The Hebrew country reports on the creation of a regional air defence alliance, under US auspices, and announces the deployment of its new short- and medium-range laser anti-aircraft system, the "Iron Beam"

Israel reaches out to Middle East to tackle regional drone and missile threat

photo_camera PHOTO/REUTERS - File photo. An Iron Dome launcher fires an interceptor rocket in the southern Israeli city of Ashdod

Israel's foreign policy continues to make significant efforts within the framework of a roadmap with clearly defined objectives: the full normalisation of its diplomatic and political relations with other countries, and the strengthening of its international image as a guarantor of security in the region. With regard to the latter, the Hebrew authorities have proposed the creation of a "Middle East air defence alliance", as stated by the country's defence minister, Benny Gantz. 

The emergence of such an integrated regional security partnership would, in the current scenario, be just another step in the improvement of Arab-Israeli relations. The opening of a new phase that would include military cooperation among the countries of the region, and which, an Israeli official told Reuters, some of the powers concerned have already begun to coordinate their air defence systems through remote electronic communications. 

"For the past year I have been leading an extensive programme, together with my partners in the Pentagon and in the US administration, that will strengthen cooperation between Israel and countries in the region," Gantz said, as quoted in an official transcript released by Reuters, which fails to name specific countries. "The programme is already operational and has already successfully intercepted Iranian attempts to attack Israel and other countries.

According to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, Tehran's strategy aims to surround Jewish territories with as many "firebases" as possible, creating "a ring" around the country's borders: from Lebanon to Syria, via Iraq, the Gaza Strip and Iran itself. 

atalayar-primer-ministro-israel-naftali-bennett

In this sense, other powers such as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have tried to get closer to the Hebrew country in opposition to what Israeli Prime Minister Bennet himself called the Islamic Republic's 'octopus doctrine'. Riyadh, for example, has already sought to acquire the "Iron Dome" defence system to protect oil installations and defend against Tehran-backed Houthi attacks, after the US was reluctant to provide arms support for this confrontation.

Technological improvements in the arms sector and increasing instability in the region have increased the threat posed by unmanned missiles (UAVs) and drones, which can originate from areas such as Yemen, Iraq and Iran. A threat that even expensive US systems such as the Patriot have been unable to neutralise. An example of this new type of weaponry is the Israeli UAV, Shahed 197, with an estimated range of over 2,000 kilometres. 

In this scenario, US President Joe Biden's tour of the region in mid-July is expected to consolidate the defence alliance initiative and deepen Israel's integration, paving the way for the normalisation of relations. In particular with Riyadh.

atalayar-benny-gantz-ministro-defensa
The "Iron Beam"

In parallel, Israel has announced the arrival of the Iron Beam air defence system, also known as "Iron Beam". While the country's air defence package was already composed of three levels - ranging from the short-range Iron Dome, which is 90% effective at shooting down rockets and artillery, to the long-range Arrow and Patriot systems, to the David's Sling, which covers the intermediate layer between the Dome and the Arrow - the addition of the Iron Beam would complement these operations by shooting down projectiles too small to be intercepted by the Iron Dome

Overall, however, Iron Beam is composed of a ground-based laser, a mobile battery that would protect military forces on the ground, and the airborne system that would be installed on unmanned vehicles to intercept threats from above. 

Back in February, Bennett announced that the laser system will be deployed in about a year's time on an experimental basis. "This will allow us, in the medium to long term, to surround Israel with a laser wall that will protect us from missiles, rockets, UAVs and other threats, and, in effect, take away the Iranian enemy's strongest card against us," the prime minister said.

Economically, these laser interceptors would make it possible to shoot down each rocket or mortar for no more than two US dollars, offsetting the high costs of other systems. However, the Iron Beam has significant drawbacks that would not allow it to become the country's only anti-aircraft system: in low visibility conditions, such as overcast or fog, its accuracy is quite low. 

More in Politics