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An Iron Dome missile costs about $50,000 US, and it has done a remarkable job protecting the Israeli people from Hamas and their ilk firing upon Israeli civilians. And while Israel might be public enemy number one for the usual suspects on the global stage, suddenly everyone is lining up with checkbooks in hand.
The Jewish state, about the size of New Jersey, has rocketed to become the world's eighth-largest arms exporter, raking in a record $15 billion in sales for 2024 alone. They're sitting pretty behind Britain but blowing past Turkey and South Korea.
Why the rush? Because Israel's gear isn't some lab experiment, it's been tested in real wars, and nothing says "buy me" like the Iron Dome missile defense system that's saved countless lives by swatting those rockets out of the sky.
Europe's leading the charge, with Germany and Finland as top buyers, but India, Thailand, Greece, and even Muslim-majority nations like Morocco, the UAE, and Bahrain are snapping up missiles, drones, and cyber systems from the Jewish state.
And now, just as sales are booming, Israel rolls out the game-changing Iron Beam laser system: a high-energy beam that zaps incoming missiles, mortars, and drones up to six miles away for pennies on the dollar, literally $2 per shot at the speed of light [186,282.397 miles per second].
Compare that to traditional interceptors running $100,000 to $1 million each. With a deal like this, no wonder it's turning heads.
And now, just as sales are booming, Israel rolls out the game-changing Iron Beam laser system: a high-energy beam that zaps incoming missiles, mortars, and drones up to six miles away for pennies on the dollar, literally $2 per shot at the speed of light [186,282.397 miles per second].
Compare that to traditional interceptors running $100,000 to $1 million each. With a deal like this, no wonder it's turning heads.
"With the laser, the only cost is electricity," says Yuval Steinitz, chairman of Rafael Defense Industries, manufacturer of the Iron Beam. "It is like between $1 and $2, less than the price of a hot dog in New York." Smart Israeli engineering.
"We have already used it against UAVs launched by Hezbollah in the north and missiles from Iran. It works," says University of Tel Aviv professor Isaac Ben-David. "The most important advantage is, once you see the target, it is intercepted at the speed of light. It takes a fraction of a second, and the laser is already destroying it."
After years of other countries fumbling with laser tech, Israel is the first to deploy it successfully in combat. Ben-David, a key figure in its development and former head of R&D at Israel's Ministry of Defense, knows a thing or two about getting it right.
First deployments are heading north to counter Hezbollah's barrage from Lebanon, where rockets can cross the border in under a minute. Soon, it'll protect ships and air bases too. "This is just the beginning of a new era," Steinitz said. "In time, maybe five years, it will enable us to shoot down every hostile object in the air around Israel. It's really a game changer. "Developed with Lockheed Martin and $1.2 billion in U.S. funding, the tech is already flowing back to America's directed energy programs.
"We cannot do without the United States," he said. "But sometimes, in a partnership, even the dwarf can contribute to the giant."
"We have already used it against UAVs launched by Hezbollah in the north and missiles from Iran. It works," says University of Tel Aviv professor Isaac Ben-David. "The most important advantage is, once you see the target, it is intercepted at the speed of light. It takes a fraction of a second, and the laser is already destroying it."
After years of other countries fumbling with laser tech, Israel is the first to deploy it successfully in combat. Ben-David, a key figure in its development and former head of R&D at Israel's Ministry of Defense, knows a thing or two about getting it right.
First deployments are heading north to counter Hezbollah's barrage from Lebanon, where rockets can cross the border in under a minute. Soon, it'll protect ships and air bases too. "This is just the beginning of a new era," Steinitz said. "In time, maybe five years, it will enable us to shoot down every hostile object in the air around Israel. It's really a game changer. "Developed with Lockheed Martin and $1.2 billion in U.S. funding, the tech is already flowing back to America's directed energy programs.
"We cannot do without the United States," he said. "But sometimes, in a partnership, even the dwarf can contribute to the giant."
In a world full of threats from Iran-backed proxies, Israel is innovating circles around everyone else, and the sales prove it.
When push comes to shove, nations vote with their wallets for what actually works, in spite of where it comes from.
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