Barak Magen: Israel Deploys Its 'Lightning Shield' For The First Time To Intercept Iranian Drones

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The interceptor, which is dubbed 'Barak Magen' – simply meaning "lightning shield" – is installed on the INS Sa'ar 6 missile ship of the Israeli Navy
Israel said it deployed its 'Barak Magen' aerial defence system and long-range air defence for the first time as it intercepted Iranian drones from its missile ships.
On Monday (June 16), the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the navy's missile ships intercepted eight unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), or drones, launched from Iran. This was done using the 'Barak Magen' aerial defence system for the first time.
The interceptor, which is dubbed 'Barak Magen' – simply meaning 'lightning shield" in Hebrew – is installed on the INS Sa'ar 6 missile ship. According to the IDF, it is capable of countering a wide range of threats, including UAVs, cruise missiles, high-trajectory threats, shore-to-sea missiles, and more.
'Overnight, the Israeli Navy's missile ship flotilla intercepted eight UAVs launched from Iran. Since the beginning of the operation, it has intercepted approximately 25 unmanned aerial vehicles that posed a threat to the civilians of the State of Israel," the IDF said in a press release posted on their official website.
The IDF said the missile ships of Flotilla 3, in coordination with the Israeli air force, continue to be deployed 'across all arenas and serve as a force multiplier in the mission of defending the skies of Israel".
Iran reportedly sent over 100 UAVs on Monday, all of which were intercepted by Israel.
WHAT IS THE 'BARAK MAGEN'?
The 'Barak Magen' is a highly sophisticated and advanced aerial defence system developed by the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), which is capable of detecting and taking down a range of airborne threats.
John Hannah, senior fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) told Fox News Digital that the Barak Magen 'significantly enhances" the air and missile defence architecture of the Israeli navy.
'The Barak Magen is simply another arrow in the expanding quiver of Israel's highly sophisticated and increasingly diverse multi-tiered missile defense architecture – which was already, by leaps and bounds, the most advanced and experienced air defense system fielded by any country in the world," Hannah was quoted.
According to information available, this latest air defence system has a mix of radar, command systems, and a set of smart vertical launchers, including short-range, medium-range, and long-range interceptors. They can all be launched from the ship to hit incoming threats from any direction. The missiles used are Barak MRAD for short and medium ranges (up to 35 km); Barak LRAD for medium to long ranges (up to 70 km); and Barak ER for extended ranges (up to 150 km).
The system's first live trial was in November 2022 aboard the INS Magen, which is a Sa'ar 6-class warship, as reported by military intelligence portal Janes.
First Published:
June 17, 2025, 17:45 IST

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