Israel has tested the Iron Dome with Iron Beam, combining missiles and laser pulses for air defense, countering a multiple threat scenario.
This was announced by the Defense Ministry of the Jewish state in a statement, explaining that it conducted a joint exercise using both the Iron Beam laser defense system and the interceptor-based Iron Dome system. According to the report, these tests also included “operational lessons learned during the war” and scenarios such as rocket attacks, cruise missiles, and drones.
The head of the Defense Research and Development Directorate (DDR&D) of the Israeli Missile Defense Organization (IMDO), Moshe Patel, emphasized the importance of coordinating the defensive capabilities of Iron Beam and Iron Dome to maximize their joint effectiveness. By mid-2025, the Defense Ministry revealed that Iron Beam had shot down about 40 Hezbollah drones already in the fall of 2024.
The announcement from the Israeli ministry comes amid the ceasefire between the United States and Iran, a diplomatic development that has left Israel in a state of heightened strategic tension along the northern border with Lebanon, reports Defense News.
All the details.
WHAT THE IRON DOME AIR DEFENSE SYSTEM IS AND HOW IT WORKS
The Iron Dome is widely considered one of the most important tools in Israel’s arsenal. So much so that even the President of the United States, Donald Trump, wants a similar system (Golden Dome) for his country.
The air defense system has 10 mobile batteries deployed across the country, each with three or four launchers, aiming to defend a populated area of 155 square kilometers. The launchers can fire about 20 Tamir interceptors, giving the system the capacity to launch up to 800 missiles against incoming rockets, not counting reloads.
It consists of missile defense batteries capable of defending against mortar and rocket attacks. The batteries are mobile, so they can be moved where needed. The system is designed to operate effectively in all types of weather conditions.
DEVELOPED BY RAFAEL AND CO-PRODUCED WITH AMERICAN RAYTHEON
Operational since 2011, the system has intercepted thousands of rockets launched by Hezbollah and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The system, developed by the Israeli Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and co-produced since 2014 with the US-based Raytheon Technologies, is designed to counter short-range projectiles and drones, ranging from 4 to 70 km.
The Israeli company Rafael is also the main developer of Iron Beam, a laser defense system to intercept short-range threats more economically than Tamir missiles.
THE NEW TESTS
During the tests, the Israeli government stated it successfully executed and managed joint operational scenarios directly from the Iron Dome’s operational control center.
According to the Defense Ministry, the new capabilities demonstrated by Iron Dome during the tests represent a “significant step forward” in the system’s ability to counter various scenarios, adding another pillar to the ministry’s strategy to improve the operational readiness of Israel’s Defense Forces (IDF).
INTEGRATION WITH IRON BEAM
A key element of the latest series of tests concerns precisely the operational integration of Iron Beam.
Delivered to the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) at the end of last year recalls The Jerusalem Post, the Iron Beam system represents a historic milestone: the world’s first operational laser defense platform capable of neutralizing rockets, drones, and mortars at a fraction of the cost of traditional interceptors.
This latest system is designed to neutralize targets within four or five seconds from the moment it locks on, at distances up to 10 kilometers. It is believed that an Iron Beam laser pulse costs only a few dollars, while a single Tamir interceptor missile costs about $50,000, notes Defense News.
This integration is a prerequisite for future operational deployments, allowing dynamic switching from missile interception to laser interception based on the nature of the incoming threat, system availability, and cost-benefit calculations.
