The Israeli-made air defense system is supposed to help Slovakia defend its airspace.
Slovakia will pay 560 million euros for this system. This is the third sold Israeli Barak MX, along with Cyprus and Azerbaijan, he writes. The Barak MX system, manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), is a variant of the Israeli Iron Dome.
“We are proud that the Slovak Ministry of Defense has chosen the Barak MX integrated air defense system,” said Israel Aerospace Industries Director Boaz Levy about the purchase. The agreement, which was mediated by the Directorate for International Defense Cooperation of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, is intended to help strengthen relations between Slovakia and Israel.
The Barak MX system is mainly intended for shooting down short-range missiles, but according to information from the Israeli Ministry of Defense, it can also shoot down drones and guided missiles. With tactical ballistic missiles, its capabilities are limited.
“The system is known for its flexible ability to counter threats from a variety of sources, including fighter jets, helicopters, UAVs, cruise missiles, surface-to-air missiles and tactical ballistic missiles. With three fighters for operational ranges of 35, 70 and 150 km, each equipped with an active radar seeker, a two-pulse engine and a powerful warhead. The system provides unmatched performance against a wide range of threats,” Israel’s Defense Ministry said of the system.
This system is not designed to shoot down ballistic missiles fired from greater distances, because they often ascend into the atmosphere before coming back down to their target at tremendous speed. At the same time, they contain a larger amount of explosives.
