The Hindu : Front Page : Nine-day Akash missile campaign ends

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Saturday, Dec 22, 2007
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Nine-day Akash missile campaign ends

T.S. Subramanian

— Photo: Special Arrangement

Akash being launched from Chandipur-on-sea in Orissa on Friday.

HYDERABAD: A nine-day campaign, involving the surface-to-air Akash missile, radars, mobile launchers and support systems, concluded on Friday at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur-on-sea, near Balasore, Orissa, with the firing of a missile.

According to Prahlada, Chief Controller, R&D, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), an Akash missile was fired from a mobile launcher on Friday at 2.15 p.m. to destroy an unmanned aircraft.

“This was to demonstrate the comprehensive and complete capability of the Akash system to accurately guide the missile and destroy a target,” he said. A single missile was used to destroy a single target, which was flying more than 20 km away.

Single target

On Wednesday, two missiles were fired at a single target, which was a body towed by a pilot-less aircraft.

Ever since the campaign began on December 13, a total of six missiles were fired on different days from the ITR with the full Akash system working in tandem.

R. R. Panyam has been the Project Director of all the six Akash flights.

Mr. Prahlada said the successful campaign “should set aside any apprehension or doubt in the minds of the users — the Army and the Air Force — on the readiness and effectiveness of the Akash missile system.”

The campaign was “a fantastic success and it has international significance in both technology and operation,” he added.

The six flights took place in the presence of IAF personnel.

A great show

Another DRDO official described the trial as “a great show.” He said the trajectories of all the six missiles were monitored, using electro-optical tracking system.

Akash can destroy aircraft flying 25 km away. It is 5.78 metres long and weighs more than 700 kg. It is fired by solid propellants.

It can destroy multiple targets. It can be fired from trucks and tracked vehicles.

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