Posted on 05/29/2025 7:07:56 AM PDT by Red Badger
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Wednesday that it has used laser weapons to destroy enemy airborne projectiles during the ongoing conflict, a revelation that boosts Israel’s strategic technological advantage.
The Jerusalem Post reported:
In a historic breakthrough, the IDF on Wednesday announced that an unnamed laser defense system similar to the much celebrated Iron Beam laser system has shot down dozens of aerial threats during the war.
…
Head of the Defense Ministry’s Directorate of Research and Development Brig.-Gen. Yehuda Elmakayes stated, “During the war, we deployed several high-power laser system prototypes, resulting in significant achievements, culminating in the world’s first successful high-power laser interceptions on the battlefield.
“Throughout this period, we gained substantial experience in optimizing and operating laser technologies in the field. We are currently integrating these insights into the systems under development while expanding the range of laser-based systems to protect Israeli civilians and IDF forces.”
In March, Breitbart News reported that Israeli officials had said the Iron Beam system was nearing deployment — and now, it appears, the system was in fact used. It will supplement, not replace, the Iron Dome, which uses missiles to destroy other missiles. However, the cost of firing a laser is less than firing each missile — and the missiles are currently manufactured in the U.S., making Israel depend on U.S. aid.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Great stuff! I wonder if this is part of the Iron Beam that had some work done in Huntsville, AL.
I am sure a lot of work was done here. We have a lot of smart people, but until we get defense reform the cost will be $2T and it will take 20 years and then not work right. But we will have a lot of fat and happy acquisition program managers and contracting officers.
Mostly crapola.
One more time. You have to dwell on a spot to burn through it with a laser. So if it is a lightweight plastic quadrotor drone, how do you track it? Radar will not yield a great return. Every 2 inch displacement via air turbulence will move the laser off of that spot it is trying to burn through.
Smoke on a battlefield will diffuse the laser’s power as well.
What you probably can do is wiggle the laser around the centroid of the radar’s evaluation of probable position and maybe . . . MAYBE . . . kill the optical sensor/camera aboard that is to provide terminal phase pattern recognition guidance. You won’t need to dwell long to overload that sensor.
As for right and proper metal unmanned aerial vehicles with serious payloads of more than 1 or 2 pounds like those quadcopters, then you’re dealing with more speed, thicker skin, probably some chaff here and there to disrupt the tracking radar and most likely . . . no radar, it got destroyed by one of those 1-2 pound payload quadcopters.
Bingo. This stuff doesn’t work. Wait to you see the splashed success declaration on tests, and then dig hard to find the details of the test and find that the target stopped maneuvering and stopped any defensive measures during the time laser use.
Success! Now we get our next phase of funding!
Expensive to develop, but promises to save loads of bucks by being MUCH cheaper per shot. So cost effective, if they can get it to work, granting that the Israeli’s are assured lots of targets.
Well apparently it does work, at least in Israel.
Of course, it’s sunny, low humidity, few clouds, etc. In other words, ideal laser conditions.
Some related info here on Iron Beam. Thanks for posting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=ZLbTnAqTPpU&t=131s
Folks, if this technology was practical and deployable, you would never see or hear anything about it. The fact we are, means it ain't.
This will end the importance of air superiority. Only A10’s will survive.
“Smoke on a battlefield will diffuse the laser’s power as well.”
Not to mention it can be defeated by putting a mirror coat on the ordinace
Yes. Absolutely.
Study the development of the ground hugging guidance system used in the Tomahawk Cruise Missile. It was a fantastic success. So much so that several officers went to Ft. Levenworth for court Marshall sentences in order to cloak the fact that it was so great. That gave our military a ten year advantage in the technology because our adversaries believed it had failed so miserably, evidenced by jailing the crews.
The technology was first installed into F14's. They tested it at night in the Sierra Mountains. The planes would flip on the switch and the system would hold 50' above ground at close to 600MPH! As this was celebrated for sure, they deliberately crashed a dozen or so planes on purpose just to hide the successes, announcing it as a dismal failure very quietly.
Adults in charge kinda thing.
Mostly crapola.
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I’m sure your technical expertise would be a big help to the Israelis who cannot figure it out by themselves.
Worked with Israeli’s during active duty time and after.
They have some good technical people at Elbit, but the IAF as a whole is run buy senior people who don’t really have a lot of respect for technology. They train with backup guidance turned off, and they don’t fund weapons that are too very much hands off.
I’ll tell you what else they have no respect for. If they are invited into a lab, it is customary to cover equipment that is classified NoForn. Those guys will be given a tour of things they are allowed to see. They pretend only one of them speaks English to encourage talk around them that should not be talked. They also walk right over and tear covers off of things to look it all over carefully. They know they won’t be arrested. You can move them out of the lab, but the damage is done.
So . . . I probably could explain it to them. Have, on occasion. They have their own agenda (most of which is focused on the Leviathan nat gas field offshore. Their future is that, not weapons).
Anything like Styropyro built:
Most powerful handheld laser in the world - (+200 Watt optical laser)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBVlL0FNbSE
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