Israel successfully tests airborne anti-drone laser

System shot down drones from within 1km in trial

An Israeli Defence Ministry photo shows a high-power Laser system, developed with Elbit Systems, mounted on a civilian plane and used to successfully shot down “several” drones in a recent test over the Mediterranean Sea. AP)Show less

The Israeli military on Monday said a test of an airborne, high-power laser that can shoot down drones was a success.

The country already has a large and sophisticated air defence system.

The military said its Iron Dome missile defence system intercepted 90 per cent of the thousands of rockets fired from Gaza during the 11-day war in May.

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.

An unmanned airborne vehicle is struck by a high-power laser over the Mediterranean Sea. Ministry of Defence via AP

A prototype was developed with Israeli electronics company Elbit Systems and was mounted on a civilian plane.

It shot down several drones in a recent test over the Mediterranean Sea, said Brig Gen Yaniv Rotem, head of military research and development at the Defence Ministry.

"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.

“The ability to intercept and destroy threats from the air is ground-breaking,” Gen Rotem said. “Israel is among the first countries to use such capabilities.”

During the test, the system shot down drones from within a range of about 1km.

Elbit makes C-Music, a defence system fitted to aircraft that uses a laser to "blind" incoming missiles. Oren Sabag, a senior Elbit official, said the new laser weapon would use tracking technologies similar to C-Music's but would destroy targets by heating them up so they catch fire in "a few seconds".

Gen Rotem said a 100-kilowatt prototype with a range of 20km would come out in three to four years. That suggested an operational version would take longer to roll out.

The ministry, Elbit and state-owned Rafael Advanced Defence Systems Ltd are also working on a ground-based laser weapon for shooting down aerial threats. That would have a range of 8-10 km and be operational by 2025, the ministry said.

The airborne version would have an advantage because it could be operated over clouds, eliminating bad-weather disruptions that can afflict ground-based lasers, Gen Rotem said.