The IDF unveiled what's being described as an aerial 'laser sword' which can take out multiple types of airborne threats such as drones, rockets and anti-tank missiles. This after a decade-long program focusing on defensive measures using lasers, and amid a broader global trend which has seen the United States, Russia and China tout its own laser systems, most currently used by naval vessels. 

Defense Minister Naftali Bennett on Wednesday boasted that the breakthrough "makes the security apparatus more lethal, more powerful and more advanced," as the IDF plans to integrate its laser technology into current systems. "This technology enables the development of highly effective operational systems that will serve as an additional layer of defense to secure the State of Israel by air, land and sea," a ministry statement said.