Following a series of discussions over recent months, Defense Minister Benny Gantz approved the allocation of hundreds of millions of Shekels for the development and production of the “Iron Beam” system. Director General of the Ministry of Defense, Maj. Gen. (Res.) Amir Eshel, will sign the agreement in the coming days, enabling further development of the system.
Thursday morning, Benny Gantz toured the Rafael compound together with the head of Research and Development at the DDR&D, Brigadier General Yaniv Rotem, the CEO of Rafael, Maj. Gen. (Res.) Yoav Har-Even, and General Manager at Elbit Systems ISTAR & EW, Oren Sabag, where they were presented with the system. Subsequently, the Minister of Defense approved the plan’s progression according to the work plan and the agreement with Rafael.
Minister Gantz said, “Today we are advancing towards a dramatic change in the battlefield and enhancing Israeli security in the face of growing threats on our borders with Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, backed by Iran and terrorist organizations.”
Gantz also said that the high-power laser system constitutes a “strategic change” in Israel’s defense of the home front in addition to the political and operational echelons’ flexibility during combat. He added that the DDR&D, Israeli industries, and the defense establishment continue to maintain Israel’s operational edge and “save lives through creativity, flexibility, and ground-breaking technologies.”
“We will do everything we can and allocate the necessary resources to complete the process as quickly as possible,” added Gantz, “and I am sure that along with the unprecedented operational and security gain, our investment will also lead to great economic gain for the State of Israel and ground-breaking collaborations with our allies.”
Head of Research and Development in the DDR&D in the Ministry of Defense, Brigadier General Yaniv Rotem: said “The fruition of this program based on high-power laser technology is the product of many years of investment.
“Our decision to incorporate laser systems will lead to a significant increase in Israel’s defense capabilities,” he added.
Rafael’s CEO, Maj. Gen. (Res.) Yoav Har-Even boasted that the Iron Beam system has the most powerful laser system of its kind in the world. “After many years of research and development, we see this strategic plan as a significant milestone in Israel’s air defense capabilities,” he said. “Similar milestones throughout the last decade include the development of ‘Iron Dome’ and ‘David’s Sling’ systems which combine groundbreaking technologies that place the State of Israel at the global forefront of the air defense field. I have no doubt that the same will be true in the laser Field.”
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