Barak 8 (missile)

Barak 8 (the Hebrew word for Lightning) is an Indo-Israeli surface-to-air missile (SAM), designed to defend against aircraft, anti-ship missiles, and UAVs.

Background
In January 2007, after several months of intense negotiations, India and Israel signed a US$330 million deal to co-develop an all new generation of the Barak SAM, which was to be known as the Barak II. It has also been called Barak 8. They have worked out an agreement to develop and produce the long-range Barak air defence system for both the Indian and the Israeli militaries. The initial co-development funding is about US$350 million, of which IAI will finance 50 per cent. The venture is a tripartite one, between the DRDO, the Indian Navy, and IAI. The missile is referred to as the LRSAM in Indian Government literature.

Barak 8 is 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 Evolved Sea Sparrow or even the SM-2 Standard. The joint development offer was first made by Israel during Indian Navy Chief Admiral Arun Prakash's visit to Tel Aviv in 2004. Israel successfully tested its 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.

Characteristics
The Barak 8 has a length of about 4.5 meters, a diameter of 0.54 meters, 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 - featuring a dual pulse rocket motor, Barak 8 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 air-borne threats, such as; anti-ship missiles, aircraft, UAVs and drones as well as supersonic cruise missiles. When coupled with a modern air-defence system and multi-function surveillance track and guidance radars, (such as the MF-STAR AESA on board the 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 is main features being:


 * Long Range
 * Active Radar Seeker Missile
 * Vertical Launch
 * Multiple Simultaneous Engagements

The launcher of Barak SAM system utilizes a compact vertical launching system, with an 8-cell module weighing 1,700 kg. Fire control is provided by an equally compact C3I system that weighs 1,300 kg, which can either operate independently or in conjunction with other onboard sensors.

Flight tests

 * In May 2010, the Barak-II missile was successfully test fired at an electronic target and met its initial objectives. The second test of the missile was to be held in India later in 2010. "More than 70 per cent of the content in the missile being developed with Israel would be indigenous." DRDO chief V. K. Saraswat told The Economic Times.

Potential users



 * 🇮🇱 - Israel is refitting its Sa'ar 5-class corvettes to carry the Barak 8.