Odisha: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted the successful flight test of the New Generation AKASH (AKASH-NG) missile today. Conducted at 10:30 AM from the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha, the test targeted a high-speed unmanned aerial target flying at very low altitude.
The Ministry of Defence reported that the weapon system intercepted and destroyed the target during the flight test. The system’s performance was validated through data collected by a range of radars, telemetry, and electro-optical tracking systems deployed by the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur.
Senior officials from DRDO, the Indian Air Force (IAF), Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) witnessed the successful flight test. The AKASH-NG system, known for its capability to intercept high-speed, agile aerial threats, has now paved the way for user trials.
The Akash missile, developed by DRDO, has been in service for over a decade. Multiple advanced versions are under development by the Akash Team. Notably, countries in the Middle East have expressed interest in the Akash weapon system’s capabilities, as evident in recent successful capability demonstrations during trials.
Indigenously designed and developed by DRDO and produced by defence public sector units and other industries, the Akash Weapon System has been deployed by the Indian Air Force and the Indian Army for the past decade. The current firing was done by the system, which was ordered in September 2019 as a repeat order from the IAF. The Akash weapon system has also secured orders from international customers, and ongoing upgrades by DRDO scientists may lead to additional orders from Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
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