Israel’s Defense Ministry announcement that it had delivered the “Or Eitan” system was not framed as a routine technical update. The language of the statement, the timing of the announcement and the ceremony surrounding it suggested the security establishment views the moment as more than the introduction of a new weapon into service. It is being presented as the start of a different phase. But is it?
At facilities of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, where the official ceremony was held, the defense minister and senior military and defense-industry leaders gathered. The scene had a distinctly celebratory tone, but at its core it marked the completion of a complex process. In a statement obtained by Alhurra, the Defense Ministry said the system had undergone extensive development and testing and was evaluated across multiple scenarios before a decision was made to deliver it to the Israeli military.
The ministry said “Or Eitan” demonstrated effectiveness in intercepting a range of threats, including short-range rockets, mortar rounds and drones. With its entry into service, the system is being integrated within the air force not as a replacement for existing systems, but as an additional layer in a multi-tier air defense network. The approach reflects an operational philosophy of distributing roles across different layers rather than relying on a single solution.
In describing the system, the Defense Ministry emphasized what it called a technological and engineering breakthrough, based on an advanced laser source and a high-precision electro-optical guidance component. The integration, the statement said, enables effective, accurate interception of various targets. But the theme repeated most in official remarks was cost. The ministry said the main advantage is the very low marginal cost per interception — a point presented as decisive in confronting threats that rely on quantity rather than quality.
In remarks during the ceremony, Defense Minister Israel Katz broadened the significance of the event. He described the delivery as a “historic milestone,” saying it marked the first time a high-powered laser interception system had reached operational maturity after successful interceptions in tests that simulated different combat scenarios.
“There are events whose description as a historic milestone precisely reflects their true meaning,” Katz said. “At this important moment, we can all feel great pride in the precedent being recorded here today — this is the first time in the world that a high-powered laser interception system has reached operational maturity,” he added. In addition, Katz noted that the system’s deployment sends “a message to Tehran, Sanaa and Beirut.”
The picture, however, is incomplete without the perspective of field experience. In an interview with Alhurra, retired Brig. Gen. Ran Kochav, a former commander of air defense systems, offered a different tone, though not a fundamentally contradictory assessment. Kochav acknowledged the significance of bringing “Or Eitan” into service, but sought to place it in a practical context. “Laser technology is the step of the future, and it is a cheap solution to an expensive problem,” Kochav said. He noted “the system concentrates electrical power into a beam of light through optical systems that can heat the wing of a drone or another object within seconds, and this leads to intercepting the target before it crosses the border and threatens our security.”
In his view, the system’s principal value lies in being an additional tool that reduces pressure on traditional missile-based interceptors, especially in saturation scenarios that involve launching large numbers of low-cost rockets or drones.
In that sense, Kochav said, the laser does not eliminate the missile but reshapes priorities. Using “Or Eitan” under certain conditions allows Israel to preserve stocks of interceptor missiles for more complex or sensitive cases and gives commanders greater flexibility in managing defensive operations.
Kochav, however, did not hide his reservations. He warned against portraying the system as a comprehensive solution. He said it has limitations, its effectiveness is affected by environmental conditions, and it does not operate independently of other layers. “With the laser system there is a problem in using energy, and now it can be done for short ranges. There is also a problem using it in rainy weather and clouds and dust. There are also complexities from a safety standpoint, because concentrating energy into a beam of light creates a challenge for security and safety,” he stated. He added that while the laser is inexpensive, “it cannot be used at the same time against several targets, because it must heat a target, intercept it and then move to the next.”
For that reason, Kochav said the system’s real strength appears only when it is part of an integrated architecture in which each system is used according to its advantages and limits — no more and no less.
That balance between ambition and realism is also reflected in statements from Defense Ministry officials. The ministry has described plans for serial production and the development of future land- and air-based defense systems as the beginning of an operational phase, not the conclusion of the program. Officials have framed “Or Eitan” as the first step in a continuing development effort to address evolving and increasingly complex threats.
