Summary and Key Points: Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, in collaboration with the Israel Ministry of Defense, has successfully integrated the Iron Beam (Or Eitan) into the IDF’s multi-layered air defense network.
-Officially delivered in December 2025, the 100kW-class high-energy laser weapon system (HELWS) provides the innermost defensive tier alongside Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and the Arrow family.
DragonFire Laser. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
-This report analyzes the system’s first reported combat engagement on March 2, 2026, targeting UAVs and rockets at a marginal cost of approximately $2 per intercept.
-Named in memory of Capt. Eitan Oster, the system utilizes speed-of-light engagement to neutralize asymmetric threats with minimal collateral damage.
The “Or Eitan” Milestone: Why Israel’s New 100kW Iron Beam Laser is Finally Operational in 2026
Last September, Israel unveiled a new laser weapons system, called the Or Eitan, or Iron Beam.
According to a Ynet News report last September, which cited announcements by the government and defense company Rafael, successful tests were concluded of the system.
“During the tests, held at the Shdema range in the country’s south, rockets, missiles, mortars, drones and loitering munitions were intercepted in multiple salvos and a variety of firing scenarios by a concentrated, high-power laser beam operating at 100 watts per interception point and with a range of many kilometers,” the Ynet story in September said.
That story added that “an initial, limited version of the system” was used in combat, over the two years that Israel had been at war, which entailed “intercepting dozens of drones and rockets, mainly from Lebanon.”
Iran’s Drones That Russia Is Using. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Is the system, in fact, operational and being used during Israel’s current conflicts? There are conflicting reports.
One recent report states that the full-on Iron Beam “remains unused” in the current conflict with Iran, but a different report, since disputed, says that it has been used to “vaporize” rockets.
About the Iron Beam
Per Rafael’s website, Iron Beam is “a 100kW class High Energy Laser Weapon System (HELWS) that is expected to become the first operational system in its class. It quickly and effectively engages and neutralizes a wide array of threats from a range of hundreds of meters to several kilometers. Engaging at the speed of light, IRON BEAM has an unlimited magazine, with almost zero cost per interception, and causes minimal collateral damage.”
“IRON BEAM can be integrated with a range of platforms and can become part of any multilayer defense system,” the description added.
Per a Next Big Future story on March 6, the new system is “fully operational” as of the end of December, with the “first operational 100 kW system” having been delivered to the IDF between December 28 and 30 of last year. That story described the new system as the “innermost (fifth) layer of Israel’s multi-tier air defense alongside Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow systems.”
The “Or Eitan” name, per the Ynet story, is in tribute to Capt. Eitan Oster, the first soldier killed in an operation in Lebanon in October 2024. He was the son of Dovi Oster, described as “one of the system’s principal designers and developers.”
Iran’s missile capabilities. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
“This is a world-class historic milestone,” the IDF said in a statement, per Ynet News. “After thousands of years of warfare, for the first time, there is a system that can use a laser beam to intercept most types of threats at multiple ranges. We must begin investing now in the next technologies. This system is only one milestone, the first step in building a full capability in the laser domain that will later operate at greater power levels, both as an offensive means and for airborne operation.”
James Dwyer, writing for The Conversation on March 3, wrote about how laser weapons, such as the Iron Beam, are “no longer science fiction.”
“Most defensive systems use rocket-propelled missiles against incoming threats. Iron Beam, however, uses a laser – also known as a directed energy weapon, the column said. “Where a missile destroys a drone, shell, or rocket by crashing into it or exploding near it, Iron Beam destroys targets by burning them with an extremely powerful laser.”
And yes, the announcement led to lots of jokes about “Jewish space lasers,” although that particular antisemitic conspiracy theory had centered more on supposed Jewish efforts to control the weather and/or create forest fires.
Not in Use Yet?
Israel is once again at war, both participating in the Iran mission and also carrying out operations in other countries, including a reported excursion into Lebanon, to retrieve — unsuccessfully, it turns out — the remains of Ron Arad, an airman who went missing in the 1980s.
A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor is launched from the Pacific Spaceport Complex Alaska in Kodiak, Alaska, during Flight Experiment THAAD (FET)-01 on July 30, 2017 (EDT). During the test, the THAAD weapon system successfully intercepted an air-launched, medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) target.
However, according to a report on March 6 by Calcalist — a website that covers the Israeli tech sector — the new system so far remains unused, even as Israel’s adversaries have launched difficult-to-intercept drones.
“Unlike previous combat events, the IDF now has at its disposal the innovative air defense system based on a high-power laser, known as Iron Beam, which was delivered to the military more than two months ago,” the report said.
“However, as of this weekend, Calcalist has learned that the laser system has not yet been used operationally and has not intercepted any threats directed at Israel. Amid the fog of war surrounding interception policies within the defense establishment, officials have not explained the reasons for this, nor have they disclosed in which sectors the system is deployed or whether it is fully operational for intercepting aerial threats.”
The report cited data from the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), stating that Iran has launched “about 600 ballistic missiles and more than 1,500 drones at 12 countries in the Middle East, most of them targeting the United Arab Emirates.”
Defense News had reported in December that the new system was “expected to enter operational service in early 2026.”
Or Is It?
A report on March 2 by the Express reported that the Iron Beam has, in fact, been used, for the first time, to “vaporize” rockets. This appeared to match the video, posted by Israel War Room, of the interception.
“Dramatic moment Israel’s Iron Beam used to vaporize rockets for the first time,” is the headline, while the story adds that “Israel has activated its $536 million Iron Beam laser defense system for the first time, effectively countering aerial threats from Hezbollah on Monday,” and that “defense authorities verified that the Iron Beam engaged hostile projectiles fired toward northern Israel.” The story does not contain much more detail about that first strike.
However, the following day, Israeli journalist Nadav Eyal posted to X that “The IDF spokesperson is now clarifying reports, stating that laser technology was not used tonight in the incident shown in the video. I’ve deleted an earlier tweet that cited the Israeli public broadcaster channel.”
He added that “Jewish space lasers will have to wait for another day.”
About the Author: Stephen Silver
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist, and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review, and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, national security, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
