Overview
- Brig. Gen. (Res.) Daniel Gold announced development completion and initial operational capability at Tel Aviv’s DefenseTech Summit, with handover to the IDF scheduled for December 30, 2025.
- Iron Beam is reported as a roughly 100-kilowatt system with an engagement range near 10 kilometers, designed to burn through rockets, mortars and drones at the speed of light.
- Officials describe per-shot costs of only a few dollars and an effectively unlimited magazine limited mainly by power availability, contrasting with tens of thousands of dollars for missile interceptors.
- The laser will be integrated as a complementary tier alongside Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow, with missiles expected to handle heavy barrages and longer-range threats.
- A lower-power variant was previously fielded in combat and reportedly intercepted dozens of Hezbollah UAVs, a wartime experience that accelerated the move to the full-power version.