President Joe Biden signed a bill into law on Wednesday that allocates funding for Israel to acquire a directed energy system known as Iron Beam.

The Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2024 provides $26.4 billion to support Israel’s defense efforts against Iran and its proxies, as well as to reimburse U.S. military operations in response to recent attacks.

Of this amount, $1.2 billion is designated for the procurement of Iron Beam, according to the bill’s text.

This funding follows a previous request from the White House for a security assistance package after an attack by Hamas on Israel in October 2023.

Originally, $1.2 billion was earmarked for research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) of Iron Beam, Defense Scoop has reported.

However, the supplemental bill signed by President Biden allocates this amount specifically for the procurement of the system, sourced from the Pentagon’s Defensewide accounts.

Iron Beam, a 100-kilowatt high-energy laser, is designed by Israeli defense contractor Rafael to counter various threats, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), at distances ranging from a few hundred meters to several kilometers.

The system underwent successful testing in 2022 and is expected to be deployed by the Israeli military by the end of 2025, according to Rafael executives.

Written by B.C. Begley