Israel’s defense industry made history this week with the first successful test of laser-based air defenses. The test was held at an undisclosed location in southern Israel earlier this week.
The Defense Ministry now publicized the historic milestone and posted a video of several interceptions.
During the experiment, the new system intercepted short- and long-range rockets, mortar shells, and drones. The laser defenses also shot down anti-tank rockets, Makor Rishon said.
Once operational, the laser system will save billions of dollars given the high cost of Iron Dome interceptors. However, further development work is needed before the new air defenses can be deployed on the battlefield.
In parallel, Israeli defense engineers are also developing cutting-edge electronic warfare capabilities.
