Slovakia Signs $550M Deal for Israel’s Barak MX Air Defense System

Israel has signed a deal valued at over two billion shekels ($550 million) to supply Slovakia with the Barak MX Integrated Air Defense System, according to a statement released by the Israeli Defense Ministry.

The Barak MX system, manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), is designed to address a wide range of aerial threats, including ballistic missiles, drones, and cruise missiles. Slovakia’s Ministry of Defense had earlier approved the purchase of six mobile air defense units, with the deal finalized on Monday.

The Barak MX system includes three interceptors with operational ranges of 35, 70, and 150 kilometers. Each interceptor is equipped with an active radar seeker, dual-pulse engine, and a warhead.

The platform is intended to neutralize threats from fighter jets, helicopters, UAVs, surface-to-air missiles, cruise missiles, and some categories of tactical ballistic missiles. While similar to the Iron Dome, which targets shorter-range rockets, the Barak MX offers broader capabilities against diverse aerial threats.

However, questions remain about its capacity to intercept high-velocity ballistic missiles effectively. The Iron Dome, another Israeli missile defense system, has limited utility against such threats, with Israel typically deploying its Arrow 2 and Arrow 3 systems for ballistic missile interception.

The deal was facilitated by SIBAT, the International Defense Cooperation Directorate of the Israel Ministry of Defense.