By Arie Egozi,
Laser as a weapon against rocket, is on the table again in Israel.
In recent months, Israel aerospace industries (IAI) and Rafael are working hard to accelerate the development of a laser system, that can shoot down rockets and mortar shells. But these development efforts are very limited, and no one says that the replacement for the Iron Dome is around the corner.
According to IAI, a prototype of a laser cannon for intercepting mortar shells and similar short-range threats is in a very advanced stage of development, and successful experiments have already been carried out.
In recent years, the defence industries in Israel and the United States have been working to develop a laser-based defence system, which is considered to be the one that will change the battlefield. A few years ago, Rafael presented the first models of a laser gun called an “iron beam” designed to respond to shells fired from a range of up to 5 miles from the border, and Iron Dome has difficulty coping because of the short time that passes from the moment the launch is detected until it hits.
According to IAI, the main advantage of the laser is a fast reaction time, and therefore such a system is good for dealing with short-range munitions such as mortars.
In the US and the Israeli defence forces (IDF) there are those who believe that this system has additional advantages over missile-based defence systems, since its arsenal of ammunition never ends, and the cost of launching a laser beam is very low compared with an Iron Dome interception missile that is estimated to cost tens of thousands of dollars.
The issue became very urgent after a few weeks ago, the Hamas terror organization in Gaza, launched 460 rockets into Israel, some in big salvos of 30- 40 rockets.
Earlier Israeli projects for developing these systems, partly in conjunction with US partners, were shut down in 2007, when it was decided to focus on the home-made Iron Dome. Then, too, some senior figures continued to criticize the Iron Dome.
But after the last Gaza operation in 2014, Iron Dome became a “star”, mainly because its high kill rate.
With recent developments – the capability to launch salvos of rockets from Gaza and the more dangerous threat – the 140.000 rockets accumulated by the Hezbollah in Lebanon, the laser again gained its place of honor, at this stage only in theory.
Calian Group Ltd., a diversified company specializing in healthcare, communications, learning, and cybersecurity products and services, has completed the acquisition…
Vietjet announces a series of special promotions aimed at travellers seeking summer adventures. The airline offers discounted tickets and daily…
EDGE Group has inked a contract valued at USD 27 million (AED 99 million) with Indonesian state-owned enterprise PT Pindad…
LanzaJet, Inc., a sustainable fuels technology company and producer, today announced the appointment of Doreen Pryor as Chief Financial Officer…
Transport Canada Civil Aviation has recently granted type certification to Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) PW545D engine, marking an important…
Airbus Helicopters and Babcock have secured a contract to provide support for 48 EC145s operated by the French Ministry of…
The Indonesian Navy (Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Laut / TNI AL) recently launched two Pari-class patrol vessels. Constructed by PT…
A delegation from the Royal Malaysian Air Force (Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia / TUDM) is reportedly set to engage in…
VARD, a subsidiary of the Fincantieri Group based in Norway, secured a contract to construct two Commissioning Service Operation Vessels…
Leonardo announced the finalization of an agreement to sell its Underwater Armaments Systems (UAS) division to Fincantieri on Thursday. “The…
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) is partnering with Shift5 to integrate the company’s onboard cyber anomaly detection and predictive…
The Malaysian Ministry of Defence (Mindef) has finalised 40 agreements totalling RM7.3 billion, encompassing seven contracts valued at RM1.90 billion,…
Leonardo, an Italian aerospace company, and the Ministry of Defense of Malaysia (Mindef) have marked a significant milestone during the…
Turkish land systems manufacturer Otokar is displaying its Cobra II and Akrep II armoured vehicles at DSA. The Cobra II…
Systems Engineering & Assessment (SEA), a technology company based in the UK, proudly displays its advanced decoy launcher Ancilia, at…
The Czech Republic’s Excalibur Army has its debuts in the ongoing show. The company is bringing a few small scale…
Turkiye’s Secretariat of Defence Industries (Savunma Sanayii Başkanlığı-SSB), has two main objectives: modernization of Turkish Armed Forces, and establishing&developing a…
Malaysian company, Smart Weapon Storage Inntech Sdn Bhd (SWS), which has been around for 20 years, aims to extend its…
“We will continue to provide tailored solutions to our customers,” said Cem Altinisik, FNSS Corporate Communication Manager in an interview…
Tony Chegwidden, the Director of Business Development International at EDGE Group, is sharing his thoughts regarding the group’s focus and…
Boeing has advanced its manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) technology using a digital F/A-18 Super Hornet and MQ-25 Stingray. The testing shows…
Malaysia’s Lumut Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd (LUNAS) inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indonesian shipbuilder PT PAL Indonesia at…
Prime Minister of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, attended the unveiling of MALVUS SENSE SDN BHD’s CW-25H, a significant development…
KNDS France which is the main provider of artillery systems for the Royal Malaysian Army and a strategic industrial partner…
The upcoming 10th edition of Indo Defence 2024 Expo & Forum, renowned as one of the foremost international defence industry…
Malaysian firm MILDEF International Technologies unveiled its new Tarantula, 4x4 High Mobility Armoured Vehicle (HMAV) at the ongoing DSA. Also…
Nurol Makina and Nadicorp (Badanbas) are showing their NMS 4X4 armoured vehicle in Royal Malaysian Army camouflage for the first…
South African defence firm Denel is presenting its portfolio of guided weapons and land defence systems at the show. “Denel…
The Malaysian armed forces are accelerating their procurements of modern military equipment in their quest to transform their combat capability.…
PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) is currently participating in the Defense Services Asia (DSA) 2024 defence exhibition, scheduled from 6th to…
Headquartered in Singapore with reporters spread across all major regions, GBP Aerospace & Defence is a leading media house that publishes three publications that serve the aerospace and defence sector - Asian Defence Technology, Asian Airlines & Aerospace and Daily News. Known industry-wide for quality journalism, GBP Aerospace & Defence is present at more international tradeshows and exhibitions than any other competing publication in the region.
For over three decades, our award-winning team of reporters has been producing top-notch content to help readers stay abreast of the latest developements in the field of commercial aviation, MRO, defence, and Space.
Copyright 2024. GBP. All Rights Reserved.
Home Defence & Security Space Commercial Aviation Maintence Repair & Overhaul Daily News Events About Us
2024 GBP all rights reserved.