ashok321
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A robust area air defence Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) system remains an invaluable asset of any ‘blue water’ navy and to obtain such a system, in February 2006 Israel and India signed a joint development agreement to create the new BARAK-NG (now referred to as BARAK-8) medium ship borne Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM). This is an evolution of the eight-cell vertically launched 10-km ranged BARAK-1 system in service with both navies. Prime contractor for the program is India’s Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), with Indian firms contributing the solid fuel smokeless dual-pulse rocket motors, associated safe and arm for rocket motor, and the pneumatic actuation system.
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) missile & space group act as leading subcontractor with IAI Elta Systems providing the multi-function phased array radar and Rafael Advanced Defence System producing the critical components (including the seeker) of interceptor missiles. For the Indian Navy (IN) the layered defence capability to be provided by long range BARAK-8 along with other point defence SAM and Close-In Weapons System (CIWS) represents a key asset especially in relation to rampant proliferation of ballistic and cruise missiles in Asian continent. The layered SAM/CIWS network along with ship borne fighters from aircraft carriers will enable the IN to operate in high-threat areas outside land based air cover by establishing local air superiority. Bearing in mind that hostile submarines are likely to make an attack with sea-skimming anti-ship missiles, even Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) screening becomes analogous to air defence.
The 4.5-metre long 275-kg BARAK-8 missile provides effective protection from all form of aerial threats, including manned, unmanned as well as Precision Guided Weapons (PGM) up to 60 to 70-km (probably a "very conservative" figure) and a ceiling of 16-km, thanks to a dual-pulse solid rocket motor. Fired from its Vertical Launch System the missile initially acquires potential energy in the form of height, which can be traded for kinetic energy in form of speed to retain its manoeuvre capability even at the end of its flight. In addition while the first motor pulse propels the weapon through most of its trajectory, the second fires as the missile approach its target.
This ensures that the missile is not just coasting in the final stages, but sprinting along with energy necessary to secure multiple chances against fast, manoeuvring targets taking evasive action or random weaving and preferably scoring a Hit-To-Kill (HTK). More importantly the Active Radar Homing (ARH) seeker endows BARAK-8 with extensive autonomy during the final stages of intercept. This is an excellent approach for dealing with saturation attacks even using passive ship radars, which can track many targets but its capacity to illuminate targets remain restricted, while the radars can operate intermittently to ensure their survivability against enemy Anti-Radar Missiles (ARM) besides remaining free to track other targets. Besides emerging as India's primary naval area air defence SAM, initially entering service in Kolkata class Guided missile Destroyers (DDGH), in Israel, the BARAK-8 is slated to equip its next-generation Sa'ar 5 and Sa'ar 6 frigates/corvettes.
The combat suites of both vessel classes will be built around the Elta EL/M-2248 Multi-Function Surveillance, Tracking & Acquisition Radar (MF-STAR) conformal S-band digital solid-state Active Electronic Scanned Array (AESA) Radar System which Elta claims to be superior to the United States SPY-1 AEGIS radar. MF-STAR can deliver an accurate high quality arena situation picture (including real time distance, altitude, direction and velocity of targets) and weapons support and extract fast low Radar Cross Section (RCS) targets like stealthy cruise missiles, even in the toughest environmental (clutter and jamming) conditions by employing multi-beam and pulse Doppler techniques as-well-as robust Electronic Counter Counter Measures (ECCM) techniques. Besides acting as the ship’s primary sensor in providing 3-D long-range air surveillance, at medium range MF-STAR automatically track and classify threat and simultaneously besides searching the horizon for potential missile threats. In parallel, it supports multiple engagements by offensive and defensive weapons. The agile radar operates in multiple simultaneous modes, offering short search frames and Track-While-Scan (TWS) revisit time. The system also offers a rapid tracking update rate and high accuracy for priority targets. The radar automatically establishes tracks of high flying targets at ranges beyond 250-km and at low flying targets, at ranges above of 25-km.
For weapons guidance, MF-STAR supports different operating modes of missile systems including mid-course guidance of ARH/SARH SAM and illumination enslavement for Semi-Active Radar Homing (SARH) SAM, thus making dedicated guidance radar systems redundant. Also incorporated is an automatic splash detection and measurement, to support naval gunnery in maritime security and CIWS role. As apparent the performance of BARAK-8 surpasses operational profiles of other competitors and will be able to compete with Raytheon Standard SM-2 Block IIIA, MBDA Aster-15, or land-based Patriot. In fact BARAK-8’s ARH seeker would give it a performance advantage over the SM-2, and corresponds more closely to the SM-6.
Moreover BARAK-8's potential uses in a point defence role against ballistic missiles remain implied in HTK performance and the land-based system's name. The missile launcher will comprise an eight-round module, three or more of which will make up a typical system. The missile is reputed to be able to decimate multiple targets both in high and low altitudes indicating a low minimum range and thus be able to function as both an area and point defence missile. And IAI still retain some aces up its sleeves, as besides developing 150-km ranged BARAK-8-ER, the company has hinted that its BARAK-8 air defence missile may well be adapted for launch from airborne platforms possibly to decimate hostile ballistic missiles in their boost phase.
