25 Feb 22. Iron Dome Too Expensive, Israel Develops Laser Wall For Cost-Effectiveness. After its world-renowned success with the Iron Dome, its counter-rocket, artillery, and mortar (C-RAM) system with a 90% success rate defending against incoming missiles, Israel wants to up the ante by supplementing its air defense systems with a new, comprehensive, high-powered laser wall system that can be cost-effective to use when compared to the exorbitantly expensive Iron Dome.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on February 1 announced in a speech at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv that it had been wanting to develop a “laser wall” to protect itself from both ground-launched and airborne threats within the next year. This defensive laser wall is to be used to destroy incoming missiles, rockets, drones, and other similar threats that do not cost a fortune to operate.
He wanted this system to be fully operational by 2023 to complement and possibly replace the Iron Dome, as it was too expensive to operate. However, this decision still lies in limbo as the laser system has not been fully developed as of writing.
“This will allow us, in the medium to long term, to surround Israel with a laser wall that will protect us from missiles, rockets, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and other threats, and in fact, take from the enemy the strongest card it has against us,” said the Prime Minister.
Last 2021, the Israeli Ministry of Defense, together with Elbit Systems, showed a testing video of an experimental laser system that could be mounted on a plane, specifically a Cessna Grand Caravan, as seen in the video. During the test, it had destroyed a drone with a laser beam focusing on a small section of the drone’s hull, with the laser system being operated by a group of 3. The drone quickly caught fire and subsequently crashed into the sea. According to Oren Sabag from Elbit Systems, the aim is to destroy any incoming missiles, aircraft, or threats before they come near Israeli populations, specifically those heavily populated.
“During this tests, which is the first phase in the development of our airborne high-power laser system, we have installed an advanced laser on an aircraft with advanced optics and tracking capabilities, and we have successfully intercepted a number of UAVs within a range of above 1km (0.6 miles),” said Brig. Gen. Yaniv Rotem, Head of Military Research and Development in the IMOD.
“All of the launched UAVs were intercepted and fell into the sea. For the first time ever, we have developed such capabilities in the State of Israel, and we are among the first in the world. We intend to continue the development of this system which strengthens our defense capabilities,” he continued.
An Expensive But Effective Air Defense
It can be remembered that the Iron Dome had been tremendously successful with its air defense capabilities during the past few years as it had been defending against Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shia political and militant group, and Hamas, a Palestinian Islamic militant group, which fire hundreds of cheap, unguided Soviet Katyusha rockets and Qassam rockets into Israeli hoping to kill Israeli civilians.
With a range of about 44 miles, the system is really designed to defend small portions of land, and it really does its job well, according to reports. However, despite its technologically advanced system, it is also notoriously expensive to operate. If Hamas and its Qassam rockets cost about $300 to $800 to build, the Iron Dome shells about $50,000 to $100,000 per interceptor missile. So there is no doubt that while it is super reliable, it is also super expensive. The terrorist groups targeting Israel know this and launch large volleys of missiles hoping some will get through and failing in that, cause Israel to expend vast sums to defend itself. This is why the Israeli government is looking toward lasers and laser walls to help lessen costs in defending itself from the constant threat of missiles raining on their civilians. The laser wall would currently cost about 10% of the price tag of using a missile interceptor.
In the demonstrations last year, the operational laser was said to have 0.6 miles range. However, by the end of the development of the new air defense system, the Israeli government aims to have it at 12 miles of range with a 100-kilowatt laser so that it can burn through any UAV, missile, or rocket it may detect. More so, it aims to be cheaper than the drone, rocket, or missile that the Israelis are currently being bombed with. Israel could deploy hundreds of mobile ground-based systems near its borders to intercept the missiles as they are inbound, as shooting them down over cities just brings the missile down on civilians anyway. Israel would also have airborne lasers as well as lasers are limited by weather conditions.
Bennett stated that terrorists could launch rockets into Israel at a fraction of the cost against the Iron Dome, so it did not make sense why they were using such an expensive method to defend themselves, the PM explained.
“It allows [the terrorists] to launch more and more Kassams and for us to shed many millions on a ‘lightning strike’ and billions during a campaign. We decided to break the equation, and it will be broken in only a few years,” he quipped. “If you can intercept a missile or rocket with an electric pulse that costs a few dollars, we are weakening the ring of fire that Iran has built on our borders,” he continued.
Aside from making air defense systems more affordable and cost-efficient, the overall goal is to weaken Iran’s ring of fire and so-called Iran proxies and allies. With the development of these new technologies, Israel may also export said technology to its regional allies, who are facing the same threat from Iran and its proxy groups.
‘This new generation of Israeli air defense will also be able to serve our friends in the region,” said the Prime Minister referring to Iran-backed Houthi attacks in the United Arab Emirates.
Originally, the research and development team creating the weapon had planned the anti-missile system to be operational by 2024. However, the Prime Minister and the military had pushed for earlier deployment due to safety and cost concerns, one being that the Israeli air defense systems would not have enough interceptor missiles for the Iron Dome to be effective as it is a common practice by Hamas to fire large amounts of Qassam rockets and mortars to Israel in an effort to overwhelm the Iron Dome.
