The Defense Ministry and various US officials on Thursday announced the acceleration of Iron Dome, Iron Beam, and David’s Sling production for future air defense purposes.
There has been concern that after the tens of thousands of rockets and drones Iron Dome had to intercept during the 2023–2025 Middle East war, Israel could be left vulnerable simply by running out of interceptors for future threats.
The current deal appeared intended to address such concerns.
Defense Ministry Director-General Maj.-Gen. (res.) Amir Baram said, “We remain committed to strengthening the readiness and operational capacity of the IDF in an increasingly complex security environment.”
Notably, he said that “The Iron Dome system has fundamentally transformed the battlefield, demonstrating unprecedented interception capabilities on a global scale against a vast spectrum of threats. This contract will dramatically enhance the multi-layered defense posture and strategic stability of the State of Israel. Joint production in Israel and the United States exemplifies the potential of our technological and industrial partnership.”
First operational laser-based defense system
Baram signed a procurement order to accelerate the production of the Iron Dome defense system in the presence of Defense Minister Israel Katz, the Ministry’s Directorate of Defense Research & Development (DDR&D) Head Brig.-Gen. (res.) Dr. Daniel Gold, US Defense Attaché, Maj.-Gen. Aaron Drake, Executive Vice President, Marketing & Business Development at Rafael, Brig.-Gen. (res.) Nir Halamish, and Legal Advisor to the Defense Establishment, attorney Hila Erlich Omer.
President and CEO of Rafael Yoav Tourgeman noted that soon Iron Dome and David’s Sling “will be joined by the first operational laser-based defense system emerging from Rafael’s production lines. The expanded procurement reflects renewed confidence in Iron Dome, which has become a global benchmark for air-defense systems. Rafael remains firmly committed to fulfilling its mission and serving as a central pillar in Israel’s national security.”
The $8.7 billion US aid package, approved by Congress in April 2024, includes a dedicated $5.2b. allocation to enhance Israel’s air defense systems, including Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and the high-powered Laser Defense System, which is currently in its final phase of development.
The ministry statement said that the “Iron Dome system, developed in Israel and manufactured in collaboration with the US government, provides defense against short and medium-range rocket and missile threats, as well as UAV threats. Throughout the recent war, the system has exhibited outstanding performance with remarkable interception rates, delivering crucial protection to Israel’s home front against missile, rocket, UAV, and cruise missile attacks.”
According to the ministry, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems is the prime contractor for the Iron Dome defense system, collaborating with ELTA Systems, a division of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), and mPrest. The US MDA maintains a pivotal role in developing and producing Israel’s multi-layered defense systems, including David’s Sling and Arrow, while manufacturing Iron Dome components.
While there were points during the war when Iron Dome had trouble tracking small Hezbollah drones, the IDF enhanced the system’s tracking capabilities and also started to employ retro technologies like the Vulcan anti-aircraft system, which had been retired in the 1980s, to better combat the retro drone threat.
Aspects of Iron Beam’s laser defense were already deployed in October 2024, and additional elements have started to be deployed and will continue to be deployed in the near future and throughout 2026.