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Israel Israel Aerospace Industries
Barak 8
A medium-to-long-range surface-to-air missile system co-developed by Israel and India for both naval and land-based air defense. It defends against aircraft, helicopters, missiles and UAVs.
In service since 2017 · 3 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02
150
km range
16,000
m altitude
10
targets
470
km radar
Pricing: Unit cost not publicly disclosed
Procurement snapshot
Availability & export
Israeli export-licensed
Israeli MoD (DECA/SIBAT) licensing; active export programme.
Channel: Direct commercial / G2G
Fielded & proven
Limited · 3 operators
In service since 2017. Status: active.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from. Why so few systems publish one →
Interoperability
No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.
Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.
Full specifications
Performance
Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.
| Max speed (Mach) Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters. | 2 Mach |
|---|---|
| Engagement range Maximum distance at which an air-defense system can intercept targets. Higher covers more airspace. | 150 km |
| Engagement altitude Maximum target altitude the system can reach. | 16,000 m |
| Simultaneous targets Number of targets the system can engage at once. Higher resists saturation attacks. | 10 |
Firepower
Armament, payload and guidance.
| Main armament Primary weapon: main gun, cannon or missile type. | Barak 8 interceptor missile |
|---|---|
| Warhead Warhead mass. Heavier generally means larger effect radius, at the cost of range. | 60 kg |
| Warhead type Blast-fragmentation, shaped charge (HEAT), penetrator, thermobaric or nuclear-capable. | Fragmentation |
| Guidance How the weapon finds its target: inertial, GPS/GLONASS, active/semi-active radar, infrared, laser, TV, wire. | Active radar homing, Inertial + datalink |
Sensors & avionics
Radar, sensor suite and datalinks.
| Radar Primary radar. AESA (active electronically scanned array) is the current state of the art. | MF-STAR / EL/M-2084 multifunction radar |
|---|---|
| Radar range Published detection range against a typical fighter-sized target. Higher sees first. | 470 km |
| Datalink Network connectivity: Link 16, MADL, national datalinks. Enables cooperative engagement. | Fire-control datalink |
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
| Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem. | 3 |
|---|
Specifications compiled from public Israel Aerospace Industries and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.
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Barak 8 vs
Frequently asked questions
What is the engagement range of the Israel Aerospace Industries Barak 8? +
The Israel Aerospace Industries Barak 8 has a maximum engagement range of 150 km.
What is the main armament of the Israel Aerospace Industries Barak 8? +
The Israel Aerospace Industries Barak 8's primary weapon is the Barak 8 interceptor missile.
What is the Israel Aerospace Industries Barak 8 used for? +
The Israel Aerospace Industries Barak 8 is a air defense system typically used for air defense.
How many countries operate the Israel Aerospace Industries Barak 8? +
The Israel Aerospace Industries Barak 8 is operated by 3 countries.
How much does the Israel Aerospace Industries Barak 8 cost? +
Israel Aerospace Industries Barak 8: Unit cost not publicly disclosed. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
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