Barak II/LRSAM Successfully Test-Fired In Israel

Surface to Air Missile Successfully Launched: Barak II/LRSAM Successfully Test-Fired In Israel

Israel successfully test-fired a long range surface to air missile which was jointly developed by them and India. This marks a major milestone in the bilateral cooperation for the development of advanced weapon systems between Israel and India. This is because LRSAM was jointly developed by India and Israel.

"The Long Range Surface to Air Missile (LRSAM) is successfully flight tested against a flying target in a range in Israel, today," an official statement was quoted as having said. Israel Aerospace Industries/IAI have carried out the test with DRDO scientists and Indian Army officials on board. The LRSAM system has been jointly developed by DRDO of India and IAI of Israel.

"All the systems including the radar, communication launch systems and the missile system have performed as expected and hit the target directly and damaged it. The system is developed for both Israel Defence Forces and Indian Armed Forces," the official statement also added.

The test was witnessed by Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister and DRDO chief Dr. Avinash Chander who along with IAI President Joseph Weiss plus other top officials of the Defence Forces of Israel. The event was described as a milestone in cooperation between the two countries, according to Chander who said this was a major step forward in the development of advanced weapons systems.

LRSAM or Long Range Surface-to-Air Missile was co-developed by India and Israel recently. It was test fired on the 10th of November in 2014 from an Israeli range. LRSAM is known as Barak 8 missile in Israel. The successful test firing of this missile is a major step forward. The LRSAM missile intercepted an manoeuvring air breathing target similar to an attacking combat aircraft. The test also validated the elements related to the naval and land based variants of the missile. This included the phased array radar, the battle management system as well as communications and the interceptor.

The successful test is a step forward as DRDO sources indicate that LRSAM will be deployed in the newly commissioned INS Kolkata to be inducted without the weapon system due to testing delays. This missile will also be deployed on naval ships including the recently commissioned INS Kamrota.

The co-development of the new generation BARAK SAM known as Barak II was signed in January 2007 between Israel and India in a 2007, January deal. This is a tripartite venture between the Indian Navy, the Israel Aerospace Industry and DRDO. This missile is designed to counter threats which are air borne such as anti-ship missiles, aircraft, UAV, drones plus supersonic cruise missiles.

The co-development of this missile is a major step forward in the development of defence ties between the two nations as well. Given the immense globalisation of the world and geopolitical issues, strengthening defence ties with all nations is the top priority in India. Efforts are being made to further bilateral cooperation and make relations between the two nations mutually satisfying and enriching through defence measures such as these.