15:21 | 01/09/20

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ISRAEL UNVEILS BREAKTHROUGH LASER TO INTERCEPT MISSILES, AERIAL THREATS

By ANNA AHRONHEIM
The Defense Ministry has made a technological breakthrough in the development of lasers that can intercept aerial threats, including rockets and anti-tank guided missiles, it announced Wednesday.

New laser technology “makes the security apparatus more lethal, more powerful and more advanced,” Defense Minister Naftali Bennett said Wednesday evening.
Speaking about this new addition to the existing tools of war employed by Israel, he said that “we will add a laser sword when dealing with threats from the North or the South.”
The enemies of Israel better not test our resolve or our abilities,” Bennett said.

Brig.-Gen. Yaniv Rotem, head of the Defense Ministry’s Directorate of Research and Development, said: “We are entering a new age of energy warfare in the air, on land and at sea. The R& investments made by the DD [Directorate of Defense] R& in recent years have placed the State of Israel among the leading countries in the field of high-energy laser systems.”
The ministry has been working for more than 10 years on powerful laser technology to enable the development of platforms to intercept a variety of threats, he said. It has carried out a number of successful interceptions of targets, including mortar shells, drones and antitank missiles, at a variety of ranges over the years.

Technology expected to take down a variety of aerial threats including rockets, drones, anti-tank missiles.

The Defense Ministry has made a technological breakthrough in the development of lasers that can intercept aerial threats, including rockets and anti-tank guided missiles, it announced Wednesday.

New laser technology “makes the security apparatus more lethal, more powerful and more advanced,” Defense Minister Naftali Bennett said Wednesday evening.
Speaking about this new addition to the existing tools of war employed by Israel, he said that “we will add a laser sword when dealing with threats from the North or the South.”

The enemies of Israel better not test our resolve or our abilities,” Bennett said.

Brig.-Gen. Yaniv Rotem, head of the Defense Ministry’s Directorate of Research and Development, said: “We are entering a new age of energy warfare in the air, on land and at sea. The R& investments made by the DD [Directorate of Defense] R& in recent years have placed the State of Israel among the leading countries in the field of high-energy laser systems.”
The ministry has been working for more than 10 years on powerful laser technology to enable the development of platforms to intercept a variety of threats, he said. It has carried out a number of successful interceptions of targets, including mortar shells, drones and antitank missiles, at a variety of ranges over the years.

“This is a dramatic solution to rocket fire,” said Dubi Oster, head of the DDR& Optronics Department. “We have been working on this for years. But it is challenging to get a good-quality beam to stay the size you need at the range you need... for example, a beam the diameter of a coin from here [in Tel Aviv] to Herzliya.”

While most developments over the years – both in Israel and abroad – have been ineffective, significant achievements have been made over the past year and a half as a result of collaboration between the ministry and defense companies, including Rafael and Elbit Systems, as well as academic institutions. The breakthrough recently made by the ministry is based on the precision of the laser beam, which can be focused on long-range targets and which can overcome atmospheric disturbances such as clouds and dust storms.

According to Oster, the ministry was able to take several laser beams and, with an advanced algorithm, connect them to get one strong beam that is able to intercept and take down a variety of threats. Based on high-energy electric lasers rather than chemical laser technology, the robust system will complement the other layers of Israel’s aerial defenses and will be a strategic change in the defense capabilities of the state, the ministry said.

According to Rotem, some of the advantages of the high-energy lasers include the ability to continually use the system at lower cost, higher effectiveness and with efficient management. They will also allow for a decrease in the number of missile interceptors used and the future potential to intercept a variety of threats, including unmanned aerial vehicles, drones and guided rockets.

“During a war, missile interceptors will at one point run out, but with this system, as long as you have electricity, you have a never-ending supply,” he said.


“This is a weapon that you can’t see or hear,” Rotem said, adding that while it is not free since it runs on electricity, every interception will only cost a few dollars, as opposed to interceptor missiles that can run into the thousands.

The use of two different and complementary technologies – kinetic air-defense-like systems, such as the Iron Dome, and laser platforms – “is a game-changer,” Rotem said.

As a result of the breakthrough, the ministry has launched three programs for the development of high-energy laser demonstration systems in cooperation with the two companies: a ground-based laser system to complement the capabilities of the Iron Dome, development of a maneuverable platform-mounted laser system to defend troops in the field and the development of a laser demo system mounted on an air platform to intercept threats above cloud covers and for the defense of wide areas.

“This is one system with many options – the weapon of the future,” Rotem said.

Throughout the year there will be several trials of the demos’ capabilities, the ministry said. If effective, they will be deployed to the Gaza border area.

“This technology enables the development of highly effective operational systems that will serve as an additional layer of defense to secure the State of Israel by air, land and sea,” the ministry said.

