Weekly Commentary: Terrible Mistake To Involve USA in Israeli Laser Program

Weekly Commentary: Terrible Mistake To Involve USA in Israeli Laser Program
Dr. Aaron Lerner 17 June, 2022

There’s talk that Israel will be discussing the possibility of American
funding as well as coproduction for its revolutionary laser system which
promise to be a game changer on many front as Israel implements its
exclusive knowledge in a suite of applications ranging from ground based
systems protecting Israeli communities to mobile and airborne platforms
which can engage in a broad array of defensive and offensive operations.

Any American involvement in the project would be a mistake.

American funding will inevitably delay the project: American funding, by its
very nature, is a long process. This wouldn’t be the first time that a
critical Israeli military program was delayed as the timeline is adjusted in
accordance with the timing of the receipt of US funds.

American coproduction drastically increases the exposure of the project to
the international supply chain crises: When the COVID crisis heated up we
even got the Mossad involved in procurement when we thought it was critical
to get certain supplies and equipment. I have no doubt that the Israeli
teams involved in manufacturing the systems will do anything and everything
to expedite production. American production partners would not have either
the same resources or agility to address supply chain challenges.

American coproduction would ultimately give the American authorities the
ability to delay or even halt supplies: Such a move could be in the service
of perceived American interests or in reaction to Israeli activities that
the White House isn’t happy about.

American coproduction could even give the US certain veto rights over where
and with whom the equipment can be used.

And this laundry list doesn’t even touch on how keeping this technology an
Israeli “black box” may serve to delay the development and implementation of
surface treatments and other methods by non-Israelis to reduce the efficacy
of the Israeli laser.

Let’s be clear: We can afford to pay the tab ourselves and unlike Iron
Dome, which launches expensive interceptors which need to be constantly
replaced, the laser systems direct focused beams of light again and again
and again and again.

This time we need to do it alone.
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