The Israeli military said Monday it has successfully tested an airborne high-power laser that can shoot down drones, technology it hopes to deploy on a larger scale in the coming years.

Israel already boasts a large and sophisticated air defense system, which the military says had a 90% interception rate during its late campaign on Gaza Strip that lasted for 11 days. The laser technology would complement that system.

A prototype, developed with Elbit Systems, was mounted on a civilian plane and successfully shot down ``several'' drones in a recent test over the Mediterranean Sea, according to Brig. Gen. Yaniv Rotem, head of military research and development at the Defense Ministry.

``The ability to intercept and destroy threats from the air is groundbreaking,`` he told reporters. ``Israel is among the first countries to use such capabilities.''

In the recent test, the system shot down drones from within a range of about 1 kilometer (0.6 mile). In the coming years, Israel hopes to deploy a ground-based system with a range of 8-10 kilometers (5-6 miles) that can intercept rockets, mortar rounds and drones.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online.