Rafael Unveils ‘Iron Beam’ Laser Air Defense System in South Korea

Our Bureau - : Oct 20, 2025 - : 10:07 pm

Israel-made low cost and high-power laser-based system aimed at destroying incoming missiles has been showcase in South Korea’s biggest arms exhibition.

Developed by Rafael Advance Defense Systems, the "Iron Beam", which have been used to intercept thousands of rockets fired by Hamas militants in Gaza, by Hezbollah from Lebanon and by the Houthis in Yemen, was showcase at the opening of Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition (ADEX) 2025 at KINTEX in Goyang.

Tal Kaduri, Rafael’s marketing manager, told Global Business Press that the system is operational and was used in the war in Israel for the last two years.

“We have all kind of options…ranges from close by to farther depending on the strength of the beam and basically Rafael has developed the technology because everyone is trying to do laser and we were able to do something that no one done before,” Kaduri said.

He added, “It uses what’s called adaptive technology, which allows the beam to stay sharply focused even at long distances. As you can see here, it can be used against various threats — including rockets, UAVs, and cruise missiles.”

The Elbit Systems, which produced the laser, was Rafael’s partner in the project.

Accordingly, the first systems are expected to be integrated into the military’s air defense network by the end of the year.

Rafael Chairman Yuval Steinitz earlier said earlier that Iron Beam, which is built with the company's adaptive optics technology, "will undoubtedly be a game-changing system with unprecedented impact on modern warfare".

A company spokesperson said the Iron Beam was tested for several weeks in southern Israel, successfully intercepting rockets, mortars, aircraft, and UAVs in various operational scenarios.