Israel is leading in the real-world integration of laser weapons onto fighter aircraft, with other countries mostly in experimental or development stages.
By Hezy Laing
Israel is making significant strides in developing an airborne version of its Iron Beam laser defense system, aiming to revolutionize how drones and other aerial threats are intercepted.
The airborne Iron Beam is intended to provide precise, cost-effective countermeasures against drones, rockets, and potentially cruise missiles.
Unlike traditional missile interceptors, which are expensive and limited in supply, laser systems offer an almost unlimited magazine and can neutralize threats at the speed of light.
The project is led by Elbit Systems, in collaboration with Rafael, and is designed to adapt the ground-based Iron Beam into a high-energy laser weapon mounted on aircraft.
According to Elbit CEO Bezhalel Machlis, the system is being developed for the Israeli Air Force.
The project has attracted international interest, signaling a shift in how air forces may defend against emerging drone threats.
If successful, Israel would become one of the first nations to field a combat-ready airborne laser system, marking a major leap in air defense capabilities and setting a precedent for future warfare.
This airborne variant builds on the success of the ground-based Iron Beam, which has already demonstrated its ability to shoot down drones and rockets in operational tests.
Elbit Systems has confirmed significant progress in adapting this high-energy laser, which is designed to shoot down drones and potentially other aerial threats, for use aboard combat aircraft like the F-16, F-15, or F-35.
Israel is leading in the real-world integration of laser weapons onto fighter aircraft, with other countries mostly in experimental or development stages.
Operational deployment is targeted by the end of 2025, making Israel one of the first countries to field lasers on fighter jets.
Technological advances in miniaturization and power efficiency have made airborne lasers more feasible than in past decades, when similar U.S. programs like the YAL-1 airborne laser faced insurmountable challenges.
Other nations, including the U.S., have tested or explored mounting lasers on fighters through projects like the Self-Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator (SHiELD) for jets such as the F-15 and F-22, but these programs were canceled and have not reached deployment.
Israel’s approach suggests a turning point in directed energy weapons, with operational deployment targeted by the end of the year.
Air Borne laser systems are generally more effective than ground-based laser systems for destroying missiles and drones.
Greater coverage and flexibility allow them to rapidly relocate and respond to threats over a wide area. This mobility provides better coverage compared to stationary ground-based systems, which are limited to protecting their immediate surroundings.
Laser weapons’ effectiveness can be reduced by atmospheric conditions like clouds, rain, dust, and turbulence, which scatter and weaken the beams.
Airborne lasers operate at higher altitudes, above much of the atmospheric interference, allowing for longer effective range and better shot quality than ground lasers.
Ground-based lasers are limited by terrain and the Earth’s curvature, which affects both detection and engagement windows, especially for low-flying targets and missiles launched from far away.
Airborne systems can maintain a better line of sight to fast-moving threats, including during boost-phase missile flight, increasing their chances of successful interception before the missile leaves the vulnerable stage.