While many experts have maintained that Israel can depend on lasers, another portion says that maintaining the technology could have a significant price tag. According to Uzi Rubin, a senior researcher at The Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, lasers can be impacted by weather conditions; therefore, if the laser system is airborne, it would benefit if it were above the clouds.
“It is feasible, but you would need to use UAVs for which you need a lightweight laser. The other option is taking manned aircraft and putting a laser in them, but then you need to maintain a significant number of aircraft in the air all the time. It’s feasible, but the cost would be high,” said Rubin in an interview with Defense News.
Questions about its effectiveness and rate of kill were also taken into account by Rubin, stating that lasers had a low rate of kill and were slow in intercepting and destroying rockets. It could easily be overwhelmed when militants from Gaza and Lebanon launch rockets multiple rockets per second as it would take a few seconds to destroy incoming hostile rockets. Thus, the Israelis stated that the laser wall would not be a stand-alone system and that it would be working with the Iron Dome and may possibly be integrated with the batteries of the launcher where “one or two of the launchers of each one of the batteries will be a launcher that comes with lasers.” (Source: UAS VISION/ SOFREP)
23 Feb 22. Mack Defense and TenCate to offer force protection system for M917A3 HDT. The truck’s armoured cab adds force protection, to help keep occupants safe in hostile environments. Mack Defense has teamed up with TenCate Advanced Armor USA to deliver a force protection system for the Mack Granite-based M917A3 heavy dump truck (HDT). The firm received design and engineering support from TenCate to upgrade the M917A3 HDTs, as well as other Mack Defense vehicle platforms. As a result of this partnership, the M917A3 HDT now features an armoured cab. It is designed to protect occupants against threats in hostile environments.
Mack Defense president David Hartzell said: “Mack Defense is proud to have partnered with TenCate Advanced Armor USA. The M917A3 HDT’s armoured cab is a terrific demonstration of TenCate’s advanced engineering capabilities for optimised survivability solutions.”
TenCate Advanced Armor has extensive knowledge in designing passive armour solutions, active blast mitigation, and blast protection.
It also has an in-depth understanding of the materials needed to create solutions to meet the reduced weight requirements for vehicle mobility and operation while offering enhanced protection for the forces.
The force protection development programme for the truck included armour solution design, live-fire testing, and blast modelling.
Protection kits that can be tailored to enable the force protection solution to be customised to meet the threat environment and customer needs. In May 2018, Mack Defense secured a firm-fixed-price $296m contract, from the US Army, to produce up to 683 M917A3 HDTs.
In March last year, the firm received an order for 99 Mack Defense M917A3 non-armoured HDTs from the US Army. (Source: army-technology.com)
24 Feb 22. Iran Provides Precision-Guided Munitions to Venezuela for Drones. Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz on Tuesday illustrated how Iran provides precision-guided munition and know-how to Venezuela to produce advanced unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). In an address to the Conference of Presidents in Jerusalem, Gantz presented Jewish leaders with a photograph of an Iranian Mohajer UAV being presented by Venezuela’s President.
“In addition to developing Iranian UAVs in Venezuela, our assessments show that Iranian PGMs [precision-guided missiles] are being delivered for these UAVs and other similar models,” Gantz disclosed. “This highlights that Iran truly is a global and regional challenge and not just a threat to the State of Israel.”
Gantz cautioned that in meetings with “partners from around the world, including African and Latin American partners — I heard extreme concern about Iranian support for terrorism.”
Gantz also asserted that during the period the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) was in place, Iran increased its security budget by 50 percent.
“We must deal with Iranian aggression and support for proxies and ensure that their ‘so-called’ security budget isn’t increased and money isn’t poured into terrorism,” he warned.
Photo: Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz addresses the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations – Ariel Hermoni / Ministry of Defense. (Source: UAS VISION/ the algemeiner)
21 Feb 22. UK Storm Shadow SPEAR Cap 4 MLR nears completion. European missile house MBDA is expected to complete the final elements of the Storm Shadow SPEAR Capability 4 (Selective Precision Effects At Range Capability 4) missile regeneration later this year. SPEAR Capability 4 is the Mid-Life Refurbishment (MLR) project for the UK’s MBDA-developed Storm Shadow air-launched low-observable long-range conventionally armed deep-strike weapon stockpile. Storm Shadow is the UK designator for the weapon system; in French service, the missile is designated SCALP EG (Système de Croisière Autonome à Longue Portée – Emploi Général).Refurbishment of the missile is being executed under the provisions of a joint contract placed on MBDA by the UK and French ministries of defence for MLR of their respective Storm Shadow/SCALP EG weapons in February 2017. The UK segment of the contract, valued at GBP146 million (USD198 million), was approved in October 2016, and the French segment (value not disclosed) in December 2016. (Source: Janes)
22 Feb 22. Hanwha establishes Australian K9 self-propelled Howitzer ‘user community.’ The new ‘user community’ is designed to enable military practitioners and industry partners from countries who employ the weapons systems to trade expertise, with an inaugural summit scheduled for April. Hanwha has established a new ‘user community’ for the K9 self-propelled howitzer, designed to enable countries that currently employ the weapons system to trade experience and knowledge. It is expected that the first meeting will be held in Changwon, South Korea in April with the system used by nine different nations. South Korea, Turkey, Poland, India, Finland, Norway and Egypt currently use the system. The company has also confirmed that Australia will also be among the nine countries to receive an invite, having recently entered into a contract with Hanwha for the development of the AS9 Huntsman in December.
