Israel says it is developing airborne laser to down drones
Israel’s Defence Ministry and defence contractor Elbit Systems Ltd are developing an airborne laser weapon to shoot down drones and other flying targets, officials said on Monday, predicting a prototype would be ready by 2025.
They said the as-yet unnamed laser weapon could be incorporated in Israel’s multi-tier air defences, which include the Iron Dome system for downing short-range rockets and the David’s Sling and Arrow systems against ballistic missiles.
Preliminary tests of the laser, flown on a light aircraft, were successful against several drones at ranges of around 1 km (half a mile) in recent days, Brigadier-General Yaniv Rotem of the ministry’s research and development section told reporters.
“As far as we know we are the first one (country) – but maybe, for sure we are among the first countries – that have tried and succeeded (at) such an…interception,” he said.