How lasers are changing war forever.
The 12-day Iran-Israel war proved to be a harsh awakening not only for Tehran but also for Tel Aviv, as many Iranian projectiles managed to penetrate Israel's layered anti-aircraft defense systems and hit densely populated cities as well as high-value military targets.
When Israel launched "Operation Rising Lion" against Iran in June 2025, Tehran responded with successive barrages of missiles and drones over the following days. During the 12-day conflict, Iran launched nearly 600 missiles and over 1,000 drones toward Israel. Of these, approximately 50-60 managed to penetrate the Israeli air defenses, causing the deaths of 29 people.
Iranian missiles also managed to strike five military bases, including the headquarters of the Mossad, the Kirya Military Headquarters, and several Israeli air bases. This massive attack tested the much-touted Israeli layered air defense system, which consists of Arrow, David’s Sling, Iron Dome, and THAAD.
In October 2023, the Hamas attack also managed to overload the Israeli air defenses, launching thousands of improvised rockets and drones in just 40 minutes. Together, these two incidents revealed that Israeli air defense systems are not as invulnerable as presented by Tel Aviv.
The 12-day hell for Israel
Another critical point that emerged in the 12-day war was that even a brief conflict with a medium regional power like Iran can deplete Israel's stockpiles of interceptor missiles, even with support from US reserves.
Israeli missile reserves ran out in 12 days
Iran possesses a large stockpile of thousands of ballistic missiles, supplemented by hypersonic missiles and drones. According to many military analysts, a significant reason why Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu agreed to a ceasefire was the rapidly dwindling stockpiles of Israeli interceptors.
In July, US Pentagon officials stated that THAAD system operators fired up to 150 missiles during the 12-day conflict to intercept the waves of Iranian ballistic missiles. Alarmingly, this corresponds to one quarter of all THAAD missiles ever purchased by the Pentagon, revealing gaps in the American missile reserve.
The lesson for Tel Aviv was clear: it cannot rely solely on existing air defense systems, especially in a prolonged, intense war.
Another challenge is the Iranian Shahed drones, which fly at very low altitudes and have carbon fiber fuselages, making them difficult to detect. They are difficult to shoot down from the ground, and when a helicopter or a fighter jet detects them and gets close enough, critical—and sometimes fatal—minutes have already been lost. Ukraine continues to struggle to find a permanent solution for the Russian Geran-2s, which are copies of the Shaheds.
The conclusion was clear: Israel needed a new defensive doctrine and a new air defense system to complement the existing ones. And it needed it immediately.
This is where the Israeli laser system, the Iron Beam, appears. The Iron Beam had been under development for several years and became operational in September this year.
Shahed vs Iron Beam: The battle for the future of aerial warfare
The head of research and analysis at the Israeli Ministry of Defense, Danny Gold, announced that the Iron Beam will be fully deployed in the field on December 30.
The Iron Beam has already been used. In June, the ministry revealed that in October 2024, the system had shot down at least 40 Hezbollah drones. According to the ministry, "the system achieved very high interception rates that saved lives and protected critical infrastructure."
The retired major general stated: "Israel is the first country in the world to present an extensive operational laser capability for threat interception."
The chief engineer of the system, Dr. Y., explained the urgent need for deployment: "After October 7, we all wondered what we could do. After giving blood, we sat down and said: we are the experts in lasers—what can we do now?"
Lieutenant Colonel Y., head of the high-power laser department, added: "The Iron Beam is the world's first 100 kW laser system to enter tactical service. It has demonstrated that it can intercept rockets, mortars, and UAVs at distances up to 10 kilometers."
The Iron Beam will be integrated with the early warning and control systems of the Iron Dome. For every incoming threat, the system will decide within seconds whether to use a $50,000 missile or a laser shot worth about half a dollar.
The Director General of the Ministry of Defense, Hamir Barahm, declared that the Iron Beam will be "the fundamental technology that will change future battle zones worldwide." The cost of use is so low that "it's like turning on the lights." Thus, the Iron Beam is an ideal solution against cheap, low-flying drones, such as the Shaheds.
Another advantage is the "unlimited ammunition capacity": unlike interceptor missiles, the laser never runs out. It can deal with dozens of threats simultaneously. And the interception happens almost at the speed of light.
Israel is not the only country developing laser weapons. India, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, the US, Germany, and Japan are also working on corresponding systems, but Israel will be the first country to deploy them in full operational action.
The US Navy successfully tested the HELIOS system in 2024, while India tested a powerful 30 kW laser in April this year. Israel is also developing the Lite Beam (10 kW) and the Iron Beam M (50 kW). These systems will further strengthen Israeli air defenses.
However, it must be noted that so far, laser weapons have not been tested in real conditions of major battles—such as in the Iran-Israel war or on October 7—and it remains to be seen how they will perform under conditions of intense conflict.
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