Naftali Bennett: Laser Air Defense System Will Be Ready Within a Year to Counter Iran Threats

Naftali Bennett, Prime Minister of Israel, says his country will be equipped with a laser-based air defense system within a year.

Bennett said on Tuesday that Israel is accelerating the preparation of this system.

Israel’s existing air defense systems are very costly for destroying aerial threats, and the use of a laser-based system would reduce the high cost of neutralizing threats.

Israel has repeatedly been targeted by rocket attacks from Iran-backed quasi-military groups such as Hamas.

According to Reuters, Israeli defense officials had previously said that such a system, which can use lasers to destroy drones and rockets, would become operational in 2025. However, now the Israeli prime minister, amid tensions with Iran, says such a system will be available for use in another year.

The Israeli prime minister said the new generation air defense system “can also serve our friends in the region who face serious threats from Iran and its proxies.”

The United Arab Emirates, which has diplomatic relations with Israel, was recently targeted by attacks from Houthi forces aligned with Iran.

Bennett said in a speech in Tel Aviv that the Israeli army would initially bring this laser-based system as a pilot program and would initially make it operational in the south and then in other parts of the country.

Source: Voice of America