Israeli DM Katz announces Iron Beam defense system to be operational before year's end

Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Sunday that the Rafael-produced Iron Beam laser air defense system will be operational in approximately nine months, before the end of the year.

Last October 2024, Eyal Zamir, then director-general of the Ministry of Defense, stated that the Iron Beam would be ready to deploy within a year – placing its launch roughly seven months from now. The latest confirmation, coming four months after Zamir’s statement, adds weight to the timeline, especially considering that previous Israeli timelines have frequently been seen as ambitious or unrealistic.

In October 2024, Zamir signed a deal worth approximately NIS 2 billion (about $500 million) to expand the production of the first Israeli-developed laser interception system.

As part of the agreement between the Defense Ministry, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems – the primary developer of the Iron Beam – and Elbit Systems, production rates for the Iron Beam laser defense systems will be significantly ramped up to achieve high-output manufacturing.

The Iron Beam is the result of more than three decades of collaboration between the research and development unit at the Directorate of Defense, Research & Development (abbreviated Maf’at in Hebrew), together with Rafael and Elbit, Israel's top two defense companies. 

There has been much anticipation for Israel’s newest weapon of defense. Several prominent Israeli leaders previously predicted a much faster deployment than what has materialized.

In February 2022, then-Prime Minister Naftali Bennett predicted that the Iron Beam would be operational within a year, following successful field tests.

A year later, in January 2023, former IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi took a more cautious stance. Speaking to The Jerusalem Post, he projected that the laser defense system would be deployed to counter aerial threats from Gaza by January 2025.

Then, in August 2023, Rafael Chairman Yuval Steinitz said that the laser would be ready within one year.

All of these predictions have surpassed their originally announced timelines.

Katz made his remarks about the Iron Beam during a visit to Rafael's facilities, where he also praised the defense-tech giant for its role in developing the Iron Dome and David’s Sling, key components of Israel’s missile defense system.

While the Iron Beam is reportedly effective against drones, the Defense Ministry and the IDF are also evaluating about a dozen other defense solutions to address the distinct challenges posed by drones, which differ from those of rockets and missiles.

In the future, there are hopes to equip Israeli Air Force jets with laser defense systems, however, this is expected to take significantly longer, with estimates ranging from five to 10 more years.

Additionally, Katz issued a warning to Israel’s enemies, stating that if they dared to raise a "hand" against the country – symbolizing an attack – Israel has "many tools to strike them back with a decisive blow... this hand will be cut off."