Posted on 08/14/2018 10:35:08 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
The Barak-8 missile is launched during a test. (photo credit: IAI)
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) will provide advanced defense systems to Israel Navy’s new Sa’ar-6 corvettes to protect strategic maritime assets, the defense giant announced on Tuesday.
The contract was led by the navy, the Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D) and the procurement administration in Israel’s Defense Ministry. The Barak-8 system was chosen after it was demonstrated to meet the operational requirements and future challenges faced by Israel’s navy.
The systems will be used to protect Israel’s exclusive economic zone and strategic facilities that are faced with diversified threats in the marine arena.
Israel is highly dependent on the sea with over 90% of Israel’s imports arriving by boat, and while the country’s navy is relatively small compared to other IDF corps, it has a significant amount of territory to protect since the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) expanded five years ago from 40 miles from shore to 150 miles from shore.
Boaz Levi, the general manager and executive vice president of IAI Systems, Missiles & Space Group, said that the procurement of the Barak-8 for the new warships will expand the operational capabilities of the navy in defending the EEZ and Israeli territory. “With land and naval modules, the system provides a complete response to a wide range of threats and is developed to work with other systems. Barak-8 is a proud member of the exclusive club that hosts Israel’s most successful global military developments,” he said.
IAI CEO and president Joseph Weiss said that the contract would add to the several other Barak-8 contracts entered into over the past few years, “with a total value of more than $5 billion.”
The Barak-8 naval air defense system was jointly developed by the IAI and India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO).
The system is designed to defend naval vessels against many short-to-long range (70-150 km.) airborne threats, like incoming missiles, planes and drones at both low or high altitudes. In July, the Israeli military successfully tested the Barak-8, intercepting a small drone simulating an enemy aircraft.
The system integrates several advanced state-of-the-art systems, such as a digital radar, command and control, launchers, interceptors with modern RF seekers, data link and system-wide connectivity. It is also able to engage multiple targets simultaneously in severe saturation scenarios and can be operated in all types of weather.
The construction of the four Sa’ar-6 class warships was agreed to in a €430 million deal between Israel and the German company ThyssenKrupp in 2015. The first ship is expected to arrive at the end of 2019 and the last by 2021, and will defend Israel’s offshore natural gas reserves as well as other strategic maritime assets.
The Sa’ar-6 will have a maximum speed of 26 knots and a crew of 70 sailors, a range of 2,500 miles, and advanced capabilities able to deal with a wide range of threats.
They will be fitted with two naval Iron Dome short-range defense missile launchers with 20 Tamir missiles for each launcher and the Barak-8 long-range surface-to-air missile naval defense system.
They will also have 16 anti-ship missiles, one 76 mm. Oto Melara Super Rapid main gun, two Typhoon 25 mm. remote weapon stations and two 324 mm. torpedo launchers for MK54 Lightweight Torpedos.
A computer-generated image released by tkMS in late 2016 shows what may be the Sa'ar 6 class. (ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems)
A missile was system named for 0bama?
Good thing the USS Liberty didn’t have to face that.
I wouldn’t put much faith in any system with a name like BARAK! Sounds to similar to Barack & we ALL KNOW he was in no way, shape, or form anything but disrespectful of our military AND Israel in general. Better served naming the system the Trump-45!!
Barak is the Hebrew word for lightning.
Barack 8 what?
Ships are always referred to by their crew in the feminine gender but that ship is obviously male.
I know you’re not A+bert because of the lack of profanity in your post.
At least that's what I remember from the discussions about the meaning of Barack Obama's name.
True, I’m way too restrained about it.
Well, rumor has it that he's "intercepted a few missiles" in his time. So the name works, even if by phonetic happenstance.
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