India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted the first test launch of the indigenously developed Akash-NG (New Generation) surface-to-air missile (SAM).
The new weapon, which is meant for use by the Indian Air Force (IAF) to engage “high-manoeuvring, low RCS [radar cross-section] aerial threats”, was fired from a launch vehicle at the Integrated Test Range off the coast of Odisha in eastern India, according to a 25 January statement by the Indian government’s Press Information Bureau (PIB).
India’s DRDO successfully test-launched the Akash NG missile for the first time on 25 January. (Via PIB)
“The missile intercepted the target with textbook precision. The launch met all the test objectives by performing high manoeuvres during the trajectory. The performance of the command-and-control system, onboard avionics, and aerodynamic configuration of the missile were successfully validated during the trial,” said the PIB, adding that the multi-function active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar was tested “for its capability of integration with the system”.
The PIB noted that the Akash-NG system had been developed “with better deployability compared to other similar systems, a canisterised launcher, and a much smaller ground system footprint”.
Official sources told Janes that while previous Akash variants have a strike range of 25–30 km, the Akash-NG, which features a new propulsion system, has a range of 50–60 km. In its second stage the SAM employs a dual-pulse solid-fuel rocket motor that is lighter than the air-breathing ramjet engine used in earlier variants.
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