Rafael & Israel MOD: Iron Beam 450 development completed, delivery to IDF Soon
17 September 2025 – The R&D Unit within the Israel Ministry of Defense (IMOD) Directorate of Defense Research & Development (DDR&D), the Israeli Air Force (IAF), and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems have successfully completed a series of tests lasting several weeks, demonstrating the capabilities of the Iron Beam high-power laser system.
The test series, conducted at a facility in southern Israel, concludes the development phase and represents the final milestone before delivering the system to the IDF for operational deployment. The system proved its effectiveness in a complete operational configuration by intercepting rockets, mortars, aircraft, and UAVs across a comprehensive range of operational scenarios. The successful trials mark a critical milestone towards operational deployment, with the first systems set to be integrated into the IDF air defense arrays by year-end.
Iron Beam is a ground-based high-power laser air defense system designed to counter aerial threats, including rockets, mortars, and UAVs. It features an advanced targeting system that enables enhanced operational range, high precision, and superior efficiency while maintaining its unique advantage of rapidly neutralizing threats using laser technology at negligible cost. The R&D Unit within the Ministry’s DDR&D has spearheaded the system’s development, working alongside primary developer Rafael, with Elbit serving as a partnering subcontractor for the laser source.
The Iron Beam system represents a global technological and engineering breakthrough, expected to integrate into Israel’s multi-layered defense array as a complementary capability to the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow air defense systems. The system utilizes Rafael’s unique “adaptive optics” technology, enabling a stable, focused, and precise beam.
As announced last May, operational prototypes of Rafael’s short-range tactical laser systems have been deployed throughout the current war and have successfully intercepted and defeated dozens of threats. Now that the Iron Beam’s performance has been proven, we anticipate a significant leap in air defense capabilities through the deployment of these long-range laser weapon systems.
Rafael Chairman, Dr. Yuval Steinitz: “Rafael is the first and only company worldwide to successfully transform high-power laser technology into a fully mature, operational interception system capable of intercepting missiles and UAVs. We’re immensely proud of Rafael’s leadership in this operational and technological breakthrough. Today’s complex trial results prove that the talented team behind the Iron Dome is again revolutionizing warfare with what we call the ‘Laser Dome.’ Rafael’s laser system, built on our proprietary adaptive optics technology, will undoubtedly be a game-changing system with unprecedented impact on modern warfare.”
Rafael CEO and President, Yoav Tourgeman: “Rafael proudly concludes this successful, comprehensive laser system trial series, which included numerous complex scenarios that the system handled excellently. Rafael leads the laser interception revolution with operational systems representing the world’s most advanced technology. The ingenuity and boldness of Rafael’s premier scientists and massive R&D investments have produced technological breakthroughs and a globally significant operational-technological achievement. Rafael’s defense and offensive systems continue proving their battlefield effectiveness, contributing significantly to Israel’s security and citizen protection. In the coming months, we’ll deliver the first Iron Beam system from Rafael’s production lines to the defense establishment – a system that will fundamentally change the defense equation by enabling precise, rapid, and cost-effective interception unmatched by any existing system.”
Photos courtesy Israel Ministry of Defense
