Barak 8: India's air defence system that intercepted Pakistan's Fatah-II missile

India and Pakistan military tensions continue to be on the rise. New Delhi called Islamabad’s air intrusion bid last night (May 9) “escalatory” and “provocative”. However, the Indian Armed Forces were successful in “neutralising” the waves of drones launched by the Pakistani military at the Indian border districts.

On Saturday (May 10) morning, a drone was downed by India’s air defence system at the old airfield in Srinagar as two massive explosions shook the city, officials told PTI. The Indian military also foiled Pakistan’s attempt to target Delhi in the early hours today. Islamabad fired the Fatah-II ballistic missile, which was intercepted in Haryana’s Sirsa by India’s Barak-8 missile defence system.

India’s surface-to-air missile systems – Russian-origin S400 Triumf and Barak 8 MRSAM (Medium Range Surface to Air Missile) – and the indigenous Akash surface-to-air missiles (SAM) have played a key role in thwarting the attacks by Pakistan since it stepped up attacks after New Delhi’s Operation Sindoor.

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We will explain what Barak 8 missiles are and how they are strengthening India’s defences during the ongoing tensions with Pakistan.

Barak 8 missiles

Barak 8 is jointly developed by India and Israel. The Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) has an operational range of 70 km, which can be expanded to 100 km.

This version of Barak, meaning ‘lightning’ in Hebrew, is designed and developed by both the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). MRSAM has mobile launchers that can be deployed on land or on navy vessels, reported Times of Israel.

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Weighing 275 kg, the missile can carry a 60-kg warhead which explodes near the target, as per a report by SP’s Naval Forces magazine.

With a speed up to Mach 2, the missile boasts a dual pulse rocket motor and thrust vector control (TVC). The state-of-the-art weapon is equipped with digital radar, interceptors with modern RF sensors, two-way data link and system-wide connectivity.

The defence system’s multi-functional surveillance and threat alert radar helps in detection, tracking and guidance of the missile.

Israel sold the missile system to India in 2017, and since then, it has undergone multiple trials. It has been inducted into the arsenal of the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force (IAF). As per the Times of Israel report, the Indian Army carried out successful tests with the Barak 8 missiles last month, intercepting four “air targets at various speeds, with challenging interception altitudes and ranges.”

“The missiles intercepted the aerial targets, scoring direct hits and destroying them, demonstrating the system’s operational capability,” the IAI said in a statement. The company said the trials paved the way for the missile defence system to be made operational by the Indian Army.

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IAI and @DRDO_India successfully test launch the MRSAM air defense system last week at a test range in India 💪

The MRSAM is an advanced path breaking air and missile defense system that provides ultimate protection against a variety of aerial platforms. pic.twitter.com/Wk4vWPWeQ9

— Israel Aerospace Industries (@ILAerospaceIAI) January 5, 2021

The Barak-8’s 360-degree coverage enables it to target several airborne threats. It can simultaneously engage with multiple targets around the clock in all weather conditions. The missile provides defence against Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones, anti-ship missiles, ballistic missiles, helicopters, aircraft, cruise missiles, and fighter jets, as per a Raksha-Anirveda magazine report.

MRSAM, which is the second variant of the Barak-8 system, is a land-based missile system, armed with a tracking radar, a command and control system, and mobile launcher systems, the piece noted.

How India deployed Barak 8 missiles after Op Sindoor

India responded to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that took the lives of 26 people in Kashmir by launching Operation Sindoor, under which it targeted nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Since these strikes on May 7, Islamabad has attempted to launch several attacks against India’s military installations. The surface-to-air missile systems are acting as a shield against Pakistan’s barrage of missile and drone strikes.

Besides the Barak-8 missiles, India deployed the S-400 Triumf missile system, Akash and homemade anti-drone equipment to foil Pakistan’s bid to target 15 Indian cities on Wednesday night, sources told PTI.

The Pakistan military had reportedly launched a swarm of drones and missiles towards the Indian border areas around 1 am on the intervening night of May 7-8.

“The Integrated Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Grid, S-400 Triumph systems, Barak-8 missiles, Akash Surface-to-Air Missiles, and DRDO’s anti-drone technologies came together seamlessly to create an aerial shield that held firm,” the source said.

The Barak-8 missiles also guarded India’s capital by intercepting Pakistan’s Fatah-II missile early today in Haryana, News18 reported, citing sources.

With inputs from agencies