Click to see full-size image. (Screengrab-Israeli Defense Forces\Israeli Defense Ministry)
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and Defense Ministry revealed on May 28 that the Israeli Air Force intercepted dozens of Hezbollah drones using a new laser interception system during the fighting with the group last year.
A joint statement by the two said that the new system that was used during the fighting is a smaller version of the Iron Beam high-powered laser interception system, which is set to enter service with the IDF this year. Both systems are developed by the Rafael defense firm.
The development of the system was advanced in light of the Hezbollah drone threat in the north, according to the statement.
“During the war, the Air Force… deployed the laser system, and led to particularly high interception achievements that saved civilians and defended national assets,” the IDF and Defense Ministry say.
Hezbollah fired more than 300 suicide drones at Israel amid the fighting, which largely came to a halt with a United States-brokered ceasefire last November.
Videos released by the IDF and the Defense Ministry showed a system very similar in design to the Iron Beam intercepting drones that looked exactly like some of the types employed by Hezbollah during the fighting last year.
While Israeli air defenses were able to neutralize most of the rockets and missiles launched by Hezbollah during the fighting, they struggled to counter the group’s suicide drones.
On May 15 of last year, a suicide drone launched by Hezbollah downed the Sky Dew high altitude missile defense aerostat in northern Israel. Later on October 13, another drone launched by the group hit the Zar’it barracks, killing four Israeli troops and wounding at least 58 others.
While laser-based air defense systems offer a lower operation cost and a more rapid response, they face several challenges, including insufficient power output, limited range due to atmospheric conditions, and difficulty tracking fast-moving targets. Still, these challenges may not matter mauch when it comes to targets like suicide drones.
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