Artistic depiction of how innovative laser defense system would function on the battle field (photo credit: Courtesy)

Wow.... Technology at its best!

One thing I know for sure is that war will never end...

America, Israel, Biafra and technological prowess are like 5 and 6. Umu chinike gozie a gozie!

jakezebrax:
America, Israel, Biafra and technological prowess are like 5 and 6. Umu chinike gozie a gozie!

You are funny though. You want some people to commit suicide abi. Be careful!

jakezebrax:
America, Israel, Biafra and technological prowess are like 5 and 6. Umu chinike gozie a gozie!

Afonjas now looking at you with anger...

Nigeria is still using 1978 AK47 and armored tank. See countries wey Nigeria senior before before don over advance. Do we even have missile, not to talk of drone or rockets. I doubt we have up to 10 APG.

If any of this counties go to war with us. We would be dead in less than a minute

This hasn't been invented yet, they are only dreaming because they don't have that technological prowess compared to their Iranian and Pakistani counterparts. Israel is a country that relies on military support and financial assistance from the USA for survival. Without the USA, they would have been long gone.

Isreal and Technology are 5&6



Well you can get a Top- up grant for your technological research
Click https://www.nairaland.com/5625239/top-up-research-grant-african-researchers and Thank me later.

Which is the reason why the countries surrounding Israel are scared of them. Even the US are yet to come out with this kind of technology.

It seems you are confused. Israel is the only country that has nuclear weapon around the middle east and they get financial support from the US based on the support they provide to the US in areas of health and other technology break through. Go get your facts well. Historically, even the so called Russia had to depend on the Israelis scientists for technology innovations

KingAzubuike:
This hasn't been invented yet, they are only dreaming because they don't have that technological prowess compared to their Iranian and Pakistani counterparts. Israel is a country that relies on military support and financial assistance from the USA for survival. Without the USA, they would have been long gone.

sammyj:
It seems you are confused. Israel is the only country that has nuclearweapons around the middle east and they get financialsupportfrom the US based on the support they provide to the US in areas of health and other technology breakthrough. Go get your facts well. Historically,
even the so called Russia had to dependon the Israeliscientistsfor technology innovations

This one is a brainwashed illiterate. Lol the Russians depends on Israel for tech? No wonder one of you even claimed Israel is better than China technologically. And they support USA with health and technology breakthrough ?

Forget what your pastors told you, be realistic coz if you were you wouldn't even say they are the only country in the middle east with a nuclear weapon when Pakistan also have. Wake off your sleep.

..

KingAzubuike:

This one is a brainwashed illiterate. Lol the Russians depends on Israel for tech? No wonder one of you even claimed Israel is better than China technologically. And they support USA with health and technology breakthrough ?

Forget what your pastors told you, be realistic coz if you were you wouldn't even say they are the only country in the middle east with a nuclear weapons when Pakistan also have. Wake of from your sleep.

The funniest thing is that these Israeli fanatics think Israel is a Christian nation like their pastors and the Bible have told them. Israel is a Islamic nation populated by many Jews. The Jews and Muslim form the majority. Christian's are a very small minority and they aren't even wanted in the country at all. If not for the revenue the get from pilgrimage and sort , they want the Christian's to leave.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.haaretz.com/amp/1.4715226

I think they already have dome. May be the advanced form of it.

akinmusi:
I think they already have dome. May be the advanced form of it.

There are better air defence systems out there than that iron dome or whatever it's called.

Have a defence system or not, it's only 85% reliable. These below are countries that can hit you with a missile anywhere you are in the world. It's called an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Iran and India also has it. Israel can only lick their lips and bite their fingers.

We have several kinds of missiles apart from the icbm which are

intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBMs),

medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBMs),

short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs)

and tactical ballistic missiles (TBMs).

Israel can only boast of srbm and tbm.

jakezebrax:
America, Israel, Biafra and technological prowess are like 5 and 6. Umu chinike gozie a gozie!

biafra hmmmmm I thought it's only 419ers dat dominate dey country

KingAzubuike:
This hasn't been invented yet, they are only dreaming because they don't have that technological prowess compared to their Iranian and Pakistani counterparts. Israel is a country that relies on military support and financial assistance from the USA for survival. Without the USA, they would have been long gone.

Dont you get tired of saying this

KingAzubuike:

There are better air defence systems out there than that iron dome or whatever it's called.

I understand. Things don't stay the same.

KingAzubuike:
The funniest thing is that these Israeli fanatics think Israel is a Christian nation like their pastors and the Bible have told them. Israel is a Islamic nation populated by many Jews. The Jews and Muslim form the majority. Christian's are a very small minority and they aren't even wanted in the country at all. If not for the revenue the get from pilgrimage and sort , they want the Christian's to leave.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.haaretz.com/amp/1.4715226

Isreal is never an Islamic nation, stop lieing! Israel is a Jews State