Israel's Iron Beam laser is seeing surging global interest as militaries look for cheap drone solutions, top missile official says

• There has been a growing global interest in the Israeli-made Iron Beam laser over the past year.
• A senior Israeli official said a lot of interest in the system has emerged from Europe.
• European countries have faced drone incursions, forcing them to seek out cheap air defenses.

Global interest in the Israeli-made Iron Beam laser weapon system is surging as militaries seek out cheap air defenses to counter the rising drone threat, a senior Israeli official told Business Insider.

Moshe Patel, the director and general manager of the Israeli Missile Defense Organization, said in a recent interview that countries around the world have shown "huge interest" in Iron Beam over the past year, seeking out information on the system, including performance data.

The interest — much of it from Europe — comes as countries grapple with the challenges and threats posed by drones. Iron Beam is considered a viable counter-drone solution, said Patel, who oversees Israeli air-defense development.

He added that Iron Beam is currently at a stage in its development where it is seen as an attractive option for potential buyers.

Iron Beam is a directed-energy system developed by Israeli contractor Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and designed to destroy drones, rockets, artillery, and cruise missiles.

As a laser, Iron Beam can engage incoming munitions "at the speed of light" and take them down within seconds at practically no cost, according to Rafael, which adds that the $500 million system has an "unlimited magazine."

Israeli forces received the first Iron Beam system in late December. It has been used sparingly in combat, intercepting dozens of Hezbollah drones in 2024.

Last month, Iron Beam was tested alongside the well-known Iron Dome, suggesting it will operate as part of Israel's layered air defense network. Patel said the laser system is "in the process" of being fully deployed, adding that it has already entered serial production.

Iron Beam's low operating cost could make it a desirable option for European countries confronting a rise in drone-related airspace incursions, from Russian and Ukrainian drones entering NATO territory to unidentified aircraft appearing near airports and military installations.

NATO has responded to some of these airspace violations by scrambling fighter jets, even firing air-to-air missiles to take down cheap drones. The approach has raised questions about the sustainability of using expensive aircraft and munitions to destroy threats that are worth only a fraction of their cost.

Senior NATO officials have said that building or buying low-cost air defenses is a priority for the alliance as drones become increasingly commonplace.

Some European countries have turned to Ukraine for answers, acquiring cheap interceptor drones — technology that Kyiv pioneered and uses nightly to defend against Russian Shaheds.

Patel did not specifically identify the countries interested in Iron Beam.

A spokesperson for Israel's defense ministry said that arms sales are a cornerstone of its strategy and are intended to boost the country's economy and shape its foreign policy standing.

"This effort forms an additional pillar of the ministry's strategy to prepare for a demanding decade ahead on the security front," the ministry spokesperson told Business Insider.

They said it is also intended to preserve the Israeli military's edge across "both defensive and offensive systems and capabilities."

Israel isn't the only country working on directed-energy systems for military applications. The US, as well as several countries in Europe and Asia, have projects in various stages of development.

For years, the US military has been developing laser weapons for land, air, and sea — such as Lockheed Martin's HELIOS (High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance) system — and is investing heavily in the development of new directed-energy weapons to defeat drones. The Defense Department announced multimillion-dollar agreements for its Joint Laser Weapon Systems program just last week.