Photo: Courtesy of Israel Aerospace Industries.
IAI’s advanced air defense technologies have evolved to meet Israel’s robust air and missile defense needs and are central to the country’s multi-tiered air defense network.
IAI entered the field of air defense in the early years of the state of Israel with gunnery solutions and upgraded many systems to advanced configurations that included advanced sensors and C2, the upgrading of the Vulcan and Chaparral into slue-to-que systems; adding VSHORAD missile pods to the Vulcan; upgrading L70 guns into an advanced configuration and the upgrading the Shilka mobile air defense system.
In the 1980s IAI introduced the BARAK point defense missile systems protecting ships against anti-ship missiles. Since the early 2000s, IAI is focused on the development and fielding of the BARAK MX, a family of air defense systems designed to protect land and naval assets from all types of aerial threats. Since its 2016 operational debut, the combat-proven system has been adopted by seven countries for national Ground Based Air and Missile Defence (GBAD), naval air and missile defense, and wide-area air defense missions.
The name MX stands for the MIX of system elements for MAX performance and flexibility. Barak MX is designed to be loosely coupled to the radar and as such has been delivered to different customers with various radars based on their operational needs. This approach also allows for a simple upgrade of the system when new operational requirements emerge. One of the naval sensors of the system is the MFSTAR radar, an advanced multi-face digital phased array radar developed by IAIELTA. Apart from area search, target acquisition, and engagement, this radar supports all other needs of the vessel.
The BARAK MX interceptors, uniquely designed as surface-to-air missiles, aren’t limited by the size and weight restrictions associated with aircraft-carried missiles. They cover engagement ranges from 2 to 150 km and can efficiently target air breathing targets (ABT) and Tactical.
The unique architecture allows BARAK MX remarkable speed and maneuverability to maximize the no-escape kill zone and probability of kill (Pk). The interceptors employ advanced large diameter active RF seekers providing optimal target detection and tracking in all weather and visibility conditions and allowing for large uncertainty handover errors enabling Launch on Remote (LOR) even with lower certainty air situation picture.
The BARAK MX’s smart launcher is designed for autonomous operation, utilizing missile datalinks for early target pursuit initiation. This unique mode further enhances its capability and the overall system’s efficiency, ensuring that each interceptor is focused on its designated target throughout the intercept. Leveraging LOR, BARAK MX synthesizes a unified sky picture based on multiple radars and sensors, delivering early warning intercept allocations to associated fire units, even when they are not associated with their own radar or battle management systems. Such coordination ensures optimal use of interceptors, eliminates ‘double booking’ of targets, and ensures all units remain armed to continue the mission.
