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Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s controversial visit to Israel comes at an inappropriate time when the region is in geopolitical turmoil, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under tremendous domestic and global pressure. Media reports have suggested that Israel has agreed to share all its latest defence technologies with India, including joint development of anti-ballistic missile defence, laser weapons and long-range stand-off missiles and drones.

Prime Minister Modi’s visit, as per these reports, will take forward the Memorandum of Understanding on expanded defence cooperation signed in November last year by defence secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh during his visit to Israel. This has also been amplified on social media.

But how likely is that Israel will transfer all its latest defence technologies to India, including the Iron Dome and the Iron Beam, without the explicit approval of the United States? What is the normative and legal position on transfer of such technologies to a third country? 

What is the Iron Beam?

Iron Beam is a 100kW high-energy laser (HEL) system designed to intercept rockets, mortars and drones at a cost of approximately $2 per shot, as per Israel’s claim. While the core technology was developed indigenously by Rafael and the Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMOD) over 30 years, the US became a major partner in its industrialisation. In 2024 and 2025, the US Congress provided over $1.2 billion specifically for the procurement, integration and continued development of the system.

A 2022 agreement between Rafael and Lockheed Martin established a framework for developing a US-specific variant. By early 2026, the technology is being shared with the US Army’s directed energy programmes, while the IDF officially received its first operational batteries in December 2025. It is noteworthy that the first operational system has only just been delivered to the IDF.

What makes the Iron Beam so attractive?

The Iron Beam is extremely attractive for air defence because it supposedly solves the cost-exchange ratio problem. In today’s attrition warfare, an adversary can bankrupt a defender by launching $500 drones that require a $50,000 interceptor missile to........

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