Thailand to acquire Israel’s IAI Barak MX Air Defense System

Defence affairs ~ By Seth J. Frantzman

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.