WATCH: Navy carries out first successful interception test of Barak 8 ship defense missile
The project has been in joint Israeli and Indian development in recent years, and is due to become officially operational in both navies within a year to two years.
By YAAKOV LAPPINUpdated: NOVEMBER 27, 2015 00:34Test of Barak 8 ship defense missile
The Israel Navy and Israel Aerospace Industries carried out on Thursday the first successful interception test of the next generation Barak 8 missile system, which is designed to protect naval ships and offshore gas rigs from hostile aircraft, missiles and rockets.In the test, the INS Lahav, a Sa’ar 5-class corvette, positioned just south of Haifa, fired a Barak 8 missile and destroyed a fast-moving, jet-powered drone at 7 a.m.It was the first time the missile was launched from a ship, Vice Admiral Eli Sharvit, navy chief-of-staff, told reporters.The system’s advanced digital phased-array radar, dubbed Barak Adir by the navy, is produced by Israel Aerospace Industries, the primary contractor.IAI also makes the system’s the fire control station, while the interceptor missile is produced by Rafael.The project has been in joint Israeli and Indian development in recent years, and is officially due to become operational in both navies within one to two years, he said.He described the drone as a challenging target to hit, adding that the Barak Adir radar had no trouble detecting and tracking it, before firing a Barak 8 missile at the target.“The introduction of this missile system will significantly enlarge our defensive range, which until now has been close-range,” he said, referring to the Barak 1 currently on board navy ships. “It will enhance our naval superiority.It significantly increases the range we can intercept attacking planes and missiles,” he said.The navy is preparing to install the system on the German- made Sa’ar 6 Magen ships, when these are delivered to the Israel Navy for the purpose of defending offshore gas sites.
Boaz Levi, IAI corporate vice president and general manager of the systems, missiles and space group, said the Barak 8 radar can detect threats at over 100 kilometers, adding that it could become fully operational in a matter of months.“Our clients today received a demonstration of the incredible capabilities of the Barak 8,” he told The Jerusalem Post by phone.Once airborne, the missile continues to receive data from the radar system, which predicts the threat’s trajectory, and enables the missile to adjust its own path before destroying the target.The missile deploys its own electromagnetic sensor as it approaches the target, guiding it on its last phase.The Barak 8 radar can track multiple targets simultaneously, Levi said, dividing its energy to cover half a sphere around a naval ship.The system is “already installed on at least one Israel Navy ship, and on an Indian Navy ship,” he said.