Characteristics

barak-8 is “an advanced, long range missile defence and air defence system” with its main features being:

● Long range

● Two-way data link (GPs s band)

● active radar seeker missile

● 360-degree coverage

● Vertical launch

● multiple simultaneous engagements. barak-8 has a length of about 4.5 m, a diameter of 0.225 m at missile body, and 0.54 m at the booster stage, a wingspan of 0.94 m and weighs 275 kg including a 60-kg warhead which detonates at proximity. The missile has maximum speed of mach 2 with a maximum operational range of 70 km, which was later increased to 100 km. barak-8 features a dual pulse rocket motor as well as thrust vector control (TVC), and possesses high degrees of manoeuvrability at target interception range. a second motor is fired during the terminal phase, at which stage the active radar seeker is activated to home in on to the enemy track. When coupled with a modern air defence system and multi-function surveillance track and guidance radars (such as the EL/M-2248 MF-STAR AESA onboard the Kolkata class destroyers) barak-8 is capable of simultaneously engaging multiple targets during saturation attacks.