The system, called Hypnosis, consists of an array of mobile “stations” around a defended area, working in unison to disrupt the command-and-control signals of incoming threats, according to the manufacturer.

The company said the technology is the product of IAI’s experience in navigation warfare, of NAVWAR.

The soft-kill weapon is meant as a method for taking out large numbers of drones at once, in situations where hard-kill — or kinetic — intercepts would be tricky to execute because of the number of airborne objects.

The unveiling comes amid a resurgence of military confrontation between the United States and Iran and heightened tension across the Middle East as a result of it, as well as an intensifying exchange of missile and drone strikes between Russia and Ukraine.

Defense companies around the world have been working on technology enabling swarms of drones to attack targets with an inherent logic of their own.

Similarly, companies are also chasing defensive offerings for such scenarios.

Swarms are difficult to defend against because they can saturate and overwhelm traditional air defense networks, increasing the chances of at least one warhead making it through.

Each platform would carry between nine and 12 Hermes 650 Spark aircraft along with the deck infrastructure, control systems and mission support needed to operate them. Elbit described the approach as an alternative to acquiring a traditional aircraft carrier, aimed at giving naval forces extended maritime reach without the associated cost and complexity.

The Hermes 650 Spark is built around a front-mounted engine that provides a wider speed envelope and additional power margin, supporting short takeoff and landing (STOL) capability, heavier payloads and longer missions. The aircraft carries two payload bays, satellite communications and diagnostic systems, the Israeli company notes.

Elbit says the aircraft is built for compatibility with the ground control infrastructure of its larger Hermes 900 drone, meaning the smaller 650 Spark would be managed as part of a combined array with the Hermes 900 from a land-based control system. In such a setup, ships would serve as remote launch and recovery sites. According to the company, the arrangement is intended to reduce manpower requirements and the number of control stations needed, the company said.

The Israeli defense company cited Japan’s expansive maritime geography, Denmark’s responsibilities around Greenland, and Germany’s security environment in the Baltic Sea as examples of the kind of large, distant maritime areas the concept is meant to address. For Israel, a maritime UAS-carrier concept holds appeal given Israel’s encompassing offshore gas platforms that sit dozens of kilometers from shore and require monitoring against both conventional threats and drone and missile attacks from Iran and its proxies.

A converted vessel carrying multiple long-endurance UAS could extend early-warning coverage over these installations and fit Israel’s broader doctrinal preference for cost-effective, unmanned-heavy solutions over large manned platforms.

The company did not specify a timeline for when the system would become operational, nor did it name any customers or governments that have expressed interest in the idea.

Elbit’s announcement seeks to position the company as a player in this segment mainly against Turkey’s Baykar and South Korea’s Hanwha and can be interpreted as an attempt to export an existing system, the Hermes 650, in new operational packaging.

The defense ministry declined to provide technical specifics on the modifications. However, it stated that the upgrades enhance the system’s ability to contend with high rates and volumes of fire, allowing Israel’s air defenses to more effectively manage massive, concentrated saturation salvos.

A key element of the latest test series was the operational integration of the Iron Beam. During the tests, joint operational scenarios were successfully executed and managed directly from the Iron Dome’s battle management center, the government said.

This integration is a prerequisite for future operational deployments allowing commanders to dynamically toggle between missile and laser interceptions based on the nature of the incoming threat, system availability and cost-benefit calculations.

Israel’s announcement comes amid a U.S.-Iran ceasefire, a diplomatic development that has left Israel in a state of high strategic tension along its northern border with Lebanon, where it continues to endure persistent drone salvos launched by Hezbollah.

The Iron Dome was declared operational in 2011, when it also achieved its historic first interception of a Gaza-launched Grad rocket, and since formed the backbone of Israel’s multi-layered air defense network. Each of its batteries consists of a radar system, a command center and missile launchers carrying about 20 Tamir interceptors, protecting against threats within a range of 4 to 70 kilometers.

The primary developer for the Iron Dome is the Israeli firm Rafael, which is also the primary developer for the Iron Beam.

That system is designed to neutralize targets within four to five seconds from the moment it locks onto the target, at ranges up to 10 kilometers. An Iron Beam laser pulse is deemed to cost only a few dollars while a single Tamir interceptor missile costs roughly $50,000.

The deal includes dozens of launchers and rockets with ranges of 25 to 186 miles (40-300 kilometers) and is the first sale of the Israeli PULS system to Greece. The PULS system is capable of launching unguided rockets, precision-guided munitions and missiles at various ranges, and is fully compatible with existing wheeled and tracked platforms.

