The President's Daily Brief - PDB Afternoon Bulletin | November 24th, 2023: Israel's Laser Defenses & The Migrant Crisis On Finland's Border

Episode Date: November 24, 2023

Description: In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin:     Israel is making rapid progress in the development of their next generation “directed energy” weapon dubbed the “Iron Beam,” which they recently used to shoot down an enemy rocket fired by Hamas. Finland is shuttering all but one of their border crossings with Russia this week in response to the Putin regime flooding their country with displaced migrants. We look at the unfolding crisis along the border.    Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin.     Email: [e-mail].  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Welcome to the PDB Afternoon Bulletin. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. Israel is making rapid progress in the development of their next generation directed energy weapon, dubbed the Iron Beam, which they recently used to shoot down an enemy rocket fired by Hamas. We'll also look at an unfolding migrant crisis along Finland's border with Russia, which prompted officials in Finland to close all but one border cross.

much to the ire of the Putin regime. But first, our afternoon spotlight. Earlier today, we examined the rise of killer robots, AI-driven drones that act autonomously when engaging targets. Well, here's another development. It may sound like science fiction. Israel has reportedly successfully used a targeted laser beam to shoot down a Hamas rocket fired from Gaza.

The surprising breakthrough marks an incumbent. marks an acceleration in Israel's development of directed energy technology, which observers did not expect to be operational until sometime in 2024 or 25, according to an analysis by the New York Post. It's unclear when the entire system will become operational, but the first successful use of the weapon in the field is a historic leap forward for Israel. The new defensive system called Iron Beam would drastically reduce the costs associated with Israel's current defensive system, the Iron Dome, which frankly

has come under stress amid some 10,000 rocket attacks by Hamas, since their brutal attacks on 7 October kicked off the current conflict. When you consider the estimated 130,000 to 150,000 rockets and missiles that Hezbollah also has aimed at Israel from Lebanon, the costs to replenish the Iron Dome system, they become astronomical. Batteries for the Iron Dome cost roughly $100 million and are equipped with roughly 60 to 80 interceptor missiles that come in at a price tag roughly of $40,000 to $50,000 a pop, according to the New York Post's analysis.

While it boasts an effectiveness of roughly 90% against enemy missiles, the costs of maintaining the Iron Dome are straining Israel's financial resources and depleting their supply of interceptor missiles. Israel has had to increasingly rely on the U.S. to resupply their stock. Now, this is contrasted with the paltry $600 that Hamas is estimated to spend on any single rocket that they fire at Israel. With the iron beam laser system, however, the cost equation tips back in Israel's favor.

The supply is theoretically endless, and the cost comes down to the amount of electric power needed to shoot the laser's enemy targets. Now, it's worth noting that the initial investment to build this technology is substantial, and achieving a significant price advantage over the Iron Dome will require further advancements in the technology that lower manufacturing costs. The technology is the result of decades of research by defense companies in the U.S. Israel. An update from officials at the U.S. Missile Defense Agency in August indicated that the technology still needed to mature. However, officials told the New York Post they are now starting

to see some real progress. It will still take time to manufacture and deploy the systems at scale, but Israel is proving their transition to directed energy weapons is closer than anyone previously thought. As the laser technology further matures, it could transform other elements of Israel's military being outfitted onto ships and aircraft. Israel's first use of the iron beam directed energy technology marks a historic advancement that promises to fundamentally change the way that Israel and the West engage with enemies in the region. Coming up after the break, Finland is shuddering all but one of their border crossings with Russia in response to the Putin regime

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Stop taking bad travel advice. Start comparing hundreds of sites with kayak and get your trip right. Kayak, got that right. Welcome back to the PBB afternoon bulletin. We turn our attention to a delicate situation unfolding along Finland's border with Russia, where hundreds of migrants seeking asylum are now stranded in freezing conditions. Undocumented migrants from the Middle East and Africa have flooded Finland's border over the past month. The surge prompted Finnish leaders to close all but one of their border

crossings this week. Authorities in Finland alleged that the Putin regime is encouraging the influx of migrants in an attempt to overwhelm their resources and destabilize security in the in the country. Finnish foreign minister, Adela Valtonin, said that Russia is using the migrants as part of their hybrid warfare model against Finland. Now, Finland has been in Putin's proverbial crosshairs ever since they joined NATO in April of this year, a decision that was prompted by Russia's aggression towards Ukraine. Fearing for their own security due to their shared border with Russia, Finland opted to join

the alliance after decades of largely friendly. relations with their neighbor. Officials see the orchestrated movement of migrants as retaliation by Russia for Finland's involvement in the NATO alliance. Strategically, the region serves as NATO's northeastern flank. Russia, rather unsurprisingly, has denied these allegations and chided the Finnish government for not seeking out a diplomatic solution first. Russian officials are now leveraging the pride of the migrants, posting pictures of them huddled and tense, trying to get warm, and blaming the Finnish government for what they are calling a humanitarian crisis. That's rich, Putin accusing anyone of a humanitarian crisis. Roughly 600 migrants from the Middle East and Africa

have been funneled from Russia into the Finnish border crossings so far this month, all without proper visas and documentation. To maintain order, officials in Finland have been forced to turn them away. Now, that's a startling increase from the few dozen migrants who came to the border crossings in September on October. Their migrants, mostly young men, are now stuck in limbo and contending with stark winter conditions, including temperatures below zero. The government in Finland had already closed several checkpoints along their southeastern border last week, suspecting Russia was taking advantage of the openings. They're now buttoning up the rest of their border, leaving only their northernmost crossing open. Finnish officials stressed that this

checkpoint requires a real effort to reach. Other Baltic states, such as Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, are contending with a similar situation. They have accused Russia and Belarus of destabilizing their borders and have seen an influx of thousands of migrants from the Middle East and Africa since 2021. And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Friday, 24 November. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me. at thefirstTV.com. I'm Mike Baker. I'll be back on Monday. Until then, stay informed, stay safe, stay cool.

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