This post was republished with permission from Zero Hedge
Hezbollah opened a new front in the broadening U.S.-Israeli war with Iran overnight, launching a barrage of missiles and kamikaze drone swarms at an Israeli military base in northern Israel.
Footage of one of those missile launches posted on X by the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (IPBC) shows what appears to be some of those Hezbollah missiles prematurely exploding moments after launch.
IPBC explained that the apparent misfires were due to the “Interception of the Rocket from Lebanon Carried Out Using the “Iron Beam” Laser System.”
?HISTORIC: For the first time ever, Israel used the Iron Beam to intercept rockets fired by Hezbollah. pic.twitter.com/DU63REU22k
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) March 2, 2026
We reported last fall that Israel Defense Forces rolled out its new high-powered laser defense system, known as the “Iron Beam.”
The laser-based air defense system was developed by Rafael and built to complement the Iron Dome missile defense shield. Instead of launching expensive interceptor missiles, it uses a high-energy laser to destroy short-range threats such as rockets, mortar rounds, and drones.
The footage likely shows the 100 kW-class Iron Beam in action, able to neutralize incoming projectiles for only a few dollars per shot, versus roughly $100,000 for a traditional interceptor rocket.
11 Patriots cost $44M.
— Brandon Straka #WalkAway (@BrandonStraka) March 2, 2026
They downed a $250K Iranian missile.
The math is brutal.
Video shows intercepts over Haifa as Israel counters more waves. pic.twitter.com/QO43UiWYu0
One of the major problems for U.S. and Israeli forces is that the cost per counter-missile and drone is extraordinarily expensive and uneconomical if the war dragged on for a prolonged period of time.
Related:
But there is a big caveat, per the Times of Israel: “The main downside of a laser system is that it does not function well in low visibility, including heavy cloud cover or other inclement weather.”
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