The deal has been underway for the past two and a half years, but its closing had been delayed, in part due to the ongoing war in the Middle East. It was launched after its approval by the Greek parliament in December 2025 as a government-to-government deal, in which Israel and Greece themselves guarantee its implementation, with the Israeli Ministry of Defense emphasizing that it “reflects the growing defense cooperation between Israel and Greece.”

The PULS is expected to be delivered over the next four years, along with a decade of support and maintenance services by the Israeli system’s manufacturer, Elbit Systems, which will also serves as the prime contractor for the Greek project.

In a supplementary announcement issued by the Israeli company, it was stated that “Elbit will collaborate with local Greek industries for the production of the system, including technology transfer and sharing of know-how.”

Elbit established a joint venture with the German KNDS to market a PULS system in Europe called “EuroPULS” GmbH. It is divided equally between the founding companies, and its headquarters is to be established in Kassel, Germany. The company also stated that within the framework of the government-to-government agreement between the Netherlands and Israel, Germany — as a partner — ordered five EuroPULS launchers in an initial operational capability configuration, with delivery and training planned for 2027.

The latest PULS sale to Greece is one of several defense deals with Israel approved by the Greek Parliament as part of its “Achilles Shield” project. Under the project, approved in mid-March, Greece will purchase Barak MX missile batteries from Israel Aerospace Industries, as well as David and Spider mobile launcher systems from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.

Elbit revealed plans to that effect during the presentation of financial statements for 2025, though the company has kept technical details and information about the envisioned timing under wraps.

Israel ordered the system amid its joint military operation with the United States against Iran, “Epic Fury,” in which it is dealing with missile and drones fired from Iran and Lebanon.

Israel already possesses the Iron Beam laser-based defense system against these threats. Developed by Rafael, it became operational at the end of 2025. It consists of ground-based laser guns with 10 to 100 kilowatts of power, enabling a range of 2 to 10 kilometers.

Despite its effectiveness and low interception cost, Iron Beam faces a number of obstacles related mainly to atmospheric conditions on the ground.

“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,” said Bezhalel Machlis, president and CEO of Elbit Systems. “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.”

He said the requisite engineering work for taking the technology airborne is at an advanced stage. “When the solution will be mature and operational, I believe it will be a breakthrough in the way countries are defeating swarms and other type of threats,” Machlis said.

He hinted at a possible offensive application, too, saying, “High-Power Laser is not just a defensive weapon.”

The vessel is the first unmanned submarine developed by an Israeli defense company. It is the product of a joint venture with Atlas, a subsidiary of Germany’s TKMS, the manufacturer behind the Israeli Navy’s submarine fleet.

A BlueWhale was delivered in a ceremony held at the German naval base in Eckernförde after a series of tests carried out by the German Navy in the Baltic Sea.

None of the parties involved specified the number of vessels the German sea service eventually stands to get, or the scope of the deal.

IAI reported at the end of November 2024 that the German Navy had completed testing the new drone as part of the “Navy 2035+” program, which is a service initiative for rapidly testing and adopting new technologies under real-world conditions.

The BlueWhale travels at 7 knots underwater, and the Israeli company states that the unmanned submarine can sustain continuous operation of 2-3 weeks depending on the mission profile. It is equipped with surface and sub-surface sensors and can be transportable by land, air or sea in a 40-foot shipping container.

The joint IAI-TKMS announcement notes that the vessel’s envisioned missions include unmanned anti-submarine warfare and covert maritime operations.

“The vehicle is capable of conducting reconnaissance operations, detecting targets above and below the sea surface, collecting acoustic information, and locating sea mines on the seabed,” the statement reads. “It acts as an extended sensor arm for manned platforms.”

The sale of the BlueWhale is seen in Israel as a step toward deepening defense cooperation with Germany amid the supply of the Arrow 3 air defense system, also made by IAI, Israel’s largest defense deal ever.

In the maritime sector, Israel has relied for years on TKMS, which supplies Dolphin AIP submarines and Sa’ar 6 ships.

In about four years, the German company is scheduled to begin delivering three Decker-class submarines ordered in 2022.

UTACS was founded roughly two decades ago as a joint venture between the French Thales Group and Elbit, primarily to compete for drone contracts for the British Army. The venture’s main product was the Watchkeeper, which became fully operational in late 2018.

Elbit’s full ownership of UTACS comes about a year after the British government decided to gradually phase its Watchkeepers out of service.

