What is Israel’s Iron Beam?
Deployment of a new laser system for air defence is being accelerated
FOR EVERY ten incoming rockets, Israel’s system of defensive mobile batteries, the Iron Dome, typically shoots down nine. Israel claims to have maintained that ratio even as Hamas has fired bigger salvoes from Gaza in the aftermath of the Islamist group’s attack on Israel on October 7th. However, Iron Dome has limitations. Chiefly, replenishing interceptor stocks, even with American manufacturing help, is pricey. Reported costs for a single interceptor, called Tamir, range from $40,000 to more than double that. Israel thus plans to deploy laser air defences. It would be the first country to set up such a system. How does Iron Beam, as the system has been dubbed, actually work?
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