‘Israel has unveiled a ‘laser sword’ defence system that can stop rockets and drones as tensions in the region continue to simmer.
The technological breakthrough, announced by the country’s Ministry of Defence, means lasers can hit targets with a greater degree of accuracy, over longer distances, and through clouds and dust storms.
It is expected to be tested this year and deployed in the coming years, to help support the Iron Dome missile defence system.
The announcement comes after Iran launched a missile strike on US forces in Iraq and Tehran threatened to target Israel if it was attacked by their American allies.
The technological breakthrough was achieved after several smaller beams were combined to form a larger beam.
It will be ‘demonstrated in the field’ during 2020, after being developed by the Armed Forces and Technology Infrastructure Administration the announcement said.
The department’s head of research and development, Brigadier General Yaniv Rotem, heralded the technology as placing Israel among the ‘leading countries’ in the field and said it makes them ready for a new era of ‘energy warfare’.’
