The company said that the trials tested the system’s capabilities in a range of scenarios and threats, including the interception of an assaulting ballistic target by the Barak ER (extended range) interceptor.
The Barak ER missile, developed by IAI, combines the capability to intercept air defense threats at a long-range of 150 kilometers and ballistic targets as part of IAI’s Barak interceptors’ family of various ranges.
The extended range capability is made possible in part by adjusting the interceptor and MMR radar capabilities to a 150-km. range.
The vertically launched missile includes a booster, a dual-pulse rocket motor and an advanced radar homing seeker, the company said in a statement.
Boaz Levy, IAI president and CEO said following the completion of the tests that “the evolution of airborne threats across the globe, combined with geopolitical changes, requires an advanced, agile and versatile air defense system.
“The Barak system was operationally proven against countless threats, including some of the most challenging ones today. The trial series we completed today enhances the proven capabilities against a wider range of threats,” he said.
“The successful trial further demonstrates the robustness of the Barak system based on IAI's innovation, technological capabilities and decades of experience in developing air defense systems,” Levi added. "The combination of several interceptors in a unified launcher and the inherent modularity of the Barak system provides an optimal response for the future battlefield, offering the forces unprecedented operational agility and flexibility."
In February, the IAI and the Defense Ministry announced that they have begun the development of a new generation of the Arrow system.
The system, which serves as the upper layer of Israel’s multi-tier missile defense array, designed to protect Israel from long-range missiles, particularly those produced in Iran.
A joint statement for IAI and the Defense Ministry then said that the new system is set to include advanced radar systems, developed and produced by Elta, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries. It also includes a BMC system developed by Elbit Systems, and a Launch Array including interceptors produced by MLM, a subsidiary of IAI. Defense companies Rafael and Tomer are also involved in the development and production of the Arrow interceptor.
“Arrow 4 will be an advanced, innovative interceptor missile with enhanced capabilities,” the statement said. “It will address a wide range of evolving threats in the region, and will replace the Arrow 2 interceptors over the next decades. Its development is led by the IMDO [The Israel Missile Defense Organization] and the US MDA [Missile Defense Agency], with IAI as the prime contractor for the development and production of the system and its interceptors.”