The Iranian military kicked off an air defense exercise on January 12 amid the looming threat of potential Israeli air strikes on its nuclear facilities. The exercise saw many air defense systems in action, but there was one that stole the limelight: a new laser-powered air defense system called ‘Seraj.’

Iran’s Army has unveiled a state-of-the-art laser-powered air defense system during its Air Defense Forces’ military maneuvers in the country’s western and northern areas, the Iranian Mehr News Agency claimed. According to the report, Seraj has been called “daunting” by observers.

The system was rolled out at the Fordow uranium enrichment facility where the drills were taking place. The report stated that it was only one of the many layers of air defense operating at the facility and had been designed to dissuade Israel and the United States from attacking Iran and its nuclear program.

The specifications and features of the Seraj air defense system, including its operational range, currently remain shrouded in secrecy.

However, laser-based air defense systems are becoming very popular with militaries around the world as they are very cost-effective means of downing aerial threats.

A high-energy laser is a big, stationary energy-producing device with a directed energy array on top. It uses a concentrated beam of highly energetic photons to intercept and destroy incoming enemy drones and missiles; it is not intended for mobile use but rather for fixed-site defense.

Additionally, these high-energy laser air defense systems can discreetly incinerate adversarial targets without inflicting collateral damage, thereby reducing casualties caused by the debris of interceptors falling on the ground after impact.

The laser-based air defense systems are particularly beneficial against unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) because the concentrated laser beams can rapidly heat the UAV’s body, resulting in its structural failure.

Earlier, a Chinese laser anti-drone system was allegedly spotted protecting a site in Iran where the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gave a rare public sermon in October 2024. It was deployed to protect the Supreme Leader from a possible targeted assassination attempt by Israel.

Some military experts earlier speculated that Iran may have reverse-engineered a Chinese anti-drone system or domestically produced a clone of the Chinese system to strengthen its air defense capabilities. However, these claims could not be independently verified.

The unveiling of the new laser air defense system is significant for Iran’s defense, but it is not the only country that has developed or tested such a state-of-the-art air defense. Several countries like the US, the UK, Israel, South Korea, and China, among others, have reportedly developed and tested their laser air defense.

Of these, Israel’s air defense warrants a special mention. Israel announced progress on its long-awaited high-powered laser interception system, known as the ‘Iron Beam,’ last year. Expected to be inducted into service this year, the Iron Beam is intended to complement the Iron Dome and particularly target smaller aerial threats.

The system is considered to be a valuable addition to the Israeli military, which is forced to use expensive interceptor missiles to shoot down cheap, expendable drones fired by its adversaries in the region. In addition to Iron Beam, Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has also developed another laser-based air defense system known as Lite Beam, specifically for defense against drones.

As for Iran, while its expanding drone inventory has been lauded by observers, its air defense capabilities have been dismissed as insufficient to counter the prevailing threat from Israel and the US.

Thus, the addition of a laser-based air defense system would add more teeth to Iran’s arsenal and make it much easier and cheaper to shoot down hostile aerial targets, especially drones that may be deployed by enemies to target its military or nuclear facilities.

Iran’s Air Defense Drills 

The Iranian military announced that it had launched a large-scale air defense exercise called ‘Eqtedar’ on January 12, emphasizing that the exercise aims to safeguard vital infrastructure, such as the heavy water production and uranium enrichment facilities located at the Fordow and Khondab complexes.

“The exercise, led by the Army’s Air Defense Force under the command of the country’s integrated air defense network, simulated defending critical sites and mission centers against aerial and missile attacks using a wide range of units and equipment, including missile systems, radar, electronic warfare, and intelligence units,” noted Iran’s state media.

Notably, the latest drills come days after the military conducted nationwide drills in the air defense zone around the nuclear complex in central Iran, Natanz, against simulated missile and drone strikes.

Earlier, the Israeli Air Force (IAF) launched air strikes on Iran’s military facilities in October 2024.

A recent report in an Israeli publication, the Jerusalem Post, noted: “Over the past few months, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took credit for the Israel Air Force destroying Iran’s S-300 anti-aircraft radar systems on April 19, and the rest on October 26. This means that at any moment, Israel could launch an airstrike on the nuclear program, which is essentially undefended in any real way from such strikes – for now.”

The air defense drills come amid concerns that US President-elect Donald Trump’s so-called “maximum pressure” policy, which aims to increase US sanctions on Iran’s oil industry, could give Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the authority to attack Iran’s nuclear sites.

The Islamic Republic’s Integrated Air Defense Network oversaw and guided the exercises, which successfully repelled the offensive operations of the mock enemy troops in Fordow and the neighboring Khondab District.

The exercises, which were designed to evaluate the real efficacy of the nation’s air defense plans against possible enemy invasions, concluded on January 12 after meeting their pre-established goals. The Air Defense Forces had access to a variety of sensitive active and passive radar, signal detection, optical, and surveillance technologies, which they used to guarantee intelligence command and the capacity to identify invading targets.

They also evaluated the operational and technical defense forces’ dedication to passive defense concepts and their operational proficiency in various realistic engagement scenarios. The fast deployment principle was also emphasized throughout the drills.

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