Surface-to-air Akash missile testfired from Chandipur - The Economic Times
BALASORE: India today successfully testfired indigenously-developed surface-to-air Akash missile with a strike range of 25 km and capability to carry
warhead of 60 kgs from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur as part of a user-trial.
Describing the launch as successful, Defence sources said that the sophisticated
missile was testfired at about 10.58 hours from launch complex-3 of the Interim
Test Range.
"The mission was successful. The trial was conducted by Indian Air Force personnel," ITR Director M V K V Prasad said.
Akash, which aimed at a para-barrel target during the trial, is a medium range
surface-to-air anti-aircraft defence system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation
(DRDO) as part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.
The missile has the capability to target aircraft up to 30 km away and is packed
with a battery that can track and attack and attack several targets simultaneously, the sources said.
With the capability to neutralise aerial targets like fighter jets, cruise missiles and
air-to-surface missiles, Defence experts compared Akash to the American MIM-104
Patriot surface-to-air missile system.
While the Air-force version of Akash has already been inducted into the armed forces, the Army version is in the final stage of
induction, the sources said.
BALASORE: India today successfully testfired indigenously-developed surface-to-air Akash missile with a strike range of 25 km and capability to carry
warhead of 60 kgs from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur as part of a user-trial.
Describing the launch as successful, Defence sources said that the sophisticated
missile was testfired at about 10.58 hours from launch complex-3 of the Interim
Test Range.
"The mission was successful. The trial was conducted by Indian Air Force personnel," ITR Director M V K V Prasad said.
Akash, which aimed at a para-barrel target during the trial, is a medium range
surface-to-air anti-aircraft defence system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation
(DRDO) as part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.
The missile has the capability to target aircraft up to 30 km away and is packed
with a battery that can track and attack and attack several targets simultaneously, the sources said.
With the capability to neutralise aerial targets like fighter jets, cruise missiles and
air-to-surface missiles, Defence experts compared Akash to the American MIM-104
Patriot surface-to-air missile system.
While the Air-force version of Akash has already been inducted into the armed forces, the Army version is in the final stage of
induction, the sources said.