Tag Archives: IAI

Navy

BARAK MX Interceptors

BARAK MX is IAI’s flagship Air & Missile Defense System and is a part of the Naval Combat Suite IAI is integrating on the Israeli Navy’s Sa’ar 6 premier defense warship. Chosen by the Israeli Navy to be Sa’ar 6 primary defense system. The system will provide a layer of defensive and offensive capabilities from air and sea.

BARAK MX
IAI Integrates BARAK MX Interceptors on Sa’ar 6 Corvettes

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is integrating offensive and defensive systems, to enhance the ‘Sa’ar 6′ corvette’s capabilities and usher the Israeli Navy into a new technological era, under the guidance of Israel’s Ministry of Defense (IMoD) and the IDF.

IAI’s BARAK MX interceptors along with IAI’s complete naval combat suite will provide advanced defense systems to the Israel Navy’s Sa’ar 6 corvettes. The systems will be used to protect Israel’s exclusive economic zone and strategic facilities that face diversified threats in the marine arena. The BARAK MX system was chosen after it was demonstrated to meet the operational requirements and future challenges faced by the Israeli Navy.

IAI’s naval solutions are battle-proven naval systems and technology, IAI sets new standards for Maritime Domain Awareness, Naval Combat Systems, Network Centric Operation, EEZ Protection, and Coastal Security. From sensors and weapon systems to integrated systems-of-systems, IAI offers a broad portfolio of solutions to the requirements and challenges of today’s naval forces. These combat systems are designed to maximize and optimize the individual systems’ performance and capabilities in a manner that will enable them to operate synergistically with efficiency and full effectiveness.

The BARAK MX Air & Missile Defense System developed by IAI’s is one of the world’s advanced operational air defense systems, used by IDF naval forces and the Indian Land, Navy and Air Force. The BARAK MX Air & Missile Defense System provides both wide-area and targeted defense capabilities to an array of threats, including: land, air and sea. The system aggregates several key cutting-edge systems: digital radar, weapon control system, launchers, and a range of interceptors for different ranges with advanced homing devices, data-link communication and system wide connectivity. Developed by IAI, the BARAK family includes various range interceptors: 35 km/21.75 miles, 70 km/43.5 miles, and 150 km/93.2 miles, and combines the capability to intercept various air defense threats from naval and land platforms.

Boaz Levy, President and CEO of IAI, said: «The combat and air defense systems installed on the Sa’ar corvettes represents the significant tier now being integrated on the rest of Israel’s air defense array, an integral aspect of IAI’s system wide naval solutions. With land and naval modules, the system provides a complete response to a wide range of threats and is developed to work with other systems. IAI’s air defense systems boast successful, combat proven operational experience and we are proud to be the home of the Israeli Navy’s systems».

Naval BARAK MX System

Navy

Ballistic Missile Defence

Sensor solutions provider HENSOLDT, together with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), is supplying new radars to the German Navy to modernise the sensor technology of the F124 air defence frigates. The Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and Operation (BAAINBw) has placed an order worth approximately 200 million euros for the delivery and installation of four sensor systems consisting of radar and Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system respectively.

Sachsen (F219)
Together with IAI, HENSOLDT is delivering four long-range radars for the German F124 frigates (Photo: HENSOLDT)

With this order the F124 frigate’s radars will be refurbished to overcome obsolescence of electronics components. The order also marks the start of the development of national capabilities in the field of Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD). It includes a shore facility that is a fully functional copy of the ship’s radars. It not only enables training for users and service technicians, but also allows further developments to be tested on land prior to onboard installation.

To this end, HENSOLDT has entered into a strategic cooperation in the field of BMD-capable wide-range radars in S-band with IAI subsidiary ELTA Systems Ltd. This supplies the German customer with a combination of a national partner for certification and long-term support, as well as market-available systems that have been tried and tested in the field.

Previously, the contract for the modernisation of land-based air surveillance in the HADR NF programme, also based on a cooperation with IAI’s ELTA, was awarded to HENSOLDT. The radars used in both projects are largely identical in construction and thus also offer the customer advantages in terms of logistical supply and thus the long-term operation of the systems. In this way, further developments can also be used cross-sectionally and thus be introduced more cost-effectively.

