New Delhi: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully completed User Evaluation trials of the Next Generation Akash (Akash-NG) missile system, paving the way for its induction into the Indian Armed Forces.
“The system demonstrated high precision against diverse aerial threats, including high-speed, low-altitude and long-range high-altitude targets,” the defence ministry said in a post on X.
Equipped with an indigenous RF seeker, dual-pulse solid rocket motor, and fully homegrown radars and C2 systems, Akash-NG marks a major boost to India’s air defence capability.
On January 12, 2024, the DRDO had conducted its successful flight-test from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.
The flight-test was conducted against a high-speed unmanned aerial target at very low altitude.
The Akash-NG system is a state-of-the-art missile system capable of intercepting high speed, agile aerial threats, boasts an impressive range of nearly 60 kilometres and a speed of Mach 2.5 (which is 2.5 times the speed of sound).
Once inducted, it is expected to significantly enhance the air-defence capabilities of the Indian Air Force.
The Akash-NG missile system operates within an elevation range of 20–70 degrees and a complete 360-degree angle. It is designed to reload two canister missile stacks within a swift 10-minute timeframe.
The reaction time from target acquisition to launch is an impressive 10 seconds for a single missile, with a firing rate of 20 seconds for a three-missile system.
The deployment period is less than 20 minutes, transitioning from transportation mode to a ready-to-fire state.
