser unit is estimated at several tens of millions of dollars; Rafael does not disclose the price.
| Maker | Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, with Elbit Systems supplying core laser components |
|---|---|
| Origin | Israel |
| Built | Israel |
| Power | 100 kW |
| Max range | 10 km |
| Guidance | Cued by radar and the Iron Dome command post, whose crews choose laser or interceptor per threat; the beam is held on a coin-sized spot |
| Launcher | Ground laser units; a battery pairs two laser units with a radar and command-and-control post (initially planned as mobile, later made non-mobile) |
Israel's Defense Ministry declared Iron Beam deployed in the field on 28 December 2025 after final tests in September 2025. The roughly 40 Hezbollah drones shot down by lasers in October 2024 were credited to scaled-down systems; the ministry said no Iron Beam components were involved, so this profile does not count that as Iron Beam combat use. Officials say the system works in about 90% of weather, while cloud, smoke, dust and the several-second dwell time per target limit how many threats it can stop in a barrage. Cost and performance figures come from Rafael and the Israeli Defense Ministry and have not been independently tested.
Sources (16)
- Jerusalem Post: Defense Ministry rolls out Iron Beam across Israel (28 Dec 2025) (status)
- Jerusalem Post: Defense Ministry rolls out Iron Beam across Israel (28 Dec 2025) (maker)
- JNS: 'Unlimited interceptions, each costing only a few dollars' (18 Mar 2025) (power_kw)
- Calcalist Ctech: Iron Beam's hype meets reality (30 Dec 2025) (range_km)
- JNS: 'Unlimited interceptions, each costing only a few dollars' (18 Mar 2025) (range_km)
- Calcalist Ctech: Iron Beam's hype meets reality (30 Dec 2025) (guidance_or_cueing)
- Ynet: Israel unveils 'Or Eitan' laser defense system (17 Sep 2025) (guidance_or_cueing)
- Wikipedia: Iron Beam (launcher)
- TWZ: Israel's Iron Beam has downed enemy drones (29 May 2025) (launcher)
- JNS: 'Unlimited interceptions, each costing only a few dollars' (18 Mar 2025) (unit_cost_note)
- Ynet: Israel unveils 'Or Eitan' laser defense system (17 Sep 2025) (unit_cost_note)
- Calcalist Ctech: Iron Beam's hype meets reality (30 Dec 2025) (unit_cost_note)
- Defense News: Israel claims drone interceptions with high-power lasers (30 May 2025) (notes)
- Ynet: Israel unveils 'Or Eitan' laser defense system (17 Sep 2025) (notes)
- Wikipedia: Iron Beam (notes)
- Ynet: Israel unveils 'Or Eitan' laser defense system (17 Sep 2025) (aka)
