Biden's trip to Israel; unveiling of laser weapon to counter Iranian drone threat
Shortly after Joe Biden arrived in Israel on Wednesday, July 12, the country's military showed the US president new hardware or laser weapons designed to counter the threat of Iranian drones.
Israeli leaders have long stated that countering Iran's nuclear ambitions is one of their main goals, but it seems that recently their sensitivity and warnings about the danger posed by Iranian drones have also become more prominent.
Not long ago, the Israeli army announced that it had tracked four unarmed drones that were heading towards a gas extraction platform in the Mediterranean Sea. According to the Israeli army, these drones were made in Iran and were flown by the Lebanese Hezbollah.
As concerns grow about the threat posed by Iranian-made drones, the Israeli military hopes to secure its airspace with a laser weapon called the Iron Beam. Although the weapon system is not yet operational, then-Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett described it as a “game changer” in April.
On Wednesday, the Israeli army showed the US president images of Iranian-made drones that were detected by the Iron Dome anti-aircraft defense system and new laser equipment called the Iron Beam.
"The Iron Beam system will be operational within the next few years and will be integrated into the Iron Dome air defense system," Daniel Gould, head of the research department at the Israeli Defense Ministry, told AFP.
According to him, these two systems will complement each other, and the command and control center can decide at any moment whether to fire a missile or a laser.
Last September, the US government approved a $1 billion grant for Iron Dome, and showcasing the Iron Dome defense system to the US president is considered a strategic move to gain support and assistance from Washington.
Iron Dome plays a vital role in detecting and destroying rockets fired by Hamas from the Gaza Strip into Israel. Each rocket fired by the system costs about $50,000. While Naftali Bennett announced that the cost of each use of the Iron Beam laser system is only $3.50. He said that the defense system is “silent” and is capable of detecting and destroying drones, mortar shells, rockets and anti-tank missiles.
Uzi Rubin, a former Israeli army missile defense systems expert, believes that tracking drones is a major challenge. "Laser technology has more capabilities to counter drones than rockets and missiles. Receiving financial assistance from the United States will play a major role in this," he told AFP.
Israel's priority in Joe Biden's trip to the Middle East is to gain American support for military and security cooperation between countries that consider Iran a serious threat.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have also been the targets of drone attacks by the Houthi rebels in recent years, and most experts believe that Iran provides them with these drones.
The Wall Street Journal reported last month that US and Israeli military officials had traveled to Cairo to discuss the threat posed by Iranian drones with officials from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The talks also included representatives from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
In his first speech after arriving in Tel Aviv, Mr. Biden said: "We will continue our efforts to further integrate Israel into the region."
Defense experts in Israel say that the country's armed forces, especially the navy, have been predicting since 2009 that Hezbollah drones would become a serious threat to natural gas exploitation facilities in the Mediterranean Sea.
They point out that Iran has realized for years that the use of drones multiplies the power and scope of offensive operations.
The Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank, said in a report published in May: “Iran is becoming a major drone power in the region. Iran has been mass-producing surveillance and attack drones for years, out of urgent need and to compensate for the weaknesses of its aging air force.”
On Monday, the White House national security adviser said security intelligence indicates that Iran is preparing to deliver several hundred drones to Russia in a short period of time.
Israel may launch an offensive as it strengthens its defense capabilities against the threat of Iranian drones and develops regional military cooperation. One example of Israel's offensive actions was the attack on one of Iran's secret, underground military drone bases in Kermanshah province in April of this year.
Source: Radio Farda
