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Laser Game-Changers in Middle Eastern Warfare

(Jerusalem Post) Amb. Dore Gold - Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz, commenting on the latest Israeli anti-missile laser test, said: "energy-based weapons with a powerful laser are, in my opinion, a very significant game-changer." The Soviet Scud missiles supplied to Egypt just before the Yom Kippur War in 1973 offered assured penetrability of Israel's air space. From then on, Israel had to find a way to neutralize the ballistic missiles of its adversaries. The introduction of a new generation anti-missile system based on lasers could provide Israel with a more cost-effective solution than the Iron Dome, whose Tamir interceptors each cost $80,000. The cost of each laser shot is less than $5.00. Today, rockets and ballistic missiles are being employed by Iranian proxy forces like Hizbullah, Hamas, and the Houthis in Yemen. The Houthis have also fired armed drones at the heart of Riyadh and at Abu Dhabi. There is a collective interest among Israel and the Gulf states to deny Iranian allies the ability to hit their most sensitive infrastructures. The Abraham Accords have created new regional possibilities for marrying up Israeli technology with the financial power of the Arab Gulf states. This is the real game-changer that is emerging now. The writer, president of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, served as Israel's ambassador to the UN and director-general of the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
2022-04-21 00:00:00
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