A Barak 8 missile being launched during a past test. Photo: Indian Navy.

JNS.org – Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) announced Thursday it had signed contracts with India amounting to $2 billion, marking the largest-ever arms deal in the history of Israel’s defense sector.

The deal includes a $1.6 billion contract for IAI to deliver a medium-range surface-to-air missile (MRSAM) defense system and a $400 million contract for a long-range surface-to-air missile (LRSAM) system. Both systems are variations of the advanced Barak 8 missile defense system, which was designed to defend against any type of airborne threat, including aircraft, helicopters, anti-ship missiles and drones.

The Israeli-Indian deal includes an advanced phased-array radar, command and control technology, mobile launchers, communications systems and missiles.

The MRSAM was developed jointly by IAI, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and the Indian military’s Defense Research and Development Organization. The LRSAM, which is the naval version of Barak 8, will be installed on India’s first aircraft carrier.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office called the $2 billion deal “another expression of Israel and India’s expanding” relations, noting that Netanyahu “plans to pursue these ties further in the fields of water, agriculture, energy and more during Indian Prime Minister [Narendra] Modi’s visit” to Israel in July.