The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Friday successfully conducted a flight test of the New Generation AKASH (AKASH-NG) from the Chandipur Integrated Test Range, off the coast of Odisha, reported Indian media.
The test was conducted against a high-speed unmanned aerial target at a very low altitude, and the weapon system successfully intercepted the target.
“The flight test has validated the functioning of the complete weapon system consisting of Missile with indigenous developed RF Seeker, Launcher, Multi-Function Radar and Command, Control & Communication system. The system performance was also validated through the data captured by a number of Radars, Telemetry, and Electro-Optical Tracking Systems,” reported Indian news agencies.
Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the DRDO, Indian Air Force, and industry on the successful flight test of Akash-NG.
“The successful development of the system will further enhance the air defence capabilities of the country,” said the defence minister. The Akash Weapon System has been deployed by the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Army in the last decade. The weapon system is developed by the DRDO and produced by defence public sector units along with other industries.
The Akash missile system comprises a launcher, a set of missiles, a control centre, a built-in mission guidance system, and C4I (command, control communication, and intelligence) centres. It also supports ground equipment along with a radar named Rajendra, which accompanies each of the missile batteries.