“The K9 User Club meeting in Changwon will be an inaugural event for the K9 users to learn from each other and share experience on how to get the best out of the equipment and how to train best for the artillery solution,” Pasi Pasivirta, European business development director of Hanwha Defense, said.
“All participants can take advantage of the venue to find the optimised operation and sustainment doctrine of the K9 artillery gun with their knowledge and know-how.”
It is hoped that representatives would include military practitioners and members of industry. Hanwha has also confirmed that Universal Motion Simulation, an Australian company specialising in vehicle simulators, would be present to showcase their new simulation offering. Universal Motion Simulation signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Hanwha Defense Australia last year, gaining access to international markets. During the meeting, Hanwha has announced that it will host sessions to better engage partners on training and maintenance and operations to better engage with the weapons system.(Source: Defence Connect)
22 Feb 22. Japan approves JNAAM co-development. As part of its fiscal year (FY) 2022 budget, the cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has approved plans to proceed with the co-development of a Joint New Air-to-Air Missile (JNAAM) with the United Kingdom. Specifically, Japan’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) has secured JPY350m (USD3m) to fund preparation costs related to air-launch tests of a prototype of the JNAAM for FY 2022, starting in April, an official at the MoD’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) confirmed to Janes on 21 February. The official said the joint programme transitioned to a prototype stage in FY 2018 and was expected to finish trial production of the prototype during FY 2022. However, scheduling of the joint programme with the UK will be amended due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the official said. Following the trial production of the prototype, the two countries will evaluate the performance of the missile and then decide whether to put the weapon into mass production. (Source: Janes)
22 Feb 22. Rafael’s ‘C-Dome’ completes 1st interceptions from aboard the Israeli Navy’s Sa’ar 6 corvettes. Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, the Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO), in the Directorate for Defense R&D of the Israel Ministry of Defense, and the IDF have completed a successful series of live-fire tests of the ‘C-Dome’ system – an advanced naval configuration of the Iron Dome defense system. The ‘C-Dome’ was operated for the first time aboard the Israeli Naval Ship (INS) Sa’ar 6 ‘Magen’ corvette against multiple advanced threats. Crew members of the INS ‘Magen’ led the ‘C-Dome’ tests. The test campaign consisted of a number of scenarios simulating advanced threats, including rockets, cruise missiles and UAVs. The ‘C-Dome’ is capable of successfully intercepting such threats. This successful live-fire test is an important milestone and demonstrates the operational capability of the Israeli Navy to defend the strategic assets and vital interests of the State of Israel against current and evolving threats. The ‘C-Dome’ onboard missile defense system is based on the Iron Dome defense system developed by Rafael, with the command-and-control system developed by mPrest. ‘C-Dome’ interfaces with the Saar 6’s ‘Adir’ radar, developed by IAI’s ELTA division. It joins other advanced systems that make up Israel’s multi-tier missile defense array, including the Arrow and David’s Sling systems. Development of ‘C-Dome’ was led by the IMDO in Israel’s Ministry of Defense.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz: “I commend the DDR&D, IDF and Rafael for the completion of an unprecedented test. The systems that we are developing as part of Israel’s multi-tier missile defense array enable us to operate against Iranian proxies in the region and defend against their weapon systems, which are constantly being upgraded. We continue to be two steps ahead of them and we will continue developing and upgrading our capabilities in order to maintain security superiority in the region and to defend the citizens and assets of the State of Israel.”
Head of Rafael’s Naval Warfare Systems Directorate, Ran Tavor: “Rafael is proud to announce the completion of a successful series of tests of the naval configuration of the Iron Dome. This test marks the end of a process to develop and adapt the Iron Dome to naval platforms, according to the requirements outlined by the DDR&D and the IDF. The tests demonstrated Rafael’s advanced engineering and development capabilities, as well as the capability to successfully integrate complex systems.”
Head of the Directorate for Defense R&D in the Israel Ministry of Defense, Brig. Gen. (Res.) Dr. Danny Gold: “The success of this test constitutes a significant technological breakthrough in the field of missile defense, and is the result of the Directorate’s vision and cooperation with the IDF and Israeli defense industries.”
Director of the Israel Missile Defense Organization, Moshe Patel: “Today we mark another historic milestone for the Iron Dome defense system – the completion of a series of successful offshore tests of the missile defense system onboard a naval vessel. The advanced detection system accurately identified various threats including rocket fire, cruise missiles and UAVs. The system successfully intercepted the threats with surgical precision. The success of today’s tests further strengthens our confidence in our missile defense systems as well as the ability of the Israeli Navy to defend the maritime assets of the State of Israel.”