[The original image is a free image for use at CC BY 2.0 level, uploaded by Aqua Mechanical to flickr]

By: Dr. Oded Amichai, Chairperson of Magem LaOref" – "Home Front Shield" association, a specialist in laser systems, and a business advisor in developments and implementations of lasers and electro optic options. During the 70^th of the previous century, he instigated and managed the high powered laser project and was one of the initiator of the Nautiluses project in the early 90^th.

And: Yael Tishby Artzi, Executive of Magen LaOref" – "Home Front Shield" association, served as radar operator in the Air Force, and later worked at Lod (now Ben Gurion) airport operations center. Graduating from Tel Aviv University pursued exports & marketing, including serving as the export manager of a company producing ballistic protection materials.

*  *  *

Another futile round of conflict with Hamas has recently ended. Again the media is filled by conceited declarations on the lesson that we have taught the Hamas – thrashing their infrastructure, uncovered and damaged their underground city, nicknamed "metro". The Iron Dome (I.D) again reached an incredible 90% success. Great!

Really?

Without going into actual numbers, the plain fact is that a small relatively insignificant terrorist organization like Hamas is actually manipulating the whole Middle East policies. It shoots when and at whatever it feels like, and stops at its own discretion. Thus for eleven days it has paralyzed some two thirds of Israel, while disrupting peace negotiations and implementations with our Arab neighbors, meanwhile killing people, causing extensive damages. And whoever started the fray is insignificant.

We are seriously troubled by the inability of our security agencies to grasp the fact that the Air Force by itself cannot win the situation, though it has complete control of the skies, as Hamas has no anti-aircrafts capabilities. We have certainly caused Gaza sever damages, killing not only active terrorists but also innocent people only because Hamas places its deadly weapons beneath hospitals, schools, Mosques, high rise buildings, etc.

[The original image is a free-to-use image at CC BY 2.0 level, uploaded by Pedro Ribeiro Simões to flicker]

Yet with its abundance of rockets, it's not only still alive and kicking, but has also caused us human lives and extensive material damages, including in central Israel, locking about half the country in shelters, while it still retains tens of thousands of rockets at its arsenal, aimed at Israel.

It is also highly disturbing to acknowledge that we have not yet conceived an Offensive Missile Force, though it was quite obvious years ago, that such a force is highly essential in today's warfare.

We are rather surprised that some of our esteemed colleagues have still not realized the Iron Dome's limited protection capabilities, as at every rocket launched at Israel we are forced to scatter for safe rooms, shelters or in search for a hiding place? Is this called saving human lives?

This is not the place to discuss the I.D's technical advantages or disadvantages, which will only benefit our adversaries. We certainly share the esteem for its unique technical achievements. Nonetheless, how did the I.D prevent the extensive damages, the loss of human lives and the total paralysis for 11 days of half of Israel, and other parts of it on and off, totally at Hama's discretions?

To make things more complicated, each I.D missile costs $100,000 at an officially openly published publication, making it economically unfeasible over a long period of time, considering that Hamas has an estimated 50,000 rockets, while Hezbollah around 150,000 rockets and missiles. Do your own calculations on how much it would cost to thwart all those threats.

It must be noted that Hamas has dramatically improved its capabilities from the last conflict, which should have every defense official worry, since the major threat to Israel is from the Hezbollah in the north, whose capabilities are by far greater, thus the results will be much more devastating and all encompassing.

Our security systems have long been aware of the impending threats and the need for an effective protection system to keep Israel out of the conflict cycles, enabling the I.D.F to freely operate at times of need and according to defensive requirement. Nonetheless it has invested billions only in defensive missiles that are inertly limited due to their inadequate cost effectiveness.

It is advisable and worthwhile that every defense and government official will internalize the fact that we have no viable economic defense against the immense masses of rocket and missiles and their powerful destructive power, except for integrating into our defense system high powered laser systems, the megawatt class. Weaker ones would be great for other defensive purposes, such as intercepting fire balloons, drones, etc.

There is only one type of laser that has reached megawatt class power, some forty years ago, the chemical laser. The system, called the Skyguard, was offered to Israel in 2007 but was rejected on baseless deceitful motives.

[Image: Manufacturer]

Some of our old colleagues claim that this is history. The crews that have worked on it have dispersed and cannot be reassembled, which is true. Yet we totally reject this claim.

Forty years ago it was a major breakthrough, of which I was a part, proving this technology as viable and operative, which is still sustainable today. The drawing and calculation exist - there is no way that they dissipated into thin air – the only thing missing is the will!

But why is it? "Where there is a will, there is a way" is an old saying.

Our leaders should wake up! It only needs the will and the appropriate budget, and the chemical laser can be operative within 2-3 years, we are certain of that.

We are fully aware that presently there are some electrical laser options in development, and some even in operational use, and believe that additional prototypes would be available within three years. However, they all are of 100 + kw class, which has its own significant value in tackling small tactical weapons. Whereas strategic protection against massive ballistic threats, including rockets, conventional missiles, hypersonic maneuverable missiles and similar barrages, which are already operational by some of our adversaries, can only be achieved by a megawatt laser class.

However, in our professional opinion a megawatt class electrical laser is a viable option within three years, provided the required financial and professionalism is invested in it.

To finalize:

We are extremely worried from the self-satisfactory and inability of our defense officials to look ahead and comprehend the disastrous ballistic threats the country is facing, with over 200,000 rockets and missiles aimed at us, some with hundreds of kilograms of warheads, others highly accurate that can pin point any target chosen, devastating whatever they hit, be it airfields, naval ports, electrical plants, desalinization installation… just name it!

This is a wakeup call, not only for Israeli leaders! This is what awaits our western civilization if we don't wake up in time. And time is running out…