Overview
- The Ministry of Defense and Rafael handed the initial Iron Beam unit to the IDF at a ceremony at Rafael’s headquarters in northern Israel.
- Iron Beam is slated for integration into the Israeli Air Force and will operate within the multi‑layer network alongside Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow.
- Official statements say extensive testing produced successful interceptions of rockets, mortars and unmanned aerial vehicles.
- Authorities frame the laser’s chief advantage as near‑zero marginal cost per interception compared with the tens of thousands of dollars for each Iron Dome missile.
- Defense Minister Israel Katz called the rollout a “historic milestone,” asserted the system has reached operational maturity after multiple interceptions, and warned adversaries including Iran, Syria and Lebanon.