Israel develops an inexpensive laser rocket shield

 Reuters:

A laser-based air defence system that Israel hopes to deploy from next year to neutralise enemy rockets and drones will cost just $2 per interception, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Wednesday.

Israel currently depends on shoot-down systems that launch interceptor missiles costing between tens of thousands and millions of dollars to track such projectiles.

But the Iron Beam system, a prototype of which was unveiled last year, uses lasers to super-heat and disable aerial threats.

Bennett predicted it would enter service by early 2023.

"This is a game-changer, not just because we are striking at the enemy military, but also because we are bankrupting it," he said during a visit to the system's state-owned manufacturer, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
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The US should consider adding this air defense system to its own missile defense arsenal.