Israel’s high-powered laser interception system, called Iron Beam, is expected to be operational next year.

That’s according to Israel’s Foreign Ministry director-general Eyal Zamir, who yesterday signed a $535m (£411m) contract with manufacturers Rafael and Elbit.

The Iron Beam would supplement Israel’s other air defense capabilities, such as the better known Iron Dome.

They failed to intercept every projectile fired at Israel, resulting in both civilian and military casualties.

The cost of a single Iron Dome intercept is thought to be around $50,000 (£38,400). Iron Beam interceptions, on the other hand, would cost a few dollars a piece.

“It may sound like science fiction, but it’s real,” former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said in 2022, adding that the Iron Beam intercepts would be silent, invisible and cost $3.50 each.

This month, the US equipped Israel with a highly advanced defense system capable of avoiding ballistic missiles in or out of the atmosphere.

The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) requires a crew of 95 soldiers to operate, which the US also provides.

You can read more about Israel’s air defense systems below.