Thailand Selects Israeli Barak MX Air Defence System

THAILAND selected Israel Aerospace Industries’ (IAI) Barak MX air defence system for the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) in a US$106 million procurement to upgrade its air defences as outlined in the kingdom’s 2025 White Paper as well as amidst ongoing tensions with neigbouring Cambodia.

The Barak MX has interceptors with ranges of 35, 70 kilometres and up to 150km and will form part of the Integrated Air Defense System (IADS) development programme to improve the detection, tracking and interception of modern aerial threats in addition to strengthening early-warning, deterrence and rapid-response capabilities.

It was developed by IAI in collaboration with Israel’s defence ministry, India’s Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), respective navies, IAI’s ELTA Group, RAFAEL and local industries in both countries.

According to the RTAF, the procurement process was conducted transparently and designed to ensure long-term value, with the BARAK MX expected to remain operational for at least 30 years after entering service as early as 2029. It offers multi-layered defences through a network-centric architecture, featuring command-and-control units, fire-control radar, mobile launchers and guided missiles.

The RTAF also said that the system is resilient against electronic warfare and cyberattacks and comes with integrated simulation training. It described the acquisition as a key step in raising Thailand’s air defence readiness to international standards and supporting multi-domain operations with other branches of the armed forces.

An IAI statement read, “The Barak MX was selected after successfully meeting and exceeding the stringent requirements of the RTAF, offering advanced network-centric capabilities and interoperability with local command-and-control systems. We are proud to deepen our collaboration and stand alongside Thailand, as it enhances its defence architecture with proven, next-generation capabilities.”.–-shp/adj/dl (Pix:ISMOD)