Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: The country on Thursday successfully test-fired indigenously developed surface-to-air Akash missile from a test range in Odisha.
Akash is a mobile, multiple-target handling and medium range air defence missile developed under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP).
The missile system is uniquely configured and customised both for Indian Army and Air Force. It has a strike range of 30 km and can be fired from both track and wheel platforms.
The missile system has been configured to be part of the futuristic network-centric operation, most of the operations having been made automated.
The missile, which has a launch weight of 720 kg, a length of 5.8 metres and a diameter of 35 cm, can carry a payload of 50 kg. It can fly at a speed of around 2.5 Mach and can reach an altitude of 18 km.
The missile is supported by multi-target and multi-function phased array fire control radar called ‘Rajendra’, capable of tracking 64 targets and guiding up to 12 missiles simultaneously.
The Akash system is comparable to the Patriot system of the USA. It can destroy manoeuvring targets such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), fighter aircraft, cruise missiles and missiles launched from helicopters.
With PTI Input
