New Delhi: With indigenous missile programmes “Trishul” and “Akash” not fulfilling expectation after multiple trials, there was need for a long range surface to air missiles.
Partnering Israel, it was felt there was need for a medium shipborne air defence missile system and so Barak-1 system, which was already in service with both Indian and Israeli navies, was chosen to be further enhanced into a superior air defence missile system.
Initially developed as a shipborne air defense missile system for navy only, it subsequently evolved into a medium range SAM for land forces. The current version is called Barak-8, which has been jointly designed and developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Israel’s Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure, Rafael, Elta Systems and other companies.
The Barak-8 Surface-to-Air Missile Defence System or LRSAM provides a 360-degree defence against various airborne threats. Complemented by a state-of-the-art multi-mission radar, flexible control and command system, and two-way data link, Barak-8 can engage multiple targets at the same time during day and night in all weather conditions.
As a versatile performer, this missile can defend against any Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), helicopters, and aircraft, anti-ship missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and fighter jets.
Currently, there are three variants of the Barak-8 system.
The first one is called Barak 8 AMD/LRSAM, which is a naval air defence system, originally designed for the Israeli Navy and currently used by other countries including India.
The second variant is called MRSAM or a medium-range, land-based missile system, which comes with a tracking radar, a command and control system, and mobile launcher systems.
The third variant is known as Barak MX, which comes with a flexible configuration option, making it useful both in naval and land missions.
The Barak-8 has an operational range of 100 km. Its advance version or Barak-8ER can neutralize targets up to 150 km. Besides its own Barak 8 Radar, this weapon system is also supported by multi-function surveillance track and guidance radars, which enables it to hit targets with precision.
