Barak 8

Barak 8 (, lit. "Lightning"), also known as LR-SAM or MR-SAM, is an Indo-Israeli jointly developed surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, designed to defend against any type of airborne threat including aircraft, helicopters, anti-ship missiles, and UAVs as well as ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and combat jets. Both maritime and land-based variants of the system exist.
Barak 8 was jointly developed by India's Defence Research &amp; Development Organisation (DRDO) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). The Barak 8 missile defence system is produced by Israel's "Directorate of Research and Development" (DDR&amp;D), Elta Systems, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and India's Bharat Dynamics limited (BDL).
Background.
Barak 8 is loosely based on the original Barak 1 missile and is expected to feature a more advanced seeker, alongside range extensions that will move it closer to medium range naval systems like the RIM-162 ESSM or even the SM-2 Standard. Israel successfully tested the improved Barak II missile on July 30, 2009. The radar system provides 360 degree coverage and the missiles can take down an incoming missile as close as 500 meters away from the ship. Each Barak system (missile container, radar, computers and installation) costs about $24 million. In November 2009 Israel signed a $1.1 billion contract to supply an upgraded tactical Barak 8 air defence system to India. In May 2017, India placed an order of $630 million for four ships of the Indian Navy. In September 2018, MDL and GRSE awarded Bharat Electronics Limited with a $1.28 billion contract to supply seven Barak-8 air defence systems for Project 17A-class frigates. In October 2018, Bharat Electronics Limited signed a $777 million deal with Israel Aerospace Industries to help fulfil the Barak-8 order.
Parallel to the Barak-8, IAI has completed development and is manufacturing the Barak MX system that broadens the Barak into a multi-layered air defense system employing unified smart launchers carrying Short, Medium, and Extended-Range interceptors. The Smart Launcher supports flexible deployment architecture for land and naval applications. Unlike the Barak-8 system, the interceptors, and sensors were developed exclusively by IAI to meet specific requirements from domestic and foreign customers.
The missile is expected to equip the Indian Navy's future "Visakhapatnam"-class destroyers and "Nilgiri"-class frigate.
Design (LR-SAM).
The Barak 8 has a length of about 4.5 meters, a diameter of 0.225 meters at missile body, and 0.54 meters at the booster stage, a wingspan of 0.94 meters and weighs 275 kg including a 60 kg warhead which detonates at proximity. The missile has maximum speed of Mach 2 with a maximum operational range of 70 km, which was later increased to ~90 km, which was later further increased to 100 km. Barak 8 features a dual pulse rocket motor as well as thrust vector control, and possesses high degrees of maneuverability at target interception range. A second motor is fired during the terminal phase, at which stage the active radar seeker is activated to home in on to the enemy track. Barak 8 has been designed to counter a wide variety of airborne threats, such as anti-ship missiles, aircraft, UAVs drones and supersonic missiles. When coupled with a modern air-defence system and multi-function surveillance track and guidance radars, such as the EL/M-2248 MF-STAR AESA on board "Kolkata"-class destroyers, Barak 8 enables the capability to simultaneously engage multiple targets during saturation attacks.
Israel Aerospace Industries describe Barak 8 as "an advanced, long-range missile defense and air defense system" with its main features being:
MR-SAM.
MR-SAM is the land based configuration of the missile. It consists of a command and control system, tracking radar, missile and mobile launcher systems. Each launcher will have eight such missiles in two stacks and are launched in a canister configuration. The system is also fitted with an advanced radio frequency (RF) Seeker. It has a range of 70 km.
In a 1 July 2010 report, replying to a query on the Indo-Israeli joint venture to develop a medium range surface-to-air missile, DRDO chief V. K. Saraswat told "The Economic Times" "More than 70 per cent of the content in the missile being developed with Israel would be indigenous."
The Indian Army ordered five regiments (40 launchers) of this version, which consists of 8 launcher vehicles each, and 200 missiles for .
In July 2019, the Indian Army and Air Force awarded a $100 million contract to produce 1,000 MR-SAM to Kalyani Rafael Advanced Systems (KRAS), a joint venture between the Kalyani Group and Rafael. The missiles are manufactured at Kalyani Rafael's plant in Hyderabad, Telangana, and then sent to Bharat Dynamics Limited for further integration. KRAS announced that it had begun delivery of the first batch of MR-SAM on 16 March 2021 to the Indian Air Force. The Air Force has placed order for 18 squadrons with 3 launcher vehicles, carrying 8 missiles each.
On 23 November 2020, the missile was successfully tested when a Banshee unmanned air vehicle (UAV) was hit mid-air. The entire mission trajectory from the launch to plunging into the sea was monitored by various radars and electro-optico instruments.
On 27 March 2022, DRDO carried out two tests of MR-SAM at ITR Balasore. The test was against the high speed aerial target at long range. The missile destroyed the target in a direct hit. The first test was of medium altitude at long range target and second launch was for the capability of a low altitude at short range target. The test was the user trial for the Indian Army.
Barak-8ER &amp; Barak-ER.
An ER (extended range) variant of the Barak 8 is under development, which will see the missiles maximum range increased to 150 km. Designed to engage multiple beyond visual range threats, the low launch signature Barak-8ER is understood to retain the same autopilot/inertial navigation system and active radar seeker guidance as the Barak-8, although some modifications to the software and to the missile control surfaces are likely. The booster increases the length of the missile at launch from its current 4.5 m to nearly 6 m, although the length in flight after the booster has been jettisoned may be slightly less than the base Barak-8 missile, if a TVC is not present. The missile diameter and fin spans are thought to be the same as the base Barak-8. The booster weight is currently unknown, although the missile's weight after the booster has been jettisoned is the same as that for the current Barak-8 configuration. Levy said that initial operational capability (IOC) for Barak-8ER will first be declared for the naval variant, followed by IOC for the land variant. He declined to comment on a launch customer for Barak-8ER, but noted "existing Barak-8 customers will be interested in this configuration because it offers additional capability to their current system".
Deployment.
The Israeli Navy has commenced equipping its Sa'ar 5 corvettes with the system, the first re-fitted vessel being the INS "Lahav". The Sa'ar 4.5 flotilla will be next for the upgrade. The Indian Navy has already deployed the missiles on "Kolkata class"-class destroyer, "Visakhapatnam"-class destroyers, and aircraft carrier INS "Vikramaditya".
"Middle East Eye" quoted an unnamed official from an unnamed country stating that a Barak 8 operated by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces intercepted an Iskander missile shot by Armenia towards Baku towards the end of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war, adding that the firing of the Iskander convinced the Azerbaijan government to accept a ceasefire. Whether Armenia used any Iskanders during the war is disputed: there were reports on social media of Armenia using the Iskander, but Russia's defense ministry said Armenia didn't fire any Iskanders, and Azerbaijan stated it didn't detect any Iskander launches during the war.
The Indian Air Force got the first MRSAM system on 9 September 2021 which guards the Jaisalmer Air Force Station.
On 2 July 2022, Barak 8 missiles launched from the Sa'ar 5-class corvette INS "Eilat" shot down two reconnaissance UAVs operated by Hezbollah over the Israeli off-shore Karish gas field in the Mediterranean sea.