India today successfully test fired indigenously developed surface-to-air ‘Akash’ missile of Air Force version from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Balasore district off Odisha coast.
This is the fifth successful trial of the anti-aircraft system in the last fortnight. Akash missile, with a strike range of 25 km and capable of carrying warhead of 60 kg, was test fired from a mobile launcher at launch complex-III of the ITR at 7.57 this morning.
The successful test-firing of surface-to-air Akash missile has added one more feather to the Indian missile mission. Defence forces conducted the trial test-firing of Akash with logistic support from ITR to re-validate the technology and operational efficacy of the missile.
During the trial, the sophisticated missile was aimed at intercepting floating object supported by a pilotless target aircraft at a definite altitude over the sea.
Akash, an anti-aircraft defence system, can simultaneously engage several targets with ‘Rajendra’ radar developed by the Electronics and Radar Development Establishment, a DRDO laboratory in Bangalore. ‘Rajendra’ does the surveillance, tracks the target, acquires it and guides the missile towards it.
The development of Akash missile took place during 1990s under the country’s Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) and after many trials, it was inducted into the armed forces.
The Akash weapon system, which has its Army version too, was inducted into the armed forces in 2008.
The DRDO has developed both the Air Force and Army versions of the Akash missile. Rajendra is a ‘passive phased array radar’.
It is a multifunction radar, capable of tracking as many as 64 targets and controlling up to 12 missiles simultaneously.
Defence experts have often compared Akash missile system with the American MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile system.
They say that Akash missile, like MIM-104, is capable of neutralising aerial targets such as unmanned aerial vehicles, fighter jets, cruise missiles and air-to-surface missiles.
