Israel tests Barak-8 missile co-developed with India

Jerusalem: For the first time, Israeli military has successfully tested from a ship an advanced surface-to-air missile co-developed with India which will be deployed to secure vital offshore assets like gas fields. "In the first-of-its-kind operation test on Friday a Barak 8 missile fired from an Israeli Navy ship successfully intercepted an enemy target registering 100 per cent success," Israeli military sources said.

The Barak 8 was tested from a ship for the first time and intercepted a small drone simulating an enemy craft. The system extends the range of Israel's aerial defence and should be operational in about two years. "The next test on the system is likely to be held in December 2015 onboard an Indian navy vessel," they said. INS Kolkata is the Indian ship likely to be used for the testing as the launchers and radars to track missiles are already installed on the vessel.

The missile is being jointly developed by the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Israel's Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure, Elta Systems, Rafael and other companies. Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) will be assigned the task of producing the missiles with 32 initial ones to be fitted on INS Kolkata.

Israeli security sources said the missile system will be deployed to secure offshore gas fields. It will also help defend Israeli navy ships from anti-ship missiles like the Yakhont missile which is believed to be possessed by Lebanese Shia militant group Hezbollah and poses a major threat to Israel's security. The Barak-8, an upgraded version of the Barak missile system already being used by India and Israel, is designed to defend naval vessels against incoming missiles, planes and drones.

Designed to defend against a variety of short-to-long- range airborne threats, including fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, drones and projectiles, Barak-8 incorporates a state-of-the-art phased array multi-mission radar, two-way data link, and a flexible command and control system, enabling users to simultaneously engage multiple targets day and night and in all weather conditions, defence sources said. Israel made MF-STAR radar system, which is capable of simultaneously tracking hundreds of airborne targets to a range of more than 250 kilometres, adds value to the marketing potential of the new system.