The laser has begun operating against the enemy: Last week, it was declassified that the Iron Beam system, an Israeli development by Rafael and Elbit Systems, successfully intercepted dozens of drones using laser beams. The data was kept confidential until now. According to known information, Israel is the only country in the world whose laser system has become operational.

The laser system is based on one of the most efficient physical phenomena for energy conversion: Controlled photon emission. At the heart of every laser system is an active material - in most cases, a sophisticated glass optical fiber (dopant fiber) embedded with atoms of a rare element like erbium or ytterbium. When the fiber is energized electrically - usually via laser diodes - the atoms enter an excited state. A single photon passing through the fiber can trigger a chain reaction of stimulated emission, where each atom emits an additional photon of the same wavelength and direction. This produces a highly coherent light beam - an essential property to focus on a tiny point.

After the beam is created, it is transmitted through mirrors and linear optics, and in advanced systems like Iron Beam, it is divided into dozens or hundreds of tiny beams. Using a phase control system and adaptive optics, each beam is adjusted to focus precisely at the same point on the target. The result leads to extremely high energy delivered to a single pixel on the target body - this is the secret of the laser’s destructive power.

When such a beam strikes metal, glass, or plastic, it converts electromagnetic energy directly into heat. This is an almost instantaneous process, with no intermediate shock wave stage. Temperatures at the impact point can rise within milliseconds to thousands of degrees Celsius, far beyond the melting point of the material. What actually happens is evaporation, melting, or thermal expansion causing a local explosion. In the case of a rocket, this can ignite the warhead. In the case of a drone, damage to the engine or an electronic part will disable it.

The Iron Beam system also includes an advanced opto-mechanical system containing a digitally controlled rotating turret that allows directing the beam at varying angles in real time. Every rotation, every micro-degree, is calculated in real time by a fire control computer receiving feedback from thermal sensors, infrared cameras, and lidar. When a target is detected, the system performs real-time tracking at speeds of hundreds to thousands of measurements per second - to keep the beam precisely on the threat’s body.

Another critical component in the system is the cooling mechanism. Since a high-power laser requires hundreds of kilowatts of electricity, it generates substantial internal heat that must be removed. To do this, the system is equipped with water-based cooling bodies and active exhaust, as well as internal condensation chambers, negative-pressure ventilation systems, and heat exchangers. Without efficient cooling, the optical elements themselves - including mirrors and lenses - might deform or break.

Simultaneously, a particularly stable power source is required. To operate the Iron Beam, industrial generators supply direct current to high-power diode converters. An uninterruptible power supply (UPS) ensures continuous operation even during brief power outages, and the design includes separation between control voltages and laser voltages to prevent leakage or short circuits.

The system is operated by Israel’s air defense array and linked to data from early warning systems. It can also operate autonomously without human intervention. Once a lock on the target is achieved, the beam fires — and interception occurs at the speed of light, without the delay of missile launches.

The combination of quantum optical principles, advanced robotic control, engineered cooling systems, and precise fire control turns Iron Beam into a significant technological revolution. The beam power, ranging from tens to hundreds of kilowatts, is so high that at ranges of up to 8–10 kilometers, it can penetrate dense metals within seconds. According to estimates, in the future, power can be further increased - creating "tactical lasers" capable of intercepting ballistic missiles at early stages of their flight. The vision is a system deployed at sea, in the air, or in space, able to intercept any physical threat - using only light energy. Israel is currently the first country in the world to have reached a successful combat test of such a system.