Tel Aviv. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is integrating offensive and defensive systems, to enhance the ‘SA’AR 6’ class corvette’s capabilities and usher the Israeli Navy into a new technological era, under the guidance of Israel’s Ministry of Defense (IMoD) and the IDF. In recent years the Israeli navy has increased its combat capabilities with the new SA’AR 6 corvettes and the new Dolphin AIP submarines. These are also being equipped with Israeli made systems that are highly classified.
IAI, together with the Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure (part of IMoD) and the Israeli Navy, completed the first phase of installing the MF-STAR radars on the Israeli Navy’s ‘SA’AR 6’ class corvettes and will continue to integrate the Barak MX Air Defense System on the vessels. The radars will serve to locate and classify air and surface targets and help to build an advanced and detailed maritime picture of the surveillance area. The MF-STAR radar system, one of the world’s most advanced radar systems, will serve as the “brain,” integrated with all surveillance sensors on every one of the Israeli Navy’s new warships. The radar system is also an important component of the Barak MX Air Defense System, and provides a layer of defense against advanced aerial and naval threats.
The MF-STAR radar systems are based on advanced technology including active electronic scanning array (AESA) developed by IAI’s ELTA Systems Ltd. These systems reduce the target acquisition response-time, and provide advanced ability to accurately and simultaneously track a wide range of targets. The radar provides an optimal picture of maritime situation awareness and hemispheric protection to all accompanying forces. The radars are an integral component of defending air, space and territorial waters, including Israel’s strategic assets: the natural gas rigs, defending against rockets, enemy aircraft and more. Upon identifying a threat, the radar supplies all required data immediately to each control, defense and support systems on deck (e.g., firing of anti-aircraft missiles), enabling key decision makers to respond to the threat in real time. The MF-STAR radar includes four staring radar panels that provide 360-degree hemispherical coverage around the vessel.
The Barak MX Air Defense System developed by IAI’s Systems, Missiles and Space Division is one of the world’s advanced operational defense systems, used by IDF land and naval forces and the Indian Navy and Air Force. The Barak MX Air Defense System provides both wide-area and targeted defense capabilities to an array of threats, including: land, air and sea. The system aggregates several key cutting-edge systems: a digital radar, weapon control system, launchers, a range of interceptors for different ranges with advanced homing devices, data-link communication and system wide connectivity.
Boaz Levy, President and CEO of IAI, said: “The combat and air defense systems installed on the SA’AR corvettes represents the significant tier now being integrating on the rest of Israel’s air defense array, an integral aspect of IAI’s system wide naval solutions. IAI, the home of the Israeli Navy’s systems, is proud to begin integrating these systems on missile boats, in close cooperation with Israel’s Ministry of Defense and the Israeli Navy. Deploying the world’s most advanced radar system of its kind, based on decades of ELTA’s radar production know-how, is the cornerstone for a wide range of systems with the ability to act as a force multiplier for the navy, for the IDF and for the State of Israel.”
The SA’AR 6 class corvettes will be armed with a range of weaponry, including anti-air and anti-ship missiles, as well as machine guns. Each corvette will carry 40 Barak MX naval surface-to-air missiles amidships to intercept and destroy all types of airborne threats such as anti-ship missiles, cruise missiles, combat aircraft, helicopters and unmanned aerial systems (UAS). According to the plan up to two Rafael C-Dome naval point defence systems will be installed on the bow deck of each ship to defeat short-range rockets and artillery shells. The C-Dome based on the combat proven Iron-Dome, is designed to operate with the ship’s search radar. Every interceptor of the C-Dome system is equipped with an active radar and that ensure a high kill rate like the one achieved by the Iron Dome.
According to ELTA, the MF-STAR radar will serve as the main SA’AR 6 radar and will serve all weapons systems that will be installed on the corvette.
-The writer is an International Roving Correspondent of the publication. Views expressed are personal and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
