One of the much-anticipated “Manhattan” projects has seen the light of day, perhaps quite literally.
The Ministry of Defense has signed a contract worth around 2 billion NIS. The Israeli weapons manufacturers Elbi Systems and Rafael have been commissioned to bring the ‘Iron Beam’ to series production to protect Israel’s skies from rockets, drones and other military aircraft in the future.
Israel will be the first state to protect its airspace with laser technology. A laser costs only a fraction of the price of a defence missile. Energy costs are estimated at around 2 to 10 US dollars per shot compared to the at least 100,000 US dollars that a shot with an Iron Dome defence missile costs. A laser does not need storage, does not have lengthy industrial production and only needs electricity. And, the laser works with the speed of light.
Never Again dependence on “allies”
What must never happen is that Israel sells to foreign countries. Israel currently has no allies. Israel had to learn this the hard way. The betrayal of Israel by Harris and Biden must never be repeated. Israel must develop independent weapons systems. Never again must Israel be blackmailed by a so-called ally such as the USA, France, Italy, the UK or Germany by these “allies” refusing to supply Israel with agreed and paid weapons.
Giving the Iron Dome know-how to the USA for free was a serious strategic mistake by Israeli elites. They often seem to have more than just Israel in mind. They believe that through appeasement and unilateral submission to the Oslo Doctrine, they can ensure Israel’s survival. The opposite is the case.
This mistake of becoming completely dependent on the USA must not be repeated. That is why Israel must become independent in terms of weapons technology. The Iron Beam is an auspicious first step in this direction. The next projects in the spirit of the “Manhattan Project” must follow.
A corresponding system was presented by Rafael last year(February 2023) in Arizona. However, things changed. The cooperation should be ended. The USA under Biden and Harris obeying the Obama-doctrine (bring down Israel, appease the Mullah regime) is not a reliable ally like all left-wing allies: The ‘Laser Drone Dome‘
IRON BEAM
Rafel describes: “IRON BEAM is a 100kW class High Energy Laser Weapon System (HELWS) that is expected to become the first operational system in its class. It quickly and effectively engages and neutralizes a wide array of threats from a range of hundreds of meters to several kilometers. Engaging at the speed of light, IRON BEAM has an unlimited magazine, with almost zero cost per interception, and causes minimal collateral damage.“
“Complementing RAFAEL’s IRON DOME, it can be integrated with a range of platforms and can become part of any multilayer defense system.” (quote and pic from Rafael)
Further under contract is Elbit Systems which will supply the IMOD, under the “Iron Beam” project, its high-power laser solution, developed by the Company to provide a robust defence against a variety of threats.
Bezhalel (Butzi) Machlis, President and CEO of Elbit Systems: “As Israel’s Laser Center and a global leader in high-power laser technology, Elbit Systems congratulates on the significant progress made in the “Iron Beam” project and is proud of its contribution to its success. The capabilities developed at Elbit Systems represent a leap forward in future defense against various threats.”
(pic generated by AI. No real image)