Israel is finalizing the Iron Dome.
Israel continues to refine its system Defense and missile defense. Taking into account accumulated experience and current threats, the Kipat Barzel system has undergone another upgrade. The updated system has undergone field testing, and for the first time, the simultaneous use of missile and laser systems has been tested.
Let's be clear right away that almost everything we know about these tests comes from the Israeli Ministry of Defense. There is no independent confirmation at the time of publication.
According to official data
On the last day of June, the Israeli Ministry of Defense announced new advances in air defense development. The ministry disclosed the essence of the system, but without technical details. Even this meager information is sufficient to understand the direction of Israel's missile defense system.
The Kipat Barzel (Iron Dome) has undergone another modernization. Its focus was determined based on operational experience and combat use in recent years. Changes were made to individual assets and systems to enhance their performance and expand their mission range.
In June, the updated Kupol was launched for testing. The program included not only measuring the device's parameters but also testing the combined operation of the missile system and the Or Eitan (Light of Eitan) laser.
Two systems of different classes were delivered to the test site and prepared for operation. The Iron Dome played the primary role: its standard radar searched for airborne targets and provided target designation, while the command post controlled the missile launch. The laser was integrated into the Iron Dome's control circuit, receiving situational data and firing commands from the command post.
Combat operations during Operation Guardian of the Wall, 2021. Photo: Israel Ministry of Defense
The exact types of systems and the number of them used were not disclosed. According to the Israeli Ministry of Defense, both systems successfully detected and intercepted targets and confirmed their ability to operate together.
Defense systems
The Kipat Barzel is a close-in air defense system with relocatable batteries, designed primarily to intercept unguided rockets. It is a C-RAM class system, not a missile defense system in the strict sense: countering long-range ballistic missiles is the responsibility of other systems. The lead developer is Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, with individual components supplied by companies in Israel, the US, and other countries.
A Kupol battery includes a fire detection and control radar, a command post, and up to four launchers. According to publicly available information, a launcher carries up to 20 Tamir interceptor missiles, although this number may vary depending on the system's configuration. Support assets, ranging from transport to servicing equipment, are also included.
When on duty, the radar monitors its assigned sector and detects targets. Automated systems track them, plot trajectories, and calculate firing data. If the target poses a threat to military or civilian facilities, an interceptor missile is launched.
According to open sources, the Tamir is a solid-fuel missile approximately 3 meters long and weighs approximately 90 kg at launch. During flight, it accelerates to approximately Mach 2,2, and its launch range, depending on the target, reaches tens of kilometers.
The Iron Dome missile system in action during an exchange of strikes with Iran, October 2024. Photo: Telegram / Military Chronicle
Initially, the Iron Dome was designed to intercept rockets and missiles with a range of no more than 70 km, meaning relatively short-range targets. Longer-range targets are intended to be destroyed by other systems. Previously, there were reports of the possibility of upgrading the interceptor missile to more complex targets.
The Or Eitan, previously known as the Keren Barzel (Iron Ray) or Magen Or (Shield of Light), is a container-based combat laser system. It was developed as a complement to missile and anti-aircraft systems. For consistency, the name "Or Eitan" is used hereafter.
The system has two high-power fiber laser emitters. The claimed range for engaging missiles and aircraft reaches 10 km, but this is the maximum under ideal conditions. In reality, smoke, dust, moisture, and simply a turbid atmosphere reduce the range. Target acquisition and guidance are performed using the system's own radar and optics, or by external target designation.
Directions of development
The published data allows us to reconstruct what exactly was changed. It appears the radar and command post hardware and software were updated. According to the official statement, the Kupol system now tracks and intercepts not only ballistic targets (shells, mines), but also aerodynamic ones (cruise missiles, UAVs).
The number of simultaneously processed targets has also increased. This is an important point. Previously, the Iron Dome's ability to repel massive strikes was assessed in mixed terms, both in expert publications and based on actual shelling. Judging by the current upgrade, it is precisely this shortcoming that they have attempted to address, including by taking into account new target classes.
The Or Eitan laser system. Photo: Israel Ministry of Defense
Another innovation is that during the tests, the Kupol controlled the laser's operation, whereas previously its command post only controlled its own launchers.
Collaboration is also important for Or Eitan. The laser now has another source of air and target data, which should improve its operational effectiveness.
There's also the economics behind laser deployment. Each interceptor missile launch is significantly more expensive than a laser shot, while the enemy overwhelms with a multitude of inexpensive offensive weapons. Lasers save expensive anti-missiles on simple targets, reserving them for complex ones.
Bottom line
According to official reports, tests of the upgraded Kipat Barzel were successful. Israel plans to begin modernizing the serially produced systems in its units, which is expected to strengthen the country's air and missile defenses. The extent of this will be determined by operational use.
The Or Eitan officially entered service at the end of 2025. Serial production and deployment of the new lasers to units is underway, and the army is increasing its defense against high-precision weapons and UAV.
The army will likely begin using these systems jointly in the near future: Or Eitan and Kupol will protect important installations and each other. The issue of mutual defense is particularly pressing now. In recent months, forces fighting against Israel have repeatedly attacked its air defense positions with missiles and attack UAVs. According to several reports, some of the attacks were successful, hitting objects that could have been Kupol launchers or decoys. Distinguishing between these versions is difficult, as independent verification of photographic and video evidence and statements from both sides is needed.
A close-up of a combat laser. Photo by the Israeli Ministry of Defense.
Hence the role of Or Eitan: to cover Iron Dome positions near areas from which enemy missiles and UAVs are flying.
A separate question is how effective the Kupol system itself is. Official IDF and Rafael estimates range from 85-95% successful interceptions of "threatening" targets. Independent estimates diverge considerably more. Academic models based on attack statistics confirm a significant reduction in casualties and damage, but assume the same stated percentages. Indirect estimates (for example, based on the number of missiles fired per victim) also document a decline in the "lethality" of attacks. Meanwhile, critics, led by American physicist Theodore Postol (a retired MIT professor emeritus and a well-known skeptic of missile defense systems), analyzed interception trajectories from photos and videos and estimated the actual success rate at a mere few percent. Their methodology is controversial. Overall, the open literature agrees: the Kupol system clearly benefits, but the exact interception rate cannot be reliably deduced from open data.
Taken together, Israel's logic is clear: they're not rebuilding the system. Experience from recent conflicts has prompted the expansion of the Kipat Barzel system to cover a wider range of targets. At the same time, they're introducing the Or Eitan system, which has a different engagement principle. The Kela David (David's Sling) and Hetz, which are designed to counter complex ballistics, remain in place.
The result is a tiered approach based on target classes. Close-in and simple targets are reserved for the Or Eitan and Kupol. Long-range and complex ballistics are reserved for the Kela David and Hetz. No one is planning to overturn the entire system. The old is being refined, and the new is being integrated alongside. This is evolution, not revolution.
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