Israel has technology safer than Iron Dome

For years, Israel has relied on the Iron Dome missile defense system to protect against rocket and artillery attacks.

However, with tensions rising in the Middle East, the country is looking to deploy a new, more modern defense system using lasers called Iron Beam.

3 layers of defense

Israel's air defense system consists of three main parts. The first layer, commonly known as David's Sling, is capable of intercepting medium-range missiles, drones, and cruise missiles. The second layer is the Arrow system, which deals with high-speed, long-range missiles.

Finally, the Iron Dome system, designed to destroy short-range missiles and artillery shells, is the closest layer of protection to the population and has been in use by Israel since 2011. This is considered the "life insurance" of this country.

An anti-missile system operates after Iran launched drones and missiles towards Israel on April 14. Photo: Reuters .

An Iron Dome system consists of three main components: radar to detect missiles as they are launched, a control center that calculates the flight path and determines whether the target will fall into a populated area, and launchers containing interceptor missiles.

If the system determines that the projectile will land in a populated area, it will launch interceptor missiles into the air. These missiles do not need to directly collide with the target, but instead explode nearby to destroy it from a distance. However, the resulting debris can still cause damage.

Israel currently operates about 10 mobile Iron Dome systems, DW reports. According to the manufacturer Rafael, one system can protect a medium-sized city and intercept missiles from a maximum distance of 70 kilometers. Experts estimate that Israel needs about 13 such systems to protect the entire country.

Iron Dome is rated at about 90 percent effectiveness and has successfully intercepted more than 5,000 rockets to date. The biggest drawback of Iron Dome is its high cost. Each interceptor costs between $40,000 and $50,000 . Faced with cost pressures and the threat of massive attacks, Israel has developed a new defense system called Iron Beam.

Laser weapons

The Iron Beam is a high-energy laser weapon designed to shoot down small targets such as short-range missiles, mortars, and drones. In particular, the system is designed to deal with attacks by multiple drones at the same time, a way that conventional missile systems have difficulty handling.

Iron Ray System. Photo: Rafael .

The Iron Beam was expected to be deployed in October. However, in late May, the Israeli military confirmed that it had used the laser system in combat for the first time.

Iron Beam has been developed by Rafael since 2014, and since 2022 has been in cooperation with the US defense corporation Lockheed Martin. Compared to Iron Dome, Iron Beam has many significant advantages: the cost per shot is extremely low, from a few dollars to about $2,000 if all operating costs are taken into account.

In addition, lasers do not need "real bullets", as long as there is electricity, they can fire continuously without worrying about running out of bullets. Operation is also much simpler and less expensive than traditional missile systems.

If deployed widely and effectively, Iron Beam could save Israel billions of dollars each year while enhancing its defenses against increasingly sophisticated airborne threats. This is considered a major step forward in the field of modern defense, not only for Israel but also for countries facing high-tech warfare.

Source: https://znews.vn/israel-so-huu-cong-nghe-an-toan-hon-ca-vom-sat-post1561207.html