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 the supply of launchers, interceptors, radar systems, training programs and logistical support.

The Israeli company said a first order under the full framework agreement was signed last week. Delivery of the systems is expected to begin within 36 months of the signing date, while “achieving initial operational capability based on extensive industrial cooperation and local manufacturing in Romania,” a Rafael statement reads.

The company also notes that the latest deal is the largest contract in its history. The sale comes amid rising tensions in Europe due to the Russia-Ukraine war, which also posed a challenge to the Eastern European NATO member that suffered several incidents of crashing drones as a result.

The latest occurred at the beginning of June, when Romania reported that a drone exploded in its port city of Constanța, and about a week prior, a Russian drone hit a residential building in the city of Galați, near the Ukrainian border.

The Spyder sale was made possible after Rafael won the Romanian Ministry of Defense’s tender for air-defense systems capable of intercepting drones, cruise missiles, guided munitions, airplanes and helicopters.

The Spyder is a mobile air defense system developed based on the company’s air-to-air missiles: the radar-guided Derby, and the heat-seeking Python 4 and Python 5, combined with MMR radars manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries.

According to the company’s website, the system is capable of launching up to four interceptors simultaneously, reaching a maximum range of 40 kilometers (25 miles) and a maximum interception altitude of 12 kilometers (7 miles).

Following a French government decision, Israeli exhibitors at the Eurosatory defense exhibition on June 15-19 in Paris will only be allowed to showcase equipment and products exclusively intended for air, missile and ballistic-missile defense, organizer Coges Events said in an emailed statement. The restrictions apply only to Israeli exhibitors, it said.

Israeli defense firms have faced restrictions at some major European defense exhibitions in recent years, particularly in France. The French government already excluded Israeli defense companies from the 2024 edition of Eurosatory, though that decision was overturned in court, while several Israeli booths were closed at the Paris Air Show in 2025.

“This policy is applied selectively and discriminatorily relative to other participating nations, in direct violation of the established norms governing international defense exhibitions,” the Israeli Ministry of Defense said in a statement on Monday.

The United Kingdom barred official Israeli government and military delegations from participating in the DSEI UK 2025 defense show, though companies could still exhibit independently, while Israeli firms were barred from the Dutch NEDS 2025 exhibition.

The restrictions come amid strained relations between Paris and Jerusalem over Israel’s military operations in Lebanon, with France on Monday calling an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council over escalating violence there. France in 2024 cited Israel’s military actions in Gaza to justify that year’s Eurosatory ban.

For Eurosatory, “the organizers wish to reiterate that the exhibition operates in strict compliance with the decisions and regulations established by the French authorities,” Coges Events said.

Israel’s MoD said France is hiding behind “a pretense of political justification” to exclude the country’s offensive systems from an international form, saying the decision “reeks of political and commercial calculation.”

Israeli defense companies continue to exhibit in France despite the restrictions, and some of the firms scheduled to exhibit at Eurosatory 2026 told Defense News they were unaware of any update and intended to exhibit as planned.

The latest measure represents the fourth attempt by France to restrict Israeli defense participation in two years, starting with Eurosatory 2024, though that ban was overturned by a French commercial court. That same year, Israeli companies were prohibited from displaying at the Euronaval exhibition, another measure that was overturned in court.

Israel’s Ministry of Defense suspended all defense procurement from France in April 2026, citing an “ongoing pattern of French policies” that compromises Israel’s national defense, including what Israel described as a French refusal to allow Israel-bound flights carrying U.S. weaponry to overfly French airspace during the conflict with Iran.

Eurosatory 2026 is an international defense exhibition held every two years at the Villepinte Exhibition Centre north of Paris. According to data from the latest exhibition, it attracts approximately 2,000 exhibitors from around 61 countries, alongside 355 official delegations from 92 nations.

Ruitenberg reported from Paris.

Officials didn’t specify a target range for the upgraded aircraft. The F-35A — the model on which the Israeli version is based — currently has a range of 1,200 miles, as stated on the manufacturer’s website.

But the ministry mentioned that the development and implementation will involve adapting external fuel tanks based on an existing Cyclone design of the F-16I “Sufa,” Israel’s variant of the F-16, which has a reported range of approximately 1,300 miles.

Elbit Systems was awarded the development contract, valued at approximately $34 million (100 million NIS).

The announcement comes amid a fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran, and roughly a month after the Israeli military operation “Lion’s Roar,” in which the Israeli Air Force struck targets deep inside Iran. During that operation, an F-35I scored the first air-to-air kill ever credited to an F-35 in combat, shooting down an Iranian Yak-130 — a Russian-built jet trainer used in a light-attack role.

