Israel is preparing to deploy one of the world’s first combat-ready laser air-defense system, marking a historic shift in how nations defend against rockets, drones and missiles — and a sign that Jerusalem is intent on staying one step ahead of its adversaries even as active fighting subsides.
In an interview with Fox News Digital at the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) conference in Washington, D.C., Rafael Advanced Defense Systems CEO Yoav Turgeman confirmed that the company has completed acceptance testing of its Iron Beam laser interceptor and is now delivering the system to the Israeli Air Force for operational use.
‘We have demonstrated the first production-line system. It was very successful,’ Turgeman said. ‘We are delivering the system to the Air Force, which will use it operationally.’
The Iron Beam represents a breakthrough in directed-energy technology — capable of destroying incoming rockets, drones and mortars with a beam of light that can strike targets moving as fast as the speed of sound and at a fraction of the cost of conventional interceptors.
‘The interception cost is just a few dollars,’ Turgeman explained. ‘There’s no interceptor debris, so the collateral damage is much smaller. It enables us to reduce the cost of interception and enhance the performance of our system.’
The Iron Beam’s rollout makes Israel the first nation to field a high-power laser interceptor integrated into a national air-defense network — a milestone that could redefine missile defense for decades to come.
Rafael designed it as part of Israel’s layered air-defense architecture, which also includes the Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow systems.
The laser will handle short-range threats such as rockets, small drones, and mortar rounds, freeing up Iron Dome’s more expensive missile interceptors for higher-value targets.
‘Each layer complements the other,’ Turgeman said. ‘The system decides what is the optimized solution.’
Turgeman said Rafael will partner with Lockheed Martin to produce Iron Beam components and indicated the technology could be integrated into the U.S.’s Golden Dome plans.
‘We are looking forward to start the production stage,’ he told Fox News. ‘Lockheed Martin will take part in a significant part of the production. We were able to meet our schedule on time, even though we had a war.’
Modeled after Israel’s Iron Dome, the U.S. is currently developing plans for its own homeland missile defense shield.
‘We would love to see [Iron Dome] as part of that solution,’ he said. ‘We have Iron Dome, the Stunner interceptor, and the laser — all could help protect the U.S.’
The new technology comes amid relative calm in the Middle East. Israel and Hamas have maintained a cease-fire in Gaza, and Iran has not launched attacks since June’s 12-day war.
Still, Israel isn’t taking any chances: Turgeman said Rafael has doubled its research and development investment to ensure Israel maintains its technological edge.
‘If there will be another war, it will be the surprise,’ he said. ‘The idea is to deter the enemy from attacking Israel — that is the safest way to prevent war.’
At AUSA, Rafael also unveiled a new L-Spike loitering weapon, a drone-like missile capable of reaching a target rapidly and then circling overhead until a strike is authorized.
Turgeman said it’s designed for ‘time-critical targets’ and built to resist electronic warfare interference.
‘Even though the system has its own brain and can identify the target, the operator must approve the attack,’ he said. ‘One operator can run four systems — but the final decision is human.’