Defense Minister Israel Katz told military reporters on June 29 that Israel is developing space lasers for attacks above the Earth, about three and a half months ago. It was the first time he’d named the technology. “As of today, no country has the ability to mount attacks in space. We must be the leading country in the world with this capability,” Katz said.
The stated purpose is deterrence. “If we achieve this, it will ensure the advantage of deterrence, of the ability to attack, destroy, and all of the other matters, versus our enemies with large resources,” he said. Katz added that “one of the central goals which the prime minister and I set is that we are recruiting the best minds.” His June 29 remarks expanded on an earlier June statement, when he committed Israel to becoming the leading player in space attack capabilities.
The Security Picture
Katz didn’t name a target, but the context points to Iran. During the 2026 war, Israel struck multiple Iranian space war-related facilities, including sites working on capabilities to attack satellites. Russia, China and Iran have all worked on ways to attack, damage, jam, or drag satellites.
The risk is concrete. If Iran or other enemies advanced past Israel in space, they could attack Israeli satellites and reduce its surveillance capabilities. Those satellites are central to how Israel watches threats around it. Katz didn’t make clear whether he also meant to deter Russia and China from assisting Iran.
Israel’s military is already working on the problem. In April, Unit 9900 officer Lt.-Col. “S” and space war expert Tal Inbar discussed Israeli efforts to defend its space assets. On June 24, IDF Brig.-Gen. Yael Grosman said: “There are threats from space. We work with the Defense Ministry with a lot of power; with the broader defense establishment, we can all bring forward achievements.”
A Race Already Underway
Israel isn’t starting from zero, and it isn’t alone. It’s already a leading country in developing Iron Beam as a land-based laser. During a visit to Elbit, The Jerusalem Post saw and heard about work on presumed future fighter-jet-based lasers. Foreign reports suggest lasers might destroy enemy satellites and burn up debris. Some have speculated Israel could use the Arrow 3 missile system against satellites, given that it already strikes ballistic missiles in space.
The great powers moved first. In September, two consecutive top US military officials made public for the first time that America has offensive weapons already deployed in space, about one month ago. That the US, China and Russia have anti-satellite weapons isn’t a secret. China unofficially demonstrated old space weapons in 2007, 19 years ago, and Russia and China have both demonstrated newer weapons since 2021.
The US declaration set off speculation about what the weapons are. The candidates are directed-energy weapons (lasers), kinetic anti-satellite weapons (missiles), or platforms for disrupting or disabling satellites without destroying them, known as rendezvous and proximity operations (RPOs). A nuclear method is assumed not to be the focus, because the consequences in space would affect attacker and defender alike. Experts lean toward RPOs, which have existed in some form since the US used multiple space vehicles to repair one another in the 1960s. They may also be favored to avoid the debris caused by kinetic weapons.
How Far Off Is It?
Not close. The US has said it hopes to make major advancements in stationing anti-missile physical interceptors in space by 2028. Lasers in space or on aircraft remain a distant solution, involving more complex physics and engineering.
That gap shapes how to read Katz’s statement. According to the base reporting, it was less about immediate attack, defense or deterrence. It was either bragging to the Israeli public about a distant future achievement, or psychological warfare against Iran, to the extent the Islamic Republic might believe it can work with Moscow and Beijing to go after Israel’s satellite advantage.
Why This Matters: Israel’s satellites underpin the surveillance that lets it watch Iran and its proxy network. A country that fights enemies sworn to its destruction can’t afford to lose that eyesight. Katz’s announcement, whatever its engineering timeline, signals that Jerusalem sees space as a theater where Iran, possibly backed by Russia and China, is already probing for weaknesses. The US now openly acknowledges offensive weapons in orbit, suggesting deterrence in space is becoming a settled doctrine among major powers. Israel is choosing not to be left behind. The strategic question is whether announcing ambitions years before the technology exists deters Tehran or simply invites it to accelerate its own satellite-attack programs.