Fragments of Iranian weapons, shattered in flight or rendered useless by electronic disruption, have been falling from the skies across the Middle East. Behind many of these failures is a network of advanced technology developed in the US, including heat-tracking satellites, cyber warfare tools and cutting-edge laser systems designed to neutralise aerial threats.Military observers believe some of these capabilities are being used in Operation Epic Fury, a campaign that began on 28 February. One of the most closely watched developments is the suspected deployment of a ship-mounted laser weapon aboard a US Navy destroyer operating off the Middle Eastern coast.Videos released by US Central Command appear to show a vessel equipped with the High-Energy Laser with Integrated Optical Dazzler and Surveillance system, commonly known as HELIOS. The system features a steerable laser that can focus a powerful beam of energy on aerial targets, enabling it to disable drones and other threats within seconds.Laser-based defence is not limited to US forces. Footage circulating from the skies near the Israel–Lebanon border shows rockets being launched only to explode seconds later. Analysts widely believe these interceptions may involve Israel’s experimental Iron Beam system, an advanced laser defence designed to destroy rockets before they reach their targets.Neither the US Navy nor the Israeli military has officially confirmed the use of laser weapons in the current operation. However, the Navy acknowledged earlier in February that HELIOS successfully destroyed four drones during testing, suggesting that the technology is already operational.The opening phase of the campaign has been intense. Within the first 72 hours, US forces reportedly struck around 1,700 targets. More than 200 Iranian ballistic missile launchers, roughly half of the country’s inventory, were destroyed while dozens more were rendered inoperable. Hundreds of missiles were eliminated before they could be launched.Much of this precision has been enabled by assets operating far above the battlefield. The US Space Force, established in 2019, plays a crucial role in providing real-time intelligence for air and naval operations.According to Brent David Ziarnick, a former US Air Force officer and past lecturer in the Space Force programme at Johns Hopkins University, satellites equipped with infrared sensors detect the heat signatures produced when missiles launch.“These sensors can immediately identify where rockets are fired from,” he explained. “Once the launch point is located, missile defence systems can intercept the projectile and field units receive early warnings to take shelter.”The detection happens within seconds. Infrared sensors track the intense heat generated by missiles, allowing defence networks to calculate their trajectory and likely destination almost instantly. Reports suggest this system has already helped destroy hundreds of Iranian missiles during the conflict.Although the fighting is taking place in the Middle East, much of the monitoring work is carried out thousands of kilometres away. Personnel in the United States operate from facilities housing large radar domes known as radomes. These spherical structures resemble giant golf balls and collect satellite data in real time. Analysts use the information to determine missile trajectories and likely targets.Sam Eckhome, host of the YouTube programme Access Granted, describes the arrangement as a layered defence system combining satellites, radar installations and command centres.“The network is designed so that if a missile is ever launched, the United States will know first,” he said.Another important dimension of the operation is cyber warfare. Working alongside Space Force units is US Cyber Command, which focuses on disrupting enemy systems before missiles or aircraft are launched.Ziarnick said that once surveillance systems identify key radar installations, cyber teams attempt to disable them digitally.“They infiltrate the systems and shut them down,” he said. “In some cases they can even take control of the software, essentially turning the enemy’s equipment into a useless piece of hardware.”Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman General Dan Caine confirmed that cyber operations began even before the first missiles were fired. Cyber Command targeted communications networks and sensor systems across Iran to “disrupt, disorient and confuse the enemy”.Israeli intelligence operations appear to have played a role as well. Reports suggest cyber operatives spent years quietly accessing traffic cameras across Tehran, allowing them to monitor the movements of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and identify members of his security detail.By analysing footage from these cameras, intelligence agencies were reportedly able to map the guards’ routines, their vehicles and even their home addresses.One unusual aspect of the conflict involves Iran’s own response to the attacks. As soon as the operation began, Iranian authorities shut down internet access across much of the country. The tactic has previously been used during domestic protests to prevent citizens from organising demonstrations.While the shutdown may limit public communication, experts believe Iranian leadership continues to operate through secure internal networks. Such systems would likely become prime targets for cyber infiltration.“Cyber Command can reach out and touch systems anywhere,” Ziarnick warned. “It has become a formidable force.”The relatively low number of casualties among US and allied forces reflects the technological nature of the campaign. Former Space Force officer Bree Fram believes modern warfare increasingly relies on sophisticated systems rather than large ground armies.“The absence of mass formations of troops on the battlefield shows how advanced the technology has become,” she said. “It is a combination of powerful systems and the expertise required to operate them.”Together, satellites, lasers, cyber weapons and precision intelligence illustrate how modern conflict is increasingly fought across invisible domains far beyond the traditional battlefield.