Air, Unmanned Systems

Maritime Surveillance

The European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) awarded a contract to Airbus Defence and Space Airborne Solutions (ADAS), a 100% subsidiary of Airbus Defence and Space and the global market leader in Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) services, and its long-term partner Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to operate a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) RPAS for Maritime Aerial Surveillance services.

MALE RPAS
European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) selects Airbus and its partner IAI for Maritime Aerial Surveillance with Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS)

The service will be delivered in Greece, and/or Italy and/or Malta within a Framework Contract. The service include the provision of a RPAS platform, payload, communication equipment and capacity, mission storage and all necessary experts managing the system and providing operational support. Under the contract, Airbus and IAI will provide the service for pre-planned assignments as well as for ad-hoc calls.

The maritime Heron RPAS from IAI serves a range of customers worldwide and is a part of the well-known «Heron family» which accumulates over 450,000 flight hours, day and night missions under all weather conditions. The system is capable of flying more than 24 hours in full operational configuration and creates a comprehensive, real time, naval picture in geographical areas for potential surveillance interests, e.g. in the context of coordinated European monitoring activities.

The RPAS will be fitted with versatile dedicated payloads (e.g. electro-optical for day and infrared for night purposes, maritime patrol radar made by IAI and automatic identification system), relevant communication equipment, and corresponding ground mission control and support. The surveillance platform Heron uses a direct link when flying within Line of Sight (LOS), changing seamlessly to a satellite link when flying Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) to transmit real time information or when needed to fly in low altitude over sea. This information is being transmitted to Frontex command and control centre as well as to centres of the respective Coast Guards.

Numerous trials were successfully held over the past years to confirm and highlight the benefits of unmanned aerial systems in terms of precise and long endurance surveillance. The maritime Heron is being used amongst others by the Israeli navy as its key patrolling tool, successfully performing reconnaissance and security assignments since many years.

Mike Hoofdmann, CEO of ADAS underlined that this contract for long endurance maritime surveillance for Frontex marks a new milestone for the company to extend its successful unmanned operational services for military customers also to civil stakeholders such as Frontex and eventually other agencies. «This contract gives us the opportunity to prove our performance on a European level. We as Airbus together with our partner IAI make an essential commitment to the monitoring and security of European external border and thus contribute to the stability in Europe», adds Hoofdmann.

«IAI welcomes the signing of the contract with Frontex and achieving this landmark with the maritime Heron. The Heron has successfully fulfilled all missions, exceeding the expectations of its operators. Flying in Europe’s civilian airspace is an important progress for IAI and a solid proof for the RPAS’s ability to fly in civilian routes. I believe this contract will open the door to more civilian markets», said IAI Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Military Aircraft Group, Moshe Levy.

Ground Forces

AFV concept

According to Yaakov Lappin, Jane’s Defence Weekly correspondent, the Israel Ministry of Defense (MoD) unveiled on 4 August a new Armoured Fighting Vehicle (AFV) concept, dubbed Carmel, that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI), autonomous capabilities, and enhanced situational awareness to achieve new levels of battlefield effectiveness.

IAI’s prototype for the Carmel programme was unveiled alongside ones from Rafael and Elbit on 4 August (Source: Yaakov Lappin)

The goal of the programme is to reduce the number of onboard personnel in AFVs like the Merkava tank from four to two and enable them to operate under closed hatches, with the vehicle driving itself, detecting threats in real time, and providing recommendations to the crew on critical decisions.

The vehicles will also be able to control unmanned air and ground vehicles, as well as operate as part of a network that builds a shared picture of the battlefield and co-operate to efficiently engage targets.

The programme will not immediately produce new vehicles, according to the MoD, but will develop capabilities that will gradually be installed on the Israel Defense Forces’ (IDF’s) Merkava Mk-4, the next-generation Barak tank, the Namer tracked Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC), and the Eitan wheeled APC. The MoD will also begin developing an AFV that incorporates the new capabilities at an unspecified time in the future.

Brigadier General Yaniv Rotem, head of research and development at the MoD’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D), told journalists that the programme began around three years ago after the MoD decided to revolutionise the ground forces’ manoeuvring capabilities.

Israel’s three largest defence companies – Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Elbit Systems, and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems – were asked to develop their own Carmel prototypes using M113 APCs. These were unveiled on 4 August following a month of trials by a DDR&D team in northern Israel.

The challenge was proving the feasibility of two soldiers conducting closed-hatch operations and integrating technological capabilities that would enhance mission efficiency for the IDF’s manoeuvre forces.