Israel currently operates 50 F-35I aircraft across two squadrons. It is beginning to take delivery of 25 additional jets ordered in 2023, and earlier this month announced the opening of negotiations to purchase 25 more — a move that would bring the total fleet to 100 aircraft and expand Israel’s F-35I force to four squadrons.

The F-35I “Adir” is a fifth-generation multi-mission stealth fighter aircraft, manufactured by Lockheed Martin and used by the Israeli Air Force as a model specifically tailored to its requirements.

The aircraft combines stealth technologies, advanced data fusion, the ability to carry internal weapons, and includes Israeli-made electronic warfare, communications, and computing systems, which are embedded in the American infrastructure.

The statement vaguely noted that “the scope of the transactions is estimated at tens of billions of shekels and includes the absorption of the squadrons into the Air Force, comprehensive support, spare parts and logistics.”

The purchase is meant as “the first step in Israel’s force-building plan for the coming decade, with a total designated budget of 350 billion shekels ($118 billion),” the government said.

The announcement did not specify the number of aircraft to be purchased.

Israel already ordered a third squadron of F-35I in July 2023, consisting of 25 new aircraft bought for $3 billion in American aid money and expected to be delivered starting in 2028. It also ordered 25 F-15IA aircraft as part of an $8.6 billion American aid package last December. The procurement agreement at the time included an option to expand the purchase to 25 additional aircraft in the future.

The Israeli Defense Ministry notes that the Israeli Air Force will be required to make a “technological leap, including the development of autonomous flight capabilities, next-generation defense systems, and the establishment of Israeli military superiority, defensive and offensive, and in space” as part of Israel’s air force building plan.

Following the approval by the ministerial committee, the director-general of the Defense Ministry instructed the Israeli procurement delegation in the United States to proceed with the signing of the deals with the American government and military officials.

The F-35I is a stealth aircraft capable of penetrating deep into enemy territory and operating against advanced anti-aircraft systems. The uniqueness of the Israeli model lies in the integration of Israeli-made electronic warfare, communication and control systems into the aircraft’s closed software. Receiving the fourth squadron will increase Israel’s F-35I aircraft to approximately 100 — double what it currently possesses.

The F-15IA is Boeing’s Israeli variant of the F-15EX, designed for heavy engagement and long-range missions. It boasts an immense payload capacity of up to 29,500 pounds, a digital fly-by-wire system, and advanced radar. Upon receiving the second squadron, Israel will also double the number of these aircraft to 50.

The two new squadrons are being sought amid tensions with Teheran and due to “operational lessons from Operation Lion Roar,” the Israeli announcement said, “in order to ensure the superiority of the Israeli Air Force in the coming decades.”

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.”

Israel’s announcement comes amid the ongoing “Epic Fury” military operation, a joint U.S.-Israeli strike against military targets in Iran.

In another first, the U.K. reported that its Royal Air Force’s F-35B jets had intercepted Iranian drones above Jordan as part of a defensive mission alongside “Epic Fury,” marking the first targets destroyed by the British warplane type.

The Israeli Version of the F-35 is called “Adir,” which means mighty in Hebrew, and is a fifth-generation stealth fighter jet manufactured by the American defense company Lockheed Martin.

Israel upgraded the jet to its own specifications, including domestically made electronics systems and adjustments to carry and launch Israeli armaments such as the Python 5 air-to-air missile and Rafael’s SPICE bomb.

Israel began receiving its first F-35 aircraft at the end of 2016 — four years after the British received theirs — and currently possesses two dedicated squadrons, totaling at approximately 50 aircraft. In July 2023, Israel placed an order for 25 more to build a third F-35 squadron.

The F-35I has participated in several Israeli military campaigns such as operations “Guardian of the Walls” in June 2021, “Rising Lion” last June and the current military campaign in Iran under its Israeli name, “Roaring Lion.” Since that operation began on Feb. 28, the Israeli Air Force reported that it has dropped about 4,000 munitions so far in about 1,600 raids into Iran.

The Yak-130 aircraft that was shot down by the Israeli Air Force over Teheran is Russian-made and is also used by the Iranian Air Force for reconnaissance purposes.

The type can reportedly be armed with short-range air-to-air missiles. It commonly operates alongside Iranian MiG-29, mainly to intercept drones. The Israeli Air Force notes that the Yak-130 kill is the first time since 1985 that an Israeli fighter jet has shot down an enemy warplane.