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Source: The post is based on the article “DRDO successfully tests next-gen Akash missile“ published in “Business Standard” on 13th January 2024.
Why in news?
DRDO has successfully tested the next-gen Akash missile.
What is the next-gen Akash missile?
| Aspect | Details |
| Missile | New Generation Akash (Akash-NG) missile |
| Developed by | Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) |
| About test | It was tested at Integrated test range (ITR), Chandipur, off the Odisha coast. The flight test was conducted against a high-speed, unmanned aerial target at a very low altitude. |
| Features | The Akash surface-to-air missile (SAM) is one of the early successes of the DRDO’s Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP). It has been developed with indigenisation levels above 96 per cent. The Akash-NG is a major improvement over the older Akash. The lighter Akash-NG flies up to an altitude of 25 km and has a range of 30 km. The Akash NG is a state-of-the-art missile system capable of intercepting high speed, agile aerial threats. The surveillance radar detects enemy fighters at ranges upto 80 km and initiates the launch sequence. The Akash-NG detects, tracks and shoots down enemy aircraft in seconds. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has bought five units of the Akash for defending its airfields in the Northeast from enemy fighter aircraft. |
| How is it different from Akash | It surpasses Akash by achieving a higher altitude ceiling of over 20 km, a notable improvement from Akash’s limit, along with an extended range beyond 25 km. It has two-pulse, solid rocket motor that replaces the old ramjet on the legacy Akash missile. Its weight has been halved to 350 kilogram (kg) from the Akash’s 700 kg. |
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