The IDF and Defense Ministry conducted a joint exercise coordinating the Iron Dome and Iron Beam laser defense systems against multiple aerial threats, with drones singled out as the primary target. The drill marks a major step in integrating directed-energy weapons into Israel's multi-layered air defense network.
The Israel Defense Forces and Ministry of Defense announced on Tuesday evening a joint live-fire exercise testing coordination between the Iron Dome missile-defense system and the Iron Beam high-energy laser system against multiple incoming threats, with unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) highlighted as the primary target.
As The Zioneer reported earlier on Tuesday (June 30), the Defense Ministry had concluded a significant upgrade to Iron Dome that included integrating Iron Beam's laser with Iron Dome's command-and-control network, based on lessons from wartime operations and engagements with Iran. The new drill appears to confirm that the integration tested earlier this month has moved to an operational coordination stage, though the military did not specify whether this was a live intercept or simulated engagement. No details were provided on the exact location of the exercise, the number of targets intercepted, or whether the laser system performed actual kills during the drill.
The test underscores Israel's accelerating push to field directed-energy weapons as a lower-cost complement to missile interceptors — particularly against drone swarms, which have emerged as a prominent threat from both Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran-backed proxies.
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