We are firmly backing DRDO’s Akash Mark-II: IAF Offical

[samlove]

With Government of India asking Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to engage with the French firm MBDA missile systems for the development of short-range surface-to-air missile system (SRAM),Senior serving Indian Air force officials told idrw.org that they are firmly backing DRDO’s Akash Mark-II project, on contrast to governments decision.

Indo-French $6 billion surface-to-air missile systems project has been in doldrums for last Five years. Project was initiated in 2007 and a MoU to co-develop the surface-to-air missile (SRSAM) was signed nearly two years ago but Army has refused to officially comment on the program, While Indian Air-force have officially remarked that it is unwanted Project and is firmly backing DRDO’s Akash Mark-II and Indo-Israeli Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) Project instead .

Sources close to idrw.org in past have pointed out that Akash Mark-II equipped with seekers will not require any ground-control interference and will have Aerodynamic improvements which will improve current range of 25kms found in Akash Mark-I to 35-37kms in its Mark-II avatar, which is too close to 40km Interception range of SRAM missile system which France wants to develop with India,which IAF feels is duplication of work and Inventory.

Akash Mark-II (35km) will bridge the gap between Akash Mark-I (25km) and MRSAM (70km) till planned long-range Surface to air theater defensive system (200km) currently under development by DRDO is ready by turn of this decade . Akash Mark-II Program has 3 years deadline and IAF might have requirements for 8 more Akash squadrons ( Mark-II ) said IAF official

 

[SURYA-1]

IAF seems pretty confident about Akash. That's welcome change. Instead of engaging France who are arm-twisting India on Rafale better focus on development of upgraded medium range SAM with Israel.

 

[Chanakyaa]

No only IAF, Army too has huge orders for Akash.

 

[Skull and Bones]

If they can come up with VLS version of Akash, that could be a game changer.

 

[rockstarIN]

Also I heard there is a break through in Baarak 8 and the latest version will have 150 km range?

 

[Chanakya's_Chant]

Akash Mark II will feature -

>> DRDO's Dual Pulse Rocket Motor - Astra BVRAAM and LR-SAM also use the same. A pulsed rocket motor has multiple propellant segments, with a barrier that stops ignition separating any two segments. When one segment burns out the missile coasts till another segment is ignited. During end game, a freshly ignited rocket motor segment would make Akash Mk-2 much more lethal than the ramjet of Akash Ml-I.

>> DRDO's Research Center Imarat (RCI) is known to be working on a X-band active seeker capable of engaging sea skimming anti-ship missile. (Sea skimming anti-shipping missiles are difficult to intercept because missile seekers find it hard to discriminate sea skimmers from the clutter generated by reflections from sea waves.)

A missile with an active seeker uses command guidance for the initial phase of interception and then switches to a miniaturized radar fitted in its nose cone for terminal phase (end game) interception. (The current Akash missile uses command guidance for the entire interception phase which limits its effective range.)

An active seeker makes a missile more accurate and less susceptible to countermeasures. It also gives the missile system some fire and forget capability, freeing it to engage other threats following terminal lock-on by the last launched missile.

>> VL based launchers - Vertically launched surface-to-air missile must quickly flip over in the direction of the threat and then be command guided towards the target over a data link.

Seeker and Vertical Launch are risk areas and that's where MBDA-DRDO Maitri SAM will come in handy - MBDA believes that the risks involved in a project to develop a missile from scratch, as DRDO intends to do with Akash 2, are substantial with long and uncertain development time. India would be much better off getting the technology from MBDA so that timelines are not stretched to an extent where the usefulness of the product comes under a cloud.

Also I heard there is a break through in Baarak 8 and the latest version will have 150 km range?

It's called Barak-8ER (extended range variant) with the addition of a large diameter solid-propellant jettisonable booster to the existing dual-pulse rocket motor. It is to be equipped with a thrust vector control (TVC) system. The booster's addition to the ER variant effectively doubles the down-range capability of the Barak-8 interceptor to 150km.

The only problem being - it won't be DRDO-IAI JV any more - IAI will develop it independently.

IAI en route to extended range Barak-8ER - IHS Jane's 360

 

[rockstarIN]

It's called Barak-8ER (extended range variant) with the addition of a large diameter solid-propellant jettisonable booster to the existing dual-pulse rocket motor. It is to be equipped with a thrust vector control (TVC) system. The booster's addition to the ER variant effectively doubles the down-range capability of the Barak-8 interceptor to 150km.

The only problem being - it won't be DRDO-IAI JV any more - IAI will develop it independently.

IAI en route to extended range Barak-8ER - IHS Jane's 360

The duel-pulse motor is from our side, so it will be known as a JV (Just like Brahmos, we are upgrading it immense but it is still a JV.)