Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) announced it has signed a deal with a leading Indian defence contractor to advance the joint development of a shipdefence system.

“A memorandum of understanding was signed on December 5 between IAI and the Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) concerning their cooperation on future long-range surface-to-air missile (LRSAM) ship defence system projects,” IAI said.

The Barak 8 surface-to-air missile (SAM), referred to by the Indians as the LRSAM, is designed to defend against aircraft, anti-ship missiles and drones, and is being developed for both the Indian and the Israeli militaries.

The Israelis already employ an older version of the system. Its new generation is slated to feature an extended range of 70 km, as well as an upgraded interceptor missile and radar. In its naval variant, the interceptor can take out an incoming enemy missile as close as 500 metres away from a ship.

The joint development was officially launched with a $330-million deal signed in January 2007 in a tripartite venture between IAI, the Indian Navy and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which developed the dual-pulse rocket motor for the SAM and is heavily involved in the development of the system’s other critical components.

In November 2009, the Indian Government awarded IAI a $1.4-billion contract, the single largest in the company’s history, for the supply of an assortment of weapons systems, including the Barak 8, according to the Indian media reports.

Under the terms of the offset deal, IAI and its subsidiaries have agreed to transfer technologies and manufacturing capabilities to enable India to manufacture and support the LRSAM systems locally.

IAI President and CEO Joseph Weiss expressed hope that the partnership with BEL “will expand to other areas of mutual interest,” according to the statement.