For years, IAI has been internally developing multi-layered Air and Missile defence (AMD) Systems for short, medium and long ranges. These systems were developed on internal Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) engineers’ capabilities, in the fields of radar systems, air and missile defence, as well as weapon systems management for battlefield control.
IAI’s expertise came into play when IAI proposed the ARROW missile interceptor to the US government as part of the SDI (aka Star Wars), taking an unbelievable concept at the time to a realistic demonstrated solution. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) engineers dared to pursue an audacious idea: intercepting a missile with another missile far out in space—a concept akin to a “bullet with a bullet”. In the stormy landscape of global national security, Israel faced an unprecedented threat during the Gulf War in 1991. Iraq launched a relentless barrage of dozens of ballistic missiles, specifically targeting Israeli cities. What made this situation even more challenging was that Iraq was not a neighboring country. The trauma of these attacks on Tel Aviv metropolitan left an indelible mark on Israel’s defence strategy.
At this critical juncture, the Arrow program was upscaled from an interceptor program to a full-scale National defence System Program. The Israeli Missile defence Organization (IMDO), established in 1991, collaborated with the US Department of defence and contracted IAI as the prime contractor for the full-scale program. The commitment to safeguarding lives, rooted in the Jewish ethos after the Holocaust, fueled their relentless technological and engineering research.
Collaborating with Tadiran (now Elbit), and Rafael, IAI transformed the Arrow program from an ambitious, almost imaginary concept into a formidable reality. The US support for this program symbolizes an enduring bond between the two nations.
Arrow 3 – Anti Ballistic Missile Interceptor
On the night of April 14th 2024, came a historic milestone – the Arrow Anti Ballistic Missile (ABM) defence System successfully intercepted multiple hostile synchronized heavy ballistic missiles beyond Earth’s atmosphere. It was the world’s first-ever space battle. Imagine the audacity of envisioning such a scenario and then 30 years later turning it into reality. The Arrow stands as a testament to human ingenuity and determination in the face of adversity.
This multinational fruitful collaboration established the Arrow Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) defence System as a national, combat-proven Air defence layer, which will soon be part of Germany’s upper Air defence layer as well.
defence against heavy ballistic missiles launched from many hundreds of kilometers away can save a nation from catastrophic effects, but it is still only the upper layer required for Air defence – as a part of the whole Air defence superior capabilities developed in Israel, and specifically at IAI.
BARAK MX System – Integrated Air and Missile Defence System
These capabilities led to systems like the Barak MX, which can effectively counter precise and large-scale attacks on strategic land sites or ships as part of an advanced defence replacement against ballistic missiles and supersonic missiles. The Barak MX is combat-proven and has been sold to many customers worldwide. Its’ groundbreaking and comprehensive technologies countering current and evolving threats are highly appreciated globally.
Today, IAI’s Barak MX, a multi-layered air defence system, stands proudly as a wide-ranging defence against the most sophisticated aerial threats in modern combat fields.
