Barak-8 (MRSAM)

The Barak-8, also known as MRSAM (Medium Range Surface-to-Air Missile), is an advanced air and missile defense system developed jointly by Israel and India. It is designed to protect against a wide range of aerial threats, including aircraft, helicopters, anti-ship missiles, and UAVs, utilizing an active radar seeker and high maneuverability.

Initiated in the mid-2000s as a joint venture between Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the system was designed to counter increasingly sophisticated supersonic anti-ship missiles and low-altitude aerial threats. Following successful testing, the naval variant entered operational service with the Israeli Navy and Indian Navy in 2016, followed shortly by land-based variants. The system saw its first combat interceptions in 2020 when Azerbaijan successfully used it to shoot down an Armenian Iskander ballistic missile, and later in 2022 when the Israeli Navy used it to intercept hostile Hezbollah drones targeting offshore gas rigs. Today, the Barak-8 remains a cornerstone of naval and land-based air defense for both founding nations, with growing export success to countries like the United Arab Emirates and Morocco.