The Israeli Navy Successfully Completes the First Test of the BARAK Long Range Robust Interceptor (LRAD)
The Israel Defense Forces are still working to equip their navy with a layered air defense system. In this context, a Sa’ar-6 corvette was equipped with the long-range LRAD missile of the Barak MX air and missile defense system. According to a statement from the Israeli Ministry of Defense, “the Israeli Navy, Israel Ministry of Defense, and Israel Aerospace Industries successfully completed the first BARAK Long Range Robust Interceptor (LRAD) interception test aboard an Israeli Navy Sa’ar 6-Class Corvette.”
“The demonstration of capability and the success of the trial of the Barak MX system is a significant milestone in the process of carrying out the defense ships and is a significant addition to the basket of capabilities of the naval arm in realizing the defense of the strategic maritime sites belonging to the State of Israel,” said naval equipment division head, Brigadier General Ariel Shir, in a statement. According to Boaz Levy, CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries, “the success of this experiment is a technological breakthrough in the field of naval defense systems against missiles.”
The Barak MX system is part of a multi-layered naval defense system for the Sa’ar 6 class vessels, which will serve as the Israeli Navy’s backbone for the next 30 years. Another example is the C-Dome system, which is a naval version of the Iron Dome system. On February 21, 2022, the Israel Defense Forces conducted the first live fire test of the C-Dome Air Defense System. The Israeli Navy then announced in recent weeks that the final phase of tests to activate the “C-Dome” missile defense system for the country’s Sa’ar 6 class corvettes had been completed. Furthermore, the Israeli Navy recently announced the successful testing of the country’s newest generation anti-ship missile, Gabriel V. The Gabriel missile launch test was also conducted aboard the Sa’ar 6 corvettes.
The BARAK LRAD interceptor, developed by Israel Aerospace Industries and the Israeli Ministry of Defense’s research and development division, is a part of the BARAK MX System, an advanced air and missile defense system that offers a single, integrated response to various simultaneous aerial threats coming from various sources and ranges. The Barak LRAD Interceptors can launch vertically and provide 360-degree coverage, quick responses, short minimal ranges, and an active high-end RF seeker for targets with low radar cross sections and high maneuverability. LRAD missiles, which have a maximum range of 70 kilometers due to their dual-pulse rocket engine and are capable of countering a variety of air threats such as aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, coastal missile systems, and anti-ship missiles at altitudes up to 20 kilometers, are similar in features to the BARAK 8 missile developed in collaboration with Israel and India.