India has become the first to demonstrate the capability of engaging four
targets simultaneously at such ranges by command guidance using a single
firing unit
Looking to export its indigenous weapon systems, India has strongly
demonstrated the firepower of its Akash surface-to-air (SAM) weapon system,
where a single firing unit simultaneously engaged and destroyed four unmanned
targets during the recent Exercise Astrashakti 2023.
With this demonstration during the Air Force Exercise Astrashakti-2023, India
has become the first to demonstrate the capability of engaging four targets
simultaneously at such ranges by command guidance using a single firing unit,
defence officials told ANI.
“India demonstrated the firepower of the indigenous Akash missile system,
where four targets (unmanned aerial targets) were engaged simultaneously by a
single Akash firing unit. The demonstration was conducted by the IAF during
Astrashakti 2023 at Suryalanka Air Force Station on December 12,” they said.
Explaining the trials, the officials said that during the exercise, four
targets were coming from same direction in a close formation and were split to
attack their own defence assets from multiple directions simultaneously.
“The Akash firing unit was deployed with Firing Level Radar (FLR), Firing
Control Centre (FCC), and two Akash Air Force Launcher (AAFL) launchers having
five armed missiles,” they said.
The FLR was detected and tracked and the air scenario with four targets was
updated to a higher echelon.
The targets were assigned to the Akash Firing Unit to neutralise the threat
and the commander issued the firing commands when the system prompted the
engagement as per system capability.
“Two Akash missiles were launched from two launchers and the same launcher was
assigned for next two targets. A total of four missiles were launched within a
short span and all four targets were successfully engaged at maximum range
(around 30 km) simultaneously,” they said.
The Akash Weapon System is indigenously designed and developed by the Defence
Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and produced by defence public
sector units along with other industries.
Akash has been deployed by the Indian Air Force and the Indian Army for the
last decade. The current firing was done from the system, which was ordered in
September 2019 as a repeat order from the IAF.
The Akash weapon system is also one of the indigenous defence systems that
have bagged orders from international customers. It is also being constantly
upgraded by the DRDO scientists involved in it and they may get more orders
from Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
Recently, DRDO chief Dr Samir V Kamat inaugurated a replica of the missile at
the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Mumbai to attract talented youth
towards defence research and development.