IN TODAY’S MODERN BATTLESPACE, DRONES ARE NEARLY AS UBIQUITOUS AS SOLDIERS. COMPARED TO TRADITIONAL WEAPONS SYSTEMS, DRONES ARE CHEAP AND EASY TO OPERATE. SOCIAL MEDIA IS FILLED WITH VIDEOS FROM UKRAINE OF SMALL DRONES KILLING SOLDIERS, DESTROYING VEHICLES AND CAUSING MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF DAMAGE.

WHETHER THE DRONES ARE HOME-MADE OR MANUFACTURED BY WEAPONS CONTRACTORS, THEIR INCREASED USE AND LETHALITY MEANS MODERN MILITARIES NEED A WAY TO DEFEND AGAINST THEM. IN THE WEST, THE IRON BEAM IS A LEADING CONTENDER TO GET THE JOB DONE.

MADE BY ISRAEL-BASED RAFAEL, THE IRON BEAM IS A HIGH ENERGY LASER WEAPONS SYSTEM. IT FIRES A 100 KILO-WATT STREAM OF FOCUSED ENERGY TO INTERCEPT DRONES, ROCKETS, MISSILES AND MORTARS. RAFAEL SAYS THE IRON BEAM IS EFFECTIVE AGAINST TARGETS FROM A FEW HUNDRED METERS AWAY TO SEVERAL KILOMETERS. THE COMPANY ALREADY COMPLETED SUCCESSFUL TESTS OF THE IRON BEAM ON LAND, AND NOW IT’S INCORPORATING THE SYSTEM ONTO SHIPS AS WELL.

THE IRON BEAM NOT ONLY PROVIDES SHIPS WITH AN ADDED LAYER OF AIR DEFENSE, IT DOES SO AT A STEEP DISCOUNT. RAFAEL SAYS IT COSTS ALMOST NOTHING FOR THE IRON BEAM TO INTERCEPT A TARGET. FOR COMPARISON’S SAKE, THE UNITED STATES SPENT $1.5 MILLION TO DOWN THREE BALLOONS IN FEBRUARY. ALSO, UNLIKE OTHER AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS, THE IRON BEAM HAS AN UNLIMITED MAGAZINE. SO, AS LONG AS THE SYSTEM HAS POWER, IT WILL CONTINUE TO FIRE UNTIL THE LAST DRONE, MORTAR, OR ROCKET IS DESTROYED.

IN DECEMBER, RAFAEL AND U.S.-BASED DEFENSE CONTRACTOR LOCKHEED MARTIN ANNOUNCED THE COMPANIES WOULD PARTNER TO FURTHER DEVELOP THE IRON BEAM FOR THE AMERICAN MARKET, AS WELL AS OTHERS.

YOU CAN FIND MORE OF OUR UNBIASED, STRAIGHT FACT REPORTING ON THE IRON BEAM AND OTHER WEAPONS SYSTEMS IN DEVELOPMENT AT STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS DOT COM.