After roughly 20 years of intensive research and testing, Israel says it has crossed a technological threshold: a high-energy laser interception system — developed under the name “Magen Or” and now renamed “Or Eitan” — is ready for operational deployment.
If the ministry’s timeline holds, the first units will enter the Israel Defense Forces’ air-defense array before the end of 2025.
Or Eitan’s promise is straightforward but profound. By projecting concentrated laser beams (reported to exceed 100,000 watts) onto a small, coin-sized spot on incoming rockets, artillery projectiles and unmanned aerial vehicles, the system reportedly heats and disables targets within seconds.
That changes the economics of defense: while traditional interceptor missiles are costly consumables, the marginal cost of a laser shot is primarily electricity — potentially mere shekels per engagement after the long investment in development.