Colombia To Deploy Israeli Anti-Aircraft Missile Systems

Defense News is reporting that Colombia’s defense ministry has signed a $131.2 million USD contract with Israel Aerospace Industries for two of its Barak MX anti-aircraft missile systems as the country seeks to modernize its military.

Defense analyst Emilio Meneses explained to Defense News that the purchase would bring Colombia’s air-defense capabilities in line with regional militaries of countries like Chile, which has Kongsberg and Raytheon missiles, and neighboring Venezuela, which has Russia’s S-300 system.

According to its manufacturer, the Barak MX system offers flexible configuration that can be deployed in both terrestrial and maritime configurations, and can defend against simultaneous aerial threats from multiple sources at different ranges. The vertical launch system can be loaded with three different missiles targeting different ranges, each with its own active RF seeker:

• BARAK MRAD, with a single pulse rocket motor for a range of 35 km
• BARAK LRAD, with a dual pulse rocket motor for a range of 70 km
• BARAK ER, with a dual pulse rocket motor and an additional booster for a range of 150 km and enhanced TBM capabilities

Barak MX System advertised capabilities:

Any threat:

• Fighters
• Sea-Skimming and Cruise Missiles
• TBMs
• UAVs
• Helicopters
• Gliding Bombs

Any mission:

• Point defense
• Area defense
• Ballistic Missile defense

Any battle condition:

• Naval
• Land – mobile or deployed
• Joint Taskforce Coordination (JTC)