Israel has completed work on the world’s first combat-capable laser air defense system, Azernews reports via the Israeli media.

The system, known as Iron Beam, is designed to intercept drones and missiles using high-energy laser technology and is regarded as a breakthrough in modern battlefield capabilities.

One of its key advantages is cost-efficiency: each laser shot costs only a few dollars, compared to around $40,000 for an Iron Dome interceptor missile and millions of euros for a single Patriot system launch.