Battlefield drones, which offer a cheap way to hit remote targets often far behind enemy lines, have changed the face of warfare. Such capabilities were once only available in highly advanced weapon systems that could cost millions of dollars per shot. Now, a battlefield drone costing anywhere between a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands can fulfill this role.

The rapid expansion of this technology has left traditional ground-to-air and air-to-air defense systems vulnerable. While systems like Patriot or Arrow can destroy incoming threats, the economics of firing such systems against drones that cost a fraction of the price make this strategy unrealistic long-term. As the drone threat evolves, however, so do the systems designed to counter it. 

The game-changing Israeli Iron Beam laser system, which uses a 100-kilowatt laser beam to zap drones cheaply and quickly, was already a formidable force in this regard. Now, Israel is taking the Iron Beam off the ground and into the air to better defend against drones. Deploying airborne lasers from this system has the potential to work faster, with a greater range, and with fewer environmental limitations.

The Iron Beam laser system was not designed as a replacement for Israel’s Iron Dome system. Instead, it was built to work alongside it. However, despite being able to zap drones, missiles, mortar shells, and UAVs for about $3.50 a shot, it isn’t without its limitations. One of the more serious problems with the system is visibility. Iron Beam is less effective in low-light conditions, and environmental factors like dust, turbulence, and weather can all adversely affect the system’s performance. 

Taking the weapon into the air by attaching this technology to aircraft is one way to minimize these shortcomings. At altitudes of between 20,000 and 30,000 feet, the laser is far less compromised by environmental factors than ground-based units. This has the obvious advantage of improving visibility and being able to target threats more quickly. 

High ground has always been important in warfare, and taking the weapon airborne also comes along with the natural advantages that come with height. When the laser is airborne, it can also engage with targets from longer ranges. In Israel’s case, this capability allows the system to target drones before they’ve even entered Israeli airspace. However, this isn’t as simple as strapping a laser onto an aircraft and sending it into the air. Elbit, the company leading the project to adapt the weapon for use, has had to address some technical hurdles.

It would be unusual for a weapons manufacturer to tell us precisely how a project like this was made, and that’s the case with the Iron Beam airborne laser. However, the company did shed some light on the technical challenges when it gave journalists from the Jerusalem Post access to its facilities. 

For one, moving a high-energy laser from a ground platform to an aircraft forced engineers to get creative. First of all, the laser and its supporting hardware had to be miniaturized to make it suitable for aircraft. Elbit has touted Israeli F-15 fighters and UH-60A/L Yanshuf helicopters (the Israeli version of the U.S. military’s Black Hawk) as potential platforms for the weapon. Additionally, the beam has to remain stable even as the aircraft vibrates, banks, and is affected by factors like turbulence. While Elbit hinted at using some 3D-printing engineering designed for the military to counter these issues, it stopped short of explaining just what this involved. 

Elbit used hundreds of engineers, paired with AI, to solve some of these challenges. While the company has certainly signaled that progress has been made, however, it also didn’t offer any timescale as to when it might be operational. According to the Jerusalem Post story, however, “They may be ready a good deal sooner rather than later.”