An Israeli expert questions the effectiveness of the new laser defense system

An Israeli security expert questioned, on Saturday, the ability of the new laser defense system that Israel recently announced to shoot down missiles, as it relied on “weak and cheap” rays.

This came in an interview made by Eli Bar-On, from the “Magen Laorf” association, for the local “103-FM” radio reported by the Hebrew newspaper “Maariv”.

And Magen Laarof is a non-profit organization that integrates advanced laser systems into the Israeli defense system.

On January 9, the Israeli Ministry of Defense unveiled a modern laser system, which it said would be used to intercept rockets launched from Gaza, Syria and Lebanon.

The new system was described as a “technological breakthrough in the use of high-energy lasers to intercept long-range threats”.

Bar-On said that members of the association met with Minister of Defense Naftali Bennett, on the eve of the unveiling of the new system, and told him that “the electric laser is weak and will not do the job”.

He stressed that dropping a solid flying object like a missile or missile would require intercepting it with a huge amount of energy.

He refuted the Ministry of Defense’s claims that it will be possible to access a 1-megawatt electrical source that can shoot down missiles 40 kilometers away.

He said that the United States, a pioneer in the field of lasers, has been trying for years to produce high-power electric lasers to meet security needs without success.

Bar-On confirmed that the Americans have experienced very large technological failures and have not even reached 100 kilowatts (1 megawatts = 1000 kilowatts).

He added, “There is no doubt that 1 megawatts will not be obtained in the next 20 years”.

In exchange, he called on Israel to develop chemical laser, the source of which is direct combustion of fuel.

Israel is scheduled to test the new laser system in the second half of this year, and the Ministry of Defense estimates that the system will operate successfully and will help protect from missiles and mortars by next year.

Israel has several missile intercept systems, the most famous of which is the Iron Dome, to intercept short and medium-range missiles, and an “arrow” to intercept long-range missiles.

However, the Israeli media often took on the Iron Dome system; it is very high cost, and its inability to deal with bursts of rockets simultaneously.