Israel’s Defense Ministry has contracted Elbit Systems to develop and deliver podded high-power laser (HPL) systems for Israeli Air Force fighter jets and a dedicated laser system for military helicopters, company president and CEO Bezhalel Machlis confirmed March 17 during Elbit’s full-year 2025 earnings presentation.
Elbit Systems Reports 2025 Results:
$28.1 Bn backlog, $7.9 Bn of revenues, Non-GAAP EPS of $12.75; GAAP net EPS of $11.39.
Bezhalel (Butzi) Machlis, President and CEO of Elbit Systems: “During 2025, Elbit Systems achieved significant milestones, most notably securing a contract… pic.twitter.com/e051vxxuPv
— Elbit Systems (@ElbitSystemsLtd) March 17, 2026
Machlis said the engineering work is at an advanced stage. “We are very advanced in the development,” he said. “When the solution will be mature and will be operational, I believe it will be a breakthrough in the way countries are defeating swarms and other types of threats.”
The airborne program extends Israel’s existing ground-based laser infrastructure. The Iron Beam system, developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and delivered to the Israeli Air Force on December 28, 2025, fires a ground-mounted solid-state laser with 10 to 100 kilowatts of power to intercept rockets, mortars, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at ranges of up to more than 6 miles.
Following a complex development process, the Israel MOD’s DDR&D and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems delivered the first Iron Beam laser system to the IDF at an official ceremony held today at Rafael’s headquarters in northern Israel.
Read More: https://t.co/2ljeE2CnAj pic.twitter.com/iDKHv8FVFB
— Ministry of Defense (@Israel_MOD) December 28, 2025
Elbit was a supplier to Rafael on Iron Beam and is the prime contractor for the airborne variant.
Moving the laser to an airborne platform removes key operational constraints. “Putting a high-power laser in the air will enable us first to overcome some of the challenges of the ground, like weather and dust and turbulence,” Machlis said. “Flying above clouds will enable us to gain more ranges and to be more effective, and also to eliminate the threats far away from our borders.”
Elbit has released concept renderings of podded configurations for both an F-16 and an F-15 carrying the system on a centerline station.
Machlis said the goal is to field multiple systems capable of engaging large numbers of simultaneous threats, and flagged potential offensive applications. “High-power laser is not just a defensive weapon,” he said.
The contract comes as Israel manages sustained ballistic missile and drone threats from Iran and Hezbollah during Operation Epic Fury, the joint U.S.-Israeli strike campaign that began February 28, 2026.
“I believe that it will bring Elbit a new stream of revenues and profit in the near future,” Machlis said, noting international customers have expressed interest.
Elbit posted full-year 2025 revenue of $7.9 billion, a 16.3% increase, with its order backlog rising 24% to approximately $28 billion.
