Two Successful Interceptions For Barak-8 Concluded This Morning

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Yesterday and this morning saw two Barak-8 interception tests successfully conducted from an operational ship of the Indian navy in a full combat scenario.

The system was operating well and the interceptor has completed its course and hit the target, thus completing a series of three consecutive tests attesting for the system’s ripeness.

In any parameter the Barak-8 is an advanced groundbreaking air and missile defense system that provides ultimate protection against a variety of aerial platforms, in both land and naval scenarios. It is designed jointly with the DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organization) in India and is used by the Israeli defence forces (IDF) and the Indian defense forces. The system includes an advanced Phased Array digital radar, command and control, vertical launchers and missiles carrying a highly advanced seeker.

The joint Israeli-Indian project began in 2006 . India needed a defence system for its navy ships and IAI offered the Barak-8.

The project is led by the Israeli ministry of defence (IMOD) and IAI is the prime contractor, with Rafael as a subcontractor.

Barak 8 is an advanced Air and Missile Defense System and serves  both as a Point Defense and Long-Range anti-missile and air-defense, offering a unique high performance defensive capability thanks to its modular design, and its secure net-centric architecture.

The system’s radar manufactured by ELTA Systems, an IAI group and subsidiary, is a multi-mission radar, supporting air defense missions. It delivers an accurate, high quality, real-time arena situation picture and extracts low Radar Cross Section (RCS) targets even in the toughest environmental conditions. It is a digital Active Electronic Steering Array (AESA) Radar System which incorporates new and advanced technologies.
Barak 8 can operate day and night, in all weather conditions, and successfully deals with simultaneous threats engagements, even in severe saturation scenarios.

The system has a very short reaction time and a fast missile vertical launch capability with 360 degree coverage. The system optimizes the coordination between the missile and batteries by using an advanced broadband communication network. The missile deals with short, medium, and long range threats, where its interconnectivity among the various ships in the naval task force enables it to be a multi-layer air and missile defense System of Systems.

Yossi Weiss, IAI CEO, said this morning that these successful interception greatly advance the system to a date when it is announced operational in the Israeli and Indian navy.

“These successful interceptions are a great achievement in a very complex project of an advanced weapon system in any scale,” said Weiss.