Israel prepares to deploy 14 Iron Beam laser defense batteries by end of 2026

Israel's defense establishment has confirmed plans to deploy 14 laser-based air defense batteries by the end of 2026, according to sources cited in a Jerusalem Post report.

The much-anticipated Iron Beam system was not widely used in recent rounds of fighting because, as the IDF explained, it had not yet been produced in sufficient numbers. The planned deployment would significantly expand Israel's laser-based air defense capabilities.

The Iron Beam can intercept incoming rockets, mortars and even artillery shells. It has reportedly intercepted around 40 Hezbollah drones over the past year and can shoot down incoming projectiles at an estimated cost of just $2 per interception.

Interceptor missiles used by Israel's Iron Dome, David's Sling, Arrow-2 and Arrow-3 defense systems can cost hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars per unit, while the missiles, rockets and drones they are designed to intercept can cost significantly less.

Danny Gold, head of the Defense Ministry's Directorate of Defense Research & Development, said the Iron Beam laser system is expected to "fundamentally change the rules of engagement on the battlefield."

Gold said that Israel was already advancing next-generation laser systems, including Lite Beam, a smaller, more compact system with a similar engineering profile to Iron Beam.

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Elbit Systems and Israel Aerospace Industries have all contributed efforts and resources to the national effort to build a laser-based air defense network to defend Israel from incoming missile and drone attacks.

The expanded defenses are also intended to address one of the IDF's main concerns regarding Hezbollah: the group's large arsenal of first-person-view (FPV) drones, which it could deploy across Israel's northern border in a future conflict.

According to sources, Israel is developing a broader range of defenses against this threat. These include short-range guns, nets, Israeli kamikaze drones and electronic warfare equipment. Research is also underway into the possibility of using direct-energy microwave weapons to disable incoming drones by damaging their internal components.