JERUSALEM — The Royal Thai Air Force will acquire Israel Aerospace Industries Barak MX air defense system, the company announced today.
“Under the contract, IAI will deliver advanced air defense capabilities, providing Thailand’s airspace with enhanced protection against Tactical Ballistic Missiles (TBM) and Air Breathing Targets (ABT), including UAVs, fighter aircraft and cruise missiles with up to 150 km [over 90 miles] of defense coverage,” the company said in a statement.
IAI President and CEO Boaz Levy called the deal a “significant milestone for IAI in East Asia, with Thailand being a key and influential country in the region.”
Although IAI did not provide the value of the deal, Asian Military Review, which covers the Asia-Pacific region, reported the value at THB3.44 billion ($108 million).
The Vietnamese regional daily Bao Nghe An added that the acquisition comes “amid growing security concerns in the region. Neighboring countries such as Cambodia and Myanmar deploy long-range strike weapons, including China’s PHL-03 missile system (range 130 km) and North Korea’s Hwasong ballistic missiles (range 300-700 km).” Thailand and Cambodia have seen tensions rise throughout 2025 over a disputed border area.
Barak MX has been acquired by a number of countries in recent years. Slovakia procured more than $650 million-worth of the system in 2024, and Azerbaijan invested more than a billion in the system in 2024. However, Denmark passed on acquiring the system in October.
IAI, which integrated Barak MX interceptors on its Sa’ar 6 corvettes in 2021, has been courting Asian customers. In 2023 the company spotlighted the system at IMDEX in Singapore.
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“The Barak MX air defense system will provide Thailand with its first-ever medium-range air defense capability, offering comprehensive protection against both ballistic and aerial threats,” Levy said. “The Barak MX was selected after successfully meeting and exceeding the stringent requirements of the Thai Air Force, offering advanced network-centric capabilities and interoperability with local command-and-control systems.”
IAI said the Barak MX system included a command and control unit along with Multi-Mission Radar and the launchers and interceptors. “A missile reloading vehicle and a logistic support vehicle” is also included with a battery.
“All components are mounted on high-mobility platforms, enabling rapid deployment and operational readiness within a short time. To provide the Royal Thai Air Force with comprehensive and local support, IAI has partnered with Thai Aviation Industries (TAI) for maintenance and additional tasks,” the company said.
IAI added in the statement that “the system’s net-centric configuration enables the customer to select the optimal engagement method based on the operational needs, thereby reducing costs and optimizing the ‘Economy of Battle.’”