In a significant advancement toward completing its high-powered laser interception system, the Israeli Defense Ministry announced Monday morning the signing of a $550 million deal to expand its laser-defense capabilities through the Iron Beam program, partnering with lead developer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and Elbit Systems.

Defense Ministry Director General Major General (Ret.) Eyal Zamir signed the procurement order Sunday evening to scale up serial production of Israel’s first domestically developed laser-based interception system. The agreement between the ministry’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D) and the defense contractors will substantially accelerate production rates to meet ambitious deployment timelines.

The Iron Beam system represents a cutting-edge ground-based laser- defense platform designed to counter various aerial threats, including rockets, mortar shells, unmanned aerial vehicles and cruise missiles. The project, spearheaded by the DDR&D’s research unit, in collaboration with Rafael and Elbit Systems, has demonstrated exceptional interception capabilities during extensive testing. The system is poised to enhance Israel’s multi-layered defense architecture, working in tandem with the Iron Dome system, which is a rocket-based interceptor, while offering significant cost advantages per interception.