Posted on 11/29/2023 6:00:28 AM PST by Red Badger
Israel has begun using laser beams, otherwise known as “directed energy” weapons, to shoot down rockets fired from Gaza.
The news comes after reports that Lockheed Martin and Israel’s Rafael have been developing Iron Beam, a laser defense system that can be mounted on ships and planes.
This week, Israel began using the directed energy weapons, Iron Sting, which is part of the larger Iron Beam laser defense system.
Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system is well known, with a 90% rate effectiveness rate.
However, each Iron Dome battery can cost $100 million, and each interceptor costs between $40,000 and $50,000.
The New York Post noted Hamas fires thousands of rockets and missiles at Israel — it’s fired an estimated 10,000 since Oct. 7 — the costs of defense mount and the supply of interceptors can run out.
Iron Dome batteries typically have about 60 to 80 interceptor missiles at hand.
The defense agency said a laser system overcomes these problems because you only need electricity and can fire repeatedly at incoming threats.
But the US Missile Defense Agency executive director said the laser technology was not quite there.
The agency “in the past few years kind of backed away,” she told Breaking Defense.
“That technology still needed to mature. It needed to mature in power levels that could be delivered on target” and in “reduction of the size, weight, and power requirements.”
She said, “that technology maturation is happening” — and “there have been some really impressive results.”
“We’ve been doing studies all along and looking at lethality effects and doing experimentation. But we think that, finally, we’re starting to see some real progress, and so that’s why the increased emphasis.”
“There’s so many advantages of having a potential directed-energy engagement system — give the warfighter additional engagement opportunities, save interceptors, lower cost per engagement. So lots of great potential for directed energy.”
National security Dr. Simon Tsipis said the first use of the Iron Beam was against the rockets fired by Hezbollah from Lebanon.
“This is a run-of-the-mill laser based on the fundamental concept of high energy concentration. However, its capability is limited to destroying targets within a relatively short range, typically a few dozen kilometers and no further,” Tsipis said.
Watch
VIDEOS AT LINK................
News Nation Now reported:
The new “Iron Beam” wasn’t supposed to be in service for at least a couple more years. But in the wake of the ongoing conflict, sources say it could be thrust right into the middle of the war.
“The Iron Beam can work in conjunction with the Iron Dome,” Kenneth Gray, a senior lecturer at the University of New Haven, said.
According to Open Source Intelligence Monitor on X, IDF is preparing to deploy the Iron Beam laser point-defense system.
The system uses a fiber laser to destroy airborne targets.
the rockets have to stop.
Israel simply needs to declare that for every rocket that is fired into Israel. They will level 10 square blocks of Gaza.
Israel is going to be condemned no matter what they do. Thus to Israel- ANY AND ALL MEANS NECESSARY TO PERMANENTLY ELIMINATE THE THREAT-
Ut, oh, here we go again. US taxpayers are being co-opted to handover to a
foreign country, billions of US tax dollars (by a govt that is $33 trillion in debt).
REFERECE FTA-—US arms mfg, Lockheed Martin, and Israel, have been developing a “laser defense system” that can be mounted on ships and planes. Israel has begun using the “directed energy weapons,” which are part of the larger Iron Beam laser defense system. However, each Iron Dome battery can cost $100 million, and each interceptor costs between $40,000 and $50,000.
FTA-—US arms mfg, Lockheed Martin, and Israel, have been developing a “laser defense system” that can be mounted on ships and planes. Israel has begun using the “directed energy weapons,” which are part of the larger Iron Beam laser defense system.
BACKSTORY Both the Trump and Biden administrations had restricted sensitive technological exports to China. As a result, China turned to cooperative Israel. China’s direct investment in Israel’s IT industry, especially in chips and semiconductors, now has increased.
In 2017, Israeli PM Netanyahu said China accounts for one-third of the investment in Israeli high technology, which includes US military technology the US shares w/ Israel, its strongest ally. In the ’90s, Israel sold military equipment and technologies to China, including the Harpy missile system.
This incident chilled relations between the United States and Israel, with Israel being suspended from its status as Security Cooperative Participant in the Joint Strike Fighter program. However, on 6 November 2005, Israel stated that it has been re-admitted into the program.
The US had to pressure Israel to stop sharing US military technology w/ China. Yet Israel still doesn’t restrict China from acquiring dual-usage technologies that could have military implications against the US.
A succession of US administrations warned Israel about its growing tie with China, sharing concern about China using Israel as a backdoor to access sensitive technologies from the US.
