Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), on August 15, informed entering into an agreement with Israel Navy to supply Indo-Israel Barak-8 surface to air missile for its Sa’ar-6 corvettes. “The Barak-8 system was chosen after it was demonstrated to meet the operational requirements and future challenges faced by the Navy,” company said in a statement.

The Barak-8, developed jointly by IAI and Indian Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), for both the navies, is a Long Range Surface to Air Missile which detect target at 100 Km range and can engage them at 70 km range. Speaking on the agreement, Joseph Weiss, IAI CEO & President, said, “Barak-8 is one of IAI’s leading systems and a growth engine for IAI in sales to its customers. The new deal adds to several Barak-8 contracts entered over the past few years with total value of more than $5 billion, which is another feather in the system’s glorious cap.”

Used in naval point and area defense, Barak-8 is all weather missile system which can engage sea skimming to high altitude targets using its “several advanced stateof-the-art systems (such) as, digital radar, command and control, launchers, interceptors with modern RF seekers, Data link and system-wide connectivity.”

On May 21, 2017, IAI announced award of a “$630 million- contract for supply of LRSAM air and missile defense systems for four ships of the Indian Navy.” First Indian Navy contract for this system was signed in April 2009 for $1.1 billion.

India is also procuring the land version of Barak-8 under its Medium-Range SAM programme for over $1.6 billion. This is expected to arm five air defence regiments of Indian Army. The contract was signed in April 2017.