Israel has begun using its laser-based air defense system, called Iron Beam, to intercept Iranian missiles and drones, ...

The beam isn’t just powerful—it’s quite large. At its biggest, the laser pulse is one foot (0.3 meters) across and several feet long, according to the Michigan release.

Knowledge of a laser beam's shape and output-power distribution is critical for optimizing laser performance. Neil Savage summarizes the latest beam-profiling products on the market.