India Adds More Firepower With Barak-8 Air Defense System

By Aritra Banerjee

September 11, 2021

The induction of the Barak-8 air defense system into the Indian Air Force coupled with a successful demonstration of emergency landings of IAF jets close to the Pakistan border has been indicative of New Delhi flexing its military muscle.

In addition, the S-400 SAMs are scheduled to be delivered by Russia by the end of this year. So, will the IAFs newfound air defense capabilities be a nightmare for arch-rivals Pakistan and China?

The IAF formally inducted the Barak 8 air defense systems in Jaisalmer in the north-western state of Rajasthan on September 9. The same day, the service demonstrated emergency landings on National Highway-925 in Rajasthan’s Jalore district, 40 kilometers from the India-Pakistan border.

IAF Su-30MKI and Jaguar fighter jets, and a Super Hercules transport plane carrying Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Roadways Minister Nitin Gadkari, and Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria completed the emergency landing exercise.

An IAF Su-30MKI performs an emergency landing exercise on a national highway in Rajasthan.

Defence Minister Singh lauded this feat by the IAF before traveling to Jaisalmer district to inaugurate the Barak-8 medium-range surface-to-air missile (MRSAM).

The Barak-8 Missile

The Barak-8 is reportedly capable of neutralizing aerial threats at ranges up to 70km. It was a product of a collaborative effort between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Israel Aerospace Industry (IAI).

Other key stakeholders were Israeli company Rafael, India’s state-run Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bharat Dynamics Limited, and private entity Larsen and Toubro (L&T).

The Barak-8 boasts sophisticated radars, command and control systems, and mobile launchers. The air defense system’s missiles are propelled by an indigenous rocket motor and control system for high maneuverability in the terminal phase.

“With the handing over of the MRSAM system to IAF, we have taken a giant leap towards achieving ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India). The MRSAM will prove to be a game-changer in air defense,” said the Indian Defence Minister.

“The system is capable of hitting multiple targets simultaneously up to a range of 70 km, even in bad weather. Its success in a string of stringent tests is proof of its reliability,” Singh said.

 “Equations between countries are also changing rapidly according to their interests. Whether it is the South China Sea, Indian Ocean Region, Indo-Pacific, or Central Asia, uncertainty can be seen everywhere,” the minister said, adding, “In such a situation, strengthening our security and self-reliance has become a necessity, not an achievement.”

DRDO Chairman, G Satish Reddy presented the Barak 8’s first operational firing unit to Air Chief Marshal Bhadauria. India’s military experts have long maintained that MRSAM systems have been an operational necessity and believe that the induction of the Barak-8 along with the soon-to-be inducted Russian S-400 Triumf are steps towards that direction.

Courtesy: Eurasian Times