by Lilach Shoval, Associated Press and Israel Hayom Staff
Barak 8 missile fired from ship and hit small drone simulating incoming projectile • System designed to mitigate threat posed by the Yakhont coastal missile • Once operational, Barak 8 could help protect Israel's offshore gas installations, ships.
An illustration of the Barak 8's multi-platform capabilities
Photo credit: Israel Aerospace Industries website  |
The Israel Defense Forces has successfully tested the advanced surface-to-air missile Barak 8, which could play a key role in securing Israel's offshore gas installations and naval forces.
A military official said Thursday the Barak 8 was tested from a ship for the first time and intercepted a small drone simulating an enemy projectile. He said the system, developed in collaboration with India, extends the range of Israel's aerial defenses, and should be operational in about two years.
IDF officials said the missile would help Israel counter strategic threats, including from Russian-made Yakhont coastal missiles, which can be fired from land and destroy ships at sea. Israeli defense officials fear the Yakhont missile may have been transported to the Hezbollah terrorist group in Lebanon.
The Barak 8 missile defense system was developed jointly by Israel Aerospace Industries and India's Defence Research and Development Organisation. The Israeli and Indian navies have also been involved in the project. In November 2014, Israel carried out a similar test launch, the first for the system, to gauge its effectiveness in combat conditions. Defense industry sources have said the value of the project is $1.4 billion and highlights burgeoning Israeli-Indian defense ties.
According to a Israel Aerospace Industries, the Barak 8 can engage multiple targets simultaneously "in severe saturation scenarios" and independent of the weather. The targets range from "supersonic skimmers to high-altitude targets," both naval and land-based.
Lilach Shoval, Associated Press and Israel Hayom Staff
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=30011
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
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