IDF receives first Iron Beam laser weapon

Israeli officials stand in front of an Iron Beam (Or Eitan) laser weapon during the system's official handover to the IDF at Rafael's headquarters. (Rafael Advanced Defense Systems)

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officially received its first Iron Beam laser weapon system in a ceremony held on 28 December.

The Israeli Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the laser was handed over by its Directorate of Defense Research & Development (DDR&D) and prime contractor Rafael Advanced Defense Systems at a ceremony attended by Minister of Defence Israel Katz, Air Force Commander General Tomer Bar, and several other senior officials.

The MoD said the system has proven its effectiveness in a series of extensive trials against a variety of threats and has intercepted rockets, mortars, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). It will now be integrated into the air-defence network operated by the air force to complement the Iron Dome, David's Sling, and Arrow systems.

“For the first time globally, a high-power laser interception system has achieved full operational maturity,” Katz said.

MoD Director General Major General Amir Baram (res) said Iron Beam had now transitioned from the development stage to serial production, with “numerous” additional systems already in production.

The IDF has named the system Or Eitan (Eitan's Light) after Captain Eitan Oster, who was killed in southern Lebanon in October 2024 and whose father helped develop it.

For more information, please see Israel to field Iron Beam later this year .