School of War Ep 267: Michael Lurie on Israel’s New Laser Weapon
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Jan 20, 2026 Michael Lurie, CEO and President of Rafael USA, dives into the future of missile defense with an emphasis on High Energy Lasers and the new Iron Beam system. He discusses the costs of traditional interceptors versus laser technology, which dramatically lowers operational expenses. Lurie also shares insights on the effectiveness of lasers against swarms of drones and how they integrate into existing defense systems. Plus, he reveals the importance of rapid adaptation in modern warfare and U.S.-Israel collaborations on laser systems.
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Layered Missile Defense Architecture
- Israel uses a layered missile-defense approach: Iron Dome, David's Sling, and Arrow.
- Adding Iron Beam creates a fourth layer to handle short-range rockets, drones, and missiles.
Keep Lasers Complementary To Kinetics
- Use lasers to complement, not immediately replace, existing interceptors like Iron Dome.
- Keep kinetic interceptors as backups because lasers fail in heavy cloud and rain.
Dramatic Cost Per Intercept Shift
- Tamir interceptors cost roughly $100k–$200k each and must be manufactured and transported.
- Iron Beam reduces per-intercept cost to mainly electricity — tens of dollars per shot.
