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Iron Beam laser defense system will ‘bankrupt’ Israel’s foes

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Iron Beam laser defense system will ‘bankrupt’ Israel’s foes
Maj. Gen. Yoav Har-Even (r), president and CEO of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd, briefs PM Naftali Bennett on the Iron Beam laser defense system in Haifa, May 31, 2022. (Government Press Office)

“This is a game changer because not only can we strike the enemy militarily, but also financially bankrupt them.”

The Iron Beam, a new laser defense system under development, will “bankrupt” Israel’s foes, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said after a visit to the project’s Haifa facility on Wednesday.

Bennett was updated on the project by Maj. Gen. Yoav Har-Even, president and CEO of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd, Iron Beam’s lead contractor.

The laser system will intercept missiles, drones, mortars, and anti-tank rockets, according to successful tests in April.

“This is a game changer because not only can we strike the enemy militarily, but also financially bankrupt them. Until today it would cost us a lot of money to intercept every rocket. Today they can invest tens of thousands of dollars in a rocket and we can invest two dollars to cover the cost of the electricity in shooting down the rocket.”

A laser defense system would be significantly less expensive to maintain than the current Iron Dome. While the Qassam rockets used by Hamas are said to cost $300-$800 apiece, one Iron Dome interceptor missile costs around $50,000.

During the Gaza war of May 2021, Palestinians fired 4,369 rockets at Israel in a 12-day period. According to the IDF, about two-thirds landed in open areas or malfunctioned but Israel was forced to fire approximately 1,500 interceptors.

Replenishing Israel’s stockpile of interceptors was delayed when $1 billion in American assistance was held up in Congress, first by far-left Democratic members of the House of Representatives known as “The Squad,” and then in the Senate by Senator Paul Rand (R-Ky.).

The funding was eventually approved as part of a $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill in March.

(World Israel News)

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