The Israeli military’s new ‘Barak Magen’ air defense system intercepted eight Iranian drones after launching from a naval ship on Sunday night. This represents the first operational deployment of the system, which was designed to enhance Israel’s ability to defend against aerial threats. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that the system’s long-range air defense (LRAD) interceptor successfully neutralized the drones, which were launched from an Israeli Navy Sa’ar 6 missile ship.
John Hannah, senior fellow at The Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) and co-author of a recent report on Israel’s defense against Iranian missile attacks, highlighted the significance of the Barak Magen system. He stated that it ‘significantly enhances’ Israel’s air and missile defense architecture. ‘The Bar, the system is another arrow in the expanding quiver of Israel’s highly sophisticated and increasingly diverse multi-tiered missile defense architecture,’ he added.
The system is capable of intercepting a ‘wide range of threats,’ including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), cruise missiles, high-trajectory threats, and shore-to-sea missiles. Hannah also emphasized that the system provides protection not only for the Israeli fleet but also for the country’s expanding oil and gas infrastructure in the eastern Mediterranean and critical coastal infrastructure.
As of now, the Israeli Navy has intercepted about 25 UAVs that posed a threat to Israel since the conflict with Iran escalated. Meanwhile, the continued tensions with Iran led to further missile strikes, with Iran launching a new wave of attacks that resulted in casualties. The Israeli military claimed to have achieved air superiority over Teheran, advising residents to evacuate ahead of potential strikes. This development underscores the ongoing military standoff between the two countries and the importance of advanced defense systems in such scenarios.