Area Defense Backbone
Barak MX
Multi-layer air and missile defense
System Status
Active
Updated 2026-07-29
Barak MR Barak LR Barak ER
Key Specifications
Range Verified
35 km, 70 km, and 150 km are selectable interceptor-class ranges, not one Barak MX defended-area radius; overall envelope depends on selected missiles and sensors Altitude Unavailable
Not published in official sources reviewed Radar Reported
IAI/ELTA public material presents MMR, MF-STAR, and ALPHA as integration options; customer-selected sensors can be integrated, and Slovakia’s exact radar fit is not public Interceptors
Barak MRBarak LRBarak ER
Mobility Modular land-based battery architecture; exact launcher and sensor packaging varies by customer configuration
Operators Reported
Slovakia received its first battery in April 2026 and it was being brought into operation, with full readiness then expected in following weeks; this is not a service-entry or full-operational-capability claim. A clean public operator list was not identified Procurement & Transfer Activity
2024-08-29
Defense News reported that Slovakia approved procurement of six Barak MX systems with radars, missiles, and related equipment for an estimated EUR 554 million
Reported 2024-12-23
Israel MOD announced a landmark 560 million euro agreement to sell Barak MX to Slovakia
Verified 2025-02-17
Terma announced a BMD-Flex command-and-control and integration contract for Slovakia’s newly acquired Barak MX, including NATINAMDS interoperability work
Verified 2026-04-30
IAI announced that Israel MOD/SIBAT and IAI delivered Barak MX to the Slovak Air Force; the first battery was being brought into operation, full readiness was then expected in following weeks, and additional components were expected through 2026
Verified Strengths
- + Three-interceptor architecture gives one family a credible multi-layer export profile instead of a single-envelope tradeoff
- + Official public material supports flexible integration across multiple IAI/ELTA radars and customer-selected sensors
- + Slovakia selection and follow-on NATO-interoperability work give the system current European relevance
Limitations
- - Public country-by-country operator transparency is weaker than for Patriot, NASAMS, or SAMP/T
- - Official public sources reviewed do not publish a clean normalized altitude figure
- - Direct comparison against single-layer systems can mislead because performance depends heavily on interceptor mix and integration choices
Manufacturer
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) / ELTA Systems
Israel
Sources
Evidence Labels
Verified Official manufacturer or government source
Reported Credible third-party or think-tank reporting
Unavailable Official sources do not publish this figure