Jerusalem: India has awarded an additional USD 777 million deal to a leading Israeli defence firm for supplying Barak 8 LR-SAM Air and Missile Defence Systems to seven ships of the Indian Navy, the company announced on Wednesday.
The Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LR-SAM) system is an operational Air and Missile Defence (AMD) system used by Israel’s navy as well as by India’s navy, air and land forces. With the latest deal, the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) said that the sale of Barak 8 system – jointly developed by India and Israel – a sign of strong bilateral partnership in defence, has crossed USD 6 billion over the past few years.
The system provides broad aerial and point defence against a wide range of threats to the marine arena from the air, sea or land.
The missile system has been jointly developed by IAI, India’s DRDO, Israel’s Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure, Elta Systems, Rafael and some other Indian defence companies.
The new contract announced by IAI was entered with Indian state-owned company Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), which serves as the main contractor in the project.
“Congratulations to Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and the defence establishment on the huge transaction involving the sale of Barak 8 to India,” Israel’s Defence Minister Avigdor Liberman said on twitter.
The deal is “proof that security is an investment, and not expenditure”, he said adding that the IAI is a national asset, which must be maintained and strengthened.
Israel won the largest defence contract in its history from India last year to supply Indian Army and Navy with missile defence systems, a deal worth USD 2 billion.
This was followed by another USD 630 million contract a few months later to supply Barak 8 surface to air missile system for four ships of the Indian Navy in collaboration with BEL. (PTI)
