India test-fires new-generation Akash missile

India’s state-run Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has test-fired the new-generation Akash (Akash-NG) surface-to-air missile (SAM) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur off India’s northeastern coast of Odisha, the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in a press release in mid-January.

According to the MoD, the flight test was conducted against a “high-speed unmanned aerial target at very low altitude … and the target was successfully intercepted by the weapon system”.

The test has validated the functioning of the complete weapon system consisting of the missile with indigenously developed radio frequency (RF) seeker; launcher; multifunction radar; and command, control, and communication system, the MoD said.

System performance was validated through data captured by a number of radars, telemetry, and electro-optical tracking systems deployed at the ITR, according to the MoD.

“The successful flight test has paved the way for user trials,” the MoD added.