The ministry also announced a roughly $500 million deal with Rafael and Elbit to expand production of the system.

Israel utilizes a layered air defense strategy in which they have multiple systems designed to be able to intercept many different types of projectiles, including rockets, drones, and missiles, fired from various distances. The Iron Beam will be complementary to the Iron Dome, which is primarily responsible for intercepting short-range rockets and artillery shells.

ARROW 2 AND 3, IRON DOME, AND DAVID’S SLING: ISRAEL’S AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS EXPLAINED

The Iron Beam is a ground-based, high-power laser beam designed to intercept aerial threats, including rockets, mortars, drones, and cruise missiles. It is much more affordable on a per-usage basis, given its only cost is the electricity it uses, while each missile the Iron Dome fires to intercept a projectile costs about $100,000, according to Defense News.

“The system is expected to integrate into Israel’s multi-layered defense array as a complementary capability to the Iron Dome system. This integration will significantly enhance Israel’s defense capabilities against current and future threats while offering substantially lower operational costs,” the ministry said in a statement. 

Eyal Zamir, the director general of Israel’s Ministry of Defense, described the new contract is “among our most significant agreements,” according to Breaking Defense.

Israel has poured billions of dollars over many years into developing its air defense systems to ensure its safety from all types of aerial threats. All of that research and development has been vital over the last year as Israel has been in a state of war.

Hamas and Hezbollah have fired rockets into southern and northern Israel, respectively, over the last year. And the Houthis in Yemen, militias in Iraq and Syria, and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps have also targeted Israel with longer-range projectiles, such as ballistic missiles.

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Israel has had to fire thousands of interceptors to prevent attacks from Iran and its proxies over the last year. Hezbollah has launched a number of drones at Israel that have evaded Israel’s air defense systems, demonstrating a weakness in the country’s air defenses. The military of the United States has aided Israel during two massive military barrages from Iran this year.

A Hezbollah drone hit Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s home earlier this month, and another hit an Israeli military base dining hall, killing a handful of soldiers and injuring dozens.