On Monday, the Israeli military made an announcement: It has successfully tested an airborne high-power laser. The device shoots down drones. In the coming years, officials hope to deploy the technology on a larger scale.
Israel maintains a large and high-level air defense system—many parts with creative names. Its arsenal includes the Iron Dome system for downing short-range rockets as well as the David’s Sling and the Arrow anti-ballistic missile systems. (Those are especially apt and meaningful names for weapons that serve both offensively and defensively. See 1 Samuel 17:40, 50; 1 Samuel 20:20-22.)
During last month’s 11-day war between Israel and Palestinian fighters, Israel’s ground systems worked well. But sending a whole missile to destroy a small drone isn’t as efficient as using something more focused—such as, a laser. For this reason, many global militaries are experimenting with lasers for fighting drones.
“This is the first phase in a multi-year program to develop an advanced airborne laser system that will add another layer to Israel’s multi-tier defense array,” the Israeli defense ministry says.
Israeli officers mounted a laser prototype, developed with Elbit Systems, on a civilian plane. Brigadier General Yaniv Rotem, head of military research and development at Israel’s Defense Ministry, says the aircraft successfully shot down “several” unmanned drones in a recent test over the Mediterranean Sea.
The military says it already had a 90% interception rate against thousands of rockets fired. The laser technology would complement that system. The new weapon destroys targets by heating them up. A target hit by the laser catches fire in mere seconds, according to a senior Elbit official.
In the recent test, the airborne system shot down drones from within a range just over a half mile. This laser system can also be operated above cloud cover—effectively removing the bad-weather problems of surface-to-air lasers.
“The ability to intercept and destroy threats from the air is groundbreaking,” Rotem says. “Israel is among the first countries to use such capabilities.”
(This undated photo shows a high-power laser system installed on an aircraft at an undisclosed location. Ministry of Defense Spokesperson’s Office via AP)
