Meet Barak Magen, Israel’s “Lightening Shield” that made its debut during conflict with Iran, will protect Naval assets from missiles and drone attacks
The conflict between Iran and Israel in the Middle East has increased the likelihood of regional escalation as the two nations continued to exchange missiles. Meanwhile, after several Iranian airstrikes broke through the Iron Dome and hit structures in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and other cities, Israel turned to its newest aerial defense system, “Barak Magen” for the first time.
On the evening of 15th June, the new defense system successfully intercepted Iranian drones which were launched as retaliation for Israeli strikes on its military and nuclear infrastructure. The Israeli Navy shot down eight UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) using its long-range air defense (LRAD) interceptor and the Barak Magen system which were fired from an Israeli Sa’ar 6 missile ship.
According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Flotilla 3’s missile ships continue to be employed “across all arenas and serve as a force multiplier in the mission of defending the skies of Israel” in cooperation with the country’s air force. At this point, the Navy has eliminated about 25 drone threats since the start of the ongoing conflict. The C-Dome system, the naval equivalent of Iron Dome, brought down the majority of these drones.
It was determined that these UAVs were targeting Israeli residential areas. The Israeli Air Force and the naval response were closely synchronized, enabling effective layered interception and real-time threat tracking. On 16th June, Iran reportedly launched more than 100 UAVs, however, all were intercepted by the Jewish state.
Barak Magen adds a potent naval layer to Israel’s defenses, boosting its current systems (Iron Dome, David’s Sling, Arrow, and the forthcoming laser Iron Beam).
Its purpose is to counter the growing threat of asymmetric aerial attacks, specifically precision weapons and drone swarms carried out by enemies such as Iran and its proxies. Barak Magen is designed for naval operations and offers instant protection against inbound threats from the air and sea, in contrast to land-based systems like Iron Dome or David’s Sling.
What is the Barak Magen
“Lightning Shield” or “Barak Magen” (the Hebrew name for Israel’s latest naval air defense system) is intended to supplement the Iron Dome defense system on land by providing a lightning-fast response to airborne threats originating from the water including UAVs, cruise missiles, high-trajectory projectiles, shore-to-sea missiles and even aircrafts, among others.
It is a customized variant of the Barak MX missile defense system, designed to defend naval vessels against aerial threats such as sea-skimming, ballistic and cruise missiles as well as drones. The equipment is installed on Sa’ar 6 corvettes which are advanced Israeli Navy vessels. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) created the aerial defense system to identify and eliminate a variety of airborne threats.
The nation’s defense ministry stated that the multi-mission radar weapon system consists of a long-range interceptor, a weapons system and an enhanced radar for threat detection. It is adaptable to different platforms and has been installed on Sa’ar 6-class corvettes to protect the nation’s offshore energy resources and Exclusive Economic Zone.
The EL/M-2248 MF-STAR radar and electro-optical sensors capable of extremely accurate 360-degree detection, a long-range interceptor that can neutralize threats up to 150 kilometers away and a modular architecture that enables it to be deployed across multiple naval platforms constitute the multi-layered Barak Magen system.
Barak Magen incorporates a combination of command systems, radar and a series of intelligent vertical launchers that are capable of firing several kinds of missiles. Short, medium and long-range interceptors fall under them and they are all released directly from the ship to strike oncoming threats from any direction. This enables the system to cover 360 degrees and handle many targets simultaneously.
It has Barak MRAD for short to medium ranges (up to 35 kilometers), Barak LRAD for medium to long ranges (up to 70 kilometers) and Barak ER for longer ranges (up to 150 kilometers). The same launcher can be used to operate all of these interceptors.
In November 2022, the Israel Defense Ministry launched the Barak surface-to-air missile’s first live-fire test from the INS (Israeli Navy Ship) Magen, one of its warships. Israel published a video of the missile’s launch from a Sa’ar 6-class corvette and its destruction of a target near sea level after it was developed.
Why is Barak Magen significant
Barak Magen’s goal is to protect Israel’s territorial waters and its critical infrastructures, especially the Mediterranean offshore gas fields of Leviathan and Tamar, thus securing its energy autonomy.
The air defense system “significantly enhances” Israel’s navy’s air and missile defense architecture, according to John Hannah, senior fellow at The Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) and co-author of a report released earlier this month on Israel’s defense against two massive Iranian missile attacks in 2024, reported Fox News.
He conveyed, “The Barak Magen is simply another arrow in the expanding quiver of Israel’s highly sophisticated and increasingly diverse multi-tiered missile defense architecture which was already, by leaps and bounds, the most advanced and experienced air defense system fielded by any country in the world.”
According to Hannah, the system offers long-distance defense for Israel’s growing oil and gas facilities in the eastern Mediterranean, as well as vital infrastructure and populated areas along Israel’s coastline, in addition to protection for the Israeli fleet. “It allows Israel to conduct interceptions at significant distances from the Israeli homeland, both out in the eastern Mediterranean and the Red Sea, and thereby adds critically important strategic depth when defending Israel’s tiny geographic area,” he pointed out.
Barak 8
With $1.2 billion in sales already secured, Israel’s Barak system has attracted interest from all around the world. One primary partner is India and according to an Indian government statement, Israel has worked together with India’s Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO) to develop Barak 8, a surface-to-air missile version of the Barak defense system, to protect against aerial threats including drones, aircraft, anti-ship missiles and ballistic missiles.
Barak-8 could be used from land or the water and has a maximum range of 100 kilometers and an altitude of 20 kilometers. The air and naval forces of India and Israel use it to combat an assortment of aerial threats, such as ballistic missiles and drones.
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