TEL AVIV, ISRAEL — Israel's Defense Ministry says in a news release that it made a technological breakthrough in a defensive laser weapon that intercepts aerial threats.<br /><br />Israel-based Defense Update reports that the laser can shoot down range rockets fired at close range and other threats that are too costly for the Iron Dome to engage.<br /><br />Defense Update reports that Israeli air defense batteries, armored vehicles and aerial drones will be outfitted with the lasers to bolster defense systems already in use.<br /><br />The Jerusalem Post reports that the weapon is electrically powered and that it combines multiple beams into one beam capable of overcoming atmospheric conditions. <br /><br />The active defense system is precise and the laser has successfully intercepted various projectiles in tests, including mortar shells and anti-tank missiles.<br /><br />Citing a military researcher, the Jerusalem Post reports that the weapon could fire a beam the diameter of a coin from Tel Aviv to Herzliya, which "provides a dramatic solution to rocket fire."
