When Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, the Iron Dome system for defending against incoming rockets was once again in top form. Despite hundreds of successful launches, only a few rockets reached their target. In order to protect the country even better in the future, Israel is relying on its new Iron Beam laser weapon from manufacturer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
It sounds like science fiction, and yet we are in the middle of a process at the end of which weapons systems that shoot with bundled light will be part of everyday military life. Light Amplificationby Stimulated Emissionof Radiationis not a world first and has even been established in household electronics for decades (CD players). In industry, it is impossible to imagine life without lasers, which are used for measuring, cutting and welding. Medicine and science have also long been able to do without lasers and now the topic is also becoming increasingly interesting for the military. The idea of using light as a weapon can be traced back to Hippocrates, the commander of the Greek armed forces in 212 BC. His troops allegedly set fire to the sails of the Roman fleet by focusing the sunlight with mirrors.
Since the 1960s, however, military forces around the world have been conducting intensive research into laser weapon systems. The focus has always been on mastering ever higher performance levels, beam control and adaptive optics. In 2000, the US Department of Defense established the High Energy Laser Joint Technology Office (HEL-JTO). Since 2017, it has been called the Joint Directed Energy Transition Office (DE-JTO). Its task is to coordinate efforts in the field of lasers and microwaves. Virtually all industrialized nations with significant defence budgets are now researching this technology. Research is being carried out on the entire range of lasers, from solid-state lasers, chemical lasers and gas lasers to fiber lasers. High-energy lasersemit energy to influence physical elements of a target, such as aerostructures or sensors. Structures made of metal or plastic can be cut or melted in seconds. https://militaeraktuell.at/dann-sind-wir-in-europa-ganz-vorne-dabei/ The electromagnetic energy used is measured in kilowatts, bundled into a beam and directed at the target. Lasers are usually infrared and visible light. HEL systems attack targets individually, one at a time. The amount of energy that can be delivered to the target and the lethality depend on the output power, the purity and concentration of the energy on the target (beam quality/target tracking/focusing), the target distance and, not insignificantly, atmospheric conditions (weather). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RF6eHC4JBXA
Israel is at the forefront of research into HEL weapon systems. In March 2022, the Rafael company conducted tests with the Iron Beam system and presented excerpts of them in a video. In October 2022, Rafael then declared its Iron Beam system (fiber laser, 100+kW power) to be ready for use in an estimated two to three years. An Iron Beam battery is to consist of an air defense radar, a command and control unit (C2) and two HEL systems. In May 2023, Rafael then also presented the Naval Iron Beam (see video below). The system is to be installed on naval vessels from the end of the decade to protect them against a range of threats. Special mention was made of missions to defend against saturation attacks, such as those carried out by swarms of drones. The first planned application is the Israeli Navy’s future Reshef-class corvettes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=ogwE0E_mj0vFHDlk&v=mOafK-4bTDc&feature=youtu.be In the wake of the Hamas terror attack on October 7, there was speculation as to whether Israel might deploy Iron Beam earlier in some kind of field test to support the Iron Dome missile defense system. There have been various claims that such a field test is already taking place or has already taken place. The attractiveness of HEL weapon systems is based on the unbeatably low cost of ammunition and the magazine capacity, which is limited only by the availability of energy. While even short-range anti-aircraft missiles cost 100,000 euros or more per missile and anti-aircraft grenades cost several hundred euros each, one second of 100kW HEL is equivalent to around one euro in electricity costs. The disadvantage is the still very large equipment: an Iron Beam 100kW+ HEL laser currently requires the size of a 40-foot container + possibly external equipment.
