The Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully test-fired the Akash Missiles at a test firing range in Andhra Pradesh  to practise different engagement scenarios during conflicts to shoot down enemy planes.

Nearly 10 test trials was also been conducted in the past week by the IAF which were proved to be successful.

It has been recently upgraded with a seeker to neutralise targets with less effort than before, with the upgraded version capable of engaging with targets at very high altitude locations too.

Manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), designed and developed by the DRDO, the missile has the capability to engage aerial threats up to the maximum range of 25 km and up to an altitude of 18 km, operating at a speed range of 1.8 to 2.5 Mach.

The Akash Weapon System has given a boost to the all-round capability enhancement and operational effectiveness of the Armed Forces to meet all the contemporary and emerging challenges of negating the enemy’s air threat.

The Akash Weapon System consisting of Akash Missile along with a complement of Ground Support Equipment is capable of tracking 64 targets in the background and launches 8 missiles against 4 targets simultaneously.

The system is fully automatic with quick response time from target detection to kill. The Open system architecture ensures adaptability to existing and futuristic Air Defence environments.

It has high immunity against active and passive jamming and has in- built safety features with IFF. The system has a secured mode of communication between combat elements and is self-sufficient in electrical power with in-built power sources.

The missile, which is used against aerial targets such as helicopters, fighter aircrafts, UAVs , has been recently upgraded with a seeker which will facilitate neutralizing targets with less effort than before.

The upgraded version will be capable of engaging with targets at very high altitude locations too.

BDL, along with DRDO is geared up for delivery of Akash Prime to Indian Army with Seeker and high altitude capability. This capability to meet the user requirements has been achieved in a short span of time with the design support of DRDO.

India’s thrust towards achieving self-reliance in critical technologies in Defence gave birth to the nation’s ambitious Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP) during the late 80s, in which BDL was nominated as the ‘Prime Production Agency’.

BDL has supplied the missile to Indian Army and Indian Air Force and is expecting further orders from the services. The Company which is also exploring to offer Akash for export to foreign countries, has already received export leads from some countries expressing interest in procuring the Missile.

Akash is one of the most successful, indigenously made missiles inducted into the Indian Army and Air Force.

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