Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Wednesday that Israel will soon deploy a laser-based air defense system to counter enemy drones and rockets. It will cost $2 per interception.
Israel relies on shoot-down systems to launch interceptor missiles. These cost between tens and thousands of dollars to track these projectiles.
Iron Beam, however, is a system that uses lasers to superheat and destroy aerial threats. A prototype was revealed last year.
Bennett predicted that it would enter service in early 2023.
During a visit to Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, the state-owned manufacturer of the system, he stated that “this is a game-changer”
In past wars, Palestinian and Lebanese troops have launched thousands of rockets or mortar bombs at Israel. Israel has also intercepted drones that it suspects were launched near its borders by Iranian-backed fighters in recent years.
“It cost us a lot to intercept each rocket until today. They (the enemy) can now invest in rockets tens to thousands of dollars and we will spend $2 on electricity to intercept them,” Bennett stated in a video released by his office.
