Lockheed, Israel's Rafael team up to build laser air defense weapon

Israel's Defense Ministry aims to field a ground-based laser capable of shooting down rockets by 2024.
Members of Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Hamas movement, parade with a drone in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on May 28, 2021.
Members of Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Hamas movement, parade with a drone in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on May 28, 2021. - SAID KHATIB/AFP via Getty Images
Al Monitor: The Pulse of the Middle East
Al-Monitor Staff

US-based Lockheed Martin and Israeli-owned Rafael Advanced Defense Systems have signed an agreement in principle to develop a ground-based laser air defense system, the two companies announced.

The air defense system will be designed for the Israeli government but also open to US markets, according to statements by both firms.

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