The Israeli company’s latest drone deals include a purchase of Hermes 900 aircraft by the Singapore military. Elbit is also active in related arenas such as loitering munition with its SkyStriker family and the reconnaissance and intelligence drones with its Skylark and the Magni-X.

The Israeli and French companies did not specify the buyout amount, but Elbit notes that the UTACS purchase came after receiving all required approvals.

The newest addition to the Spike collection comes in two primary warhead configurations: anti-tank and multipurpose.

According to Rafael’s announcement, the L-SPIKE 4X can be launched from legacy Spike launchers on air, land, and naval platforms, and can remain airborne for up to 25 minutes in loitering mode. The company also states that it can engage targets at ranges of up to 40km.

Designed as an automated weapon, it includes an operator-support suite that emphasizes man-in-the-loop control. This enables a single operator to supervise and coordinate up to four missiles simultaneously in one mission while retaining human decision authority, according to the manufacturer.

“L-SPIKE 4X aligns closely with the capabilities required by U.S. and allied forces — resilient, precise, and operator-controlled effects launched from multiple platforms,” a Rafael spokesperson said when asked by Defense News about whether the company is angling for the U.S. Army’s Launched Effects program.

Launched Effects refers to unmanned, autonomous defense systems that can be deployed from air, naval, or ground vehicles and deliver a wide range of capabilities, such as reconnaissance, surveillance, and precision munitions.

Army officials have emphasized the need for more autonomous systems in order to equip every division with Launched Effects by the end of 2026.

Rafael mentions that the L-SPIKE 4X is designed for operation in contested electromagnetic and GPS-denied environments and includes hardened communications to maintain control under interference. Its architecture also supports AI-enabled functions, including automatic target recognition and target image acquisition.

The mortar munitions are already in use by the IDF’s ground forces in the ongoing “Iron Swords” war in Gaza and along its northern border against the militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah, respectively.

Israel’s agreement with the Haifa-based Elbit Systems comes as part of a push to strengthen production independence, the Israeli Ministry of Defense noted.

Incentivizing this effort are public calls to boycott the sale of ammunition and ammunition parts to Israel due to its war in Gaza. The new contract also follows a delay of ammunition shipments to Israel from the U.S. coinciding with Israel’s entry into Rafah.

The Iron Sting munition is a precision-guided 120mm mortar designed to accurately target and destroy objectives, using both immune GPS and laser guidance technology.

The munition has a range of up to 10 kilometers — or, 6.2 miles — and has an estimated loading time of approximately 15 seconds. It features a multi-mode fuze with point detonation, point detonation delay and proximity sensor operating modes.

“In response to the outbreak of war, the IMoD Directorate of Defense Procurement has accelerated the acquisition of cutting-edge armaments,” the Israeli Defense Ministry stated.

On Oct. 7, the Gaza-based militant group Hamas launched a fatal attack on Israel and took people hostage, with the Israeli government in turn launching a war against the organization in the southern territory.

Photos and video uploaded to social media show reservists with the Israel Defense Forces operating a trebuchet, a catapult-type tool used in the Middle Ages, throwing fireballs over the concrete barrier separating Israel from Lebanon.

Reservists who recently spoke to the Israeli press on the condition of anonymity said they had been using the weapon since October with the purpose of revealing hidden militant positions and infiltration routes in the thicket bushes near the border. On Oct. 7, the Gaza-based militant group Hamas launched a fatal attack on Israel and took people hostage, with the Israeli government in turn launching a war against the organization in the southern territory.

Guy Stiebel a military archeology expert at Tel Aviv University, who specializes in military archeology and gives lectures as part of an IDF program, said he knows the soldier who helped built the trebuchet and confirmed to Defense News the use of the tool.

“There is a whole field in archeology called experimental archeology, which restores and builds tools such as the trebuchet for research purposes” Stiebel noted. “Among the IDF reserves there is an expert on the period and on this kind of weaponry used then, who found a solution to meet the goals set by his command.”

The weapon’s purpose is to launch beyond fortifications, like that separating the neighboring countries, which Stiebel said can reach 7-9 meters (23-30 feet).

“The trebuchet shown in the pictures is not a particularly large model of the ancient instrument, and its throwing distances were of up [to] about 50 or 60 meters,” he added. “It should be noted that advanced technology cannot always provide solutions, but although there are ancient simple ones that can do the job like the trebuchet, the latter was not been adopted by the Israeli Artillery Corps.”

When contacted by Defense News, the IDF did not deny the existence of the trebuchet nor its use by reservists in the north, but it also declined to comment on the topic.