The most vocal objection to Sino-Israeli ties came from the Trump administration. When former Secy of State Mike Pompeo visited Israel in 2019, he warned Israelis that the CCP “engages in spying through its commercial state-owned enterprises and presents risk through its technology systems. Pompeo said China’s actions posed a risk.
Unfortunately, Israel largely brushed aside the warnings. Like many other countries, China’s massive market has enticed Israel. Plus, the Israeli government hopes China’s good relationships with Arab nations may help Israel.
This year, Netanyahu was working on a Sino-Israeli free trade agreement and planned to visit China. But China’s siding w/ Hamas should wake up Israel’s leaders to the reality that Communist China’s relationship with Israel is purely transactional.
Worrying about the cost of supporting an ally, our only one in the middle east, is secondary at this time. Iron Beam accomplishes a few things:
Neutralizes a wide range of threats with pinpoint accuracy
Protects military forces and civilian populations
Uses an unlimited magazine
Causes limited collateral damage
Costs almost nothing per intercept
Integrates with a variety of platforms and systems
So the suspension of rockets and other killing air devices is a major concern at this time. Hamas is not going to get far with a ground atttack now. And since this weapon requires very little needs, it would be the cheapest way to handle it. So, trying to make sense of expensive means nothing when it’s the cheapest way to go.
wy69
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ark_of_the_Covenant
China is proving money is the most powerful weapon on earth look how much they own in the U.S. also.
That's depressing...
Right......they’re buying everything in sight.
Wow......I’m impressed.......you know so much about Israel’s high tech weaponry.
Too bad you couldnt have helped them out BEFORE Hamas attacked an unsuspecting Israel.
A succession of US administrations warned Israel about its growing ties with China.
There’s concern about China using Israel as a backdoor to access sensitive technologies from the US.
Dual-usage technologies that China obtains from Israel could have military
implications against the US.....AND undermines the safety and security of American families.
Good, before Oct7 they announced that the laser was about to be set out. It will be the killer of all drones. It can “reload” in milliseconds.
Air supremacy is dead. Anything above the tree line is suicide.
“The US had to pressure Israel to stop sharing US military technology w/ China. Yet Israel still doesn’t restrict China from acquiring dual-usage technologies that could have military implications against the US.”
Israel is not a friend of the US, and none of the Dual citizens in congress work for the betterment of the US either.
I wish people would wake up.
“Too bad you couldnt have helped them out BEFORE Hamas attacked an unsuspecting Israel.”
Umm Israel knew about the Hamas attack long before it happened, In fact they encouraged it so they could have justification to do exactly what they are doing right now.
Pentagon says it has no money for Middle East buildup
Under the temporary budget, funding is frozen at the previous year’s levels.
By LARA SELIGMAN, politico.com, 11/28/2023
The Defense Department has ordered an additional aircraft carrier strike group, air defenses, fighter jets and hundreds of troops to the Middle East since the surprise terrorist attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, in an effort to prevent the conflict from spiraling into a regional war.
The problem: Congressional dysfunction means the Pentagon has no money to pay for the buildup.
The military, like the rest of the federal government, is operating under a temporary funding measure that freezes spending at the previous year’s levels. And because the Middle East troop movements weren’t planned, the Pentagon has had to pull money from existing operations and maintenance accounts, DOD spokesperson Chris Sherwood said. President Joe Biden signed the stopgap measure this month to keep the government open until lawmakers can agree on a full-year spending bill.
Because DOD had to hunt for funds, that means less money for training, exercises and deployments the military had already planned for the year. Some contractual payments could be delayed, Sherwood said.
White House: Hamas to release 20 more hostages as cease-fire extended
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“Current events have revised some of the operational assumptions used to develop the FY 2024 President’s Budget request. Specifically, neither the base budget request nor the FY 2024 supplemental request included funding for U.S. operations related to Israel,” he said.
This is the solution, more or less. Hamas fires aimless rockets indiscriminately at Israel in an attempt to kill innocent Israeli citizens. Israel should respond in kind. Instead of firing expensive missiles to down Hamas rockets, Israel should lob inexpensive rockets and mortar fire indiscriminately at Gaza towns. The rockets from Hamas would quickly cease.
Ummmmm......rotflol.......so I guess you’re enjoying
that beachfront property in Arizona you just bought?
NETANYAHU’S REELECTION CAMPAIGN SLOGAN: “Israel knew about the Hamas attack long before it happened, we even encouraged it so we’d have justification to do exactly what we are doing right now, plus we get Biden to give us billions of US tax dollars to pay for all of it.”
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