About Akash Missile System:
- It is a short-range surface-to-air missile (SAM) system.
- It is designed to protect vulnerable areas, points, and assets from a range of aerial threats, including fighter aircraft, cruise missiles, drones, and helicopters.
- It was indigenously designed and developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and is produced by Hyderabad-based Bharat Dynamics Ltd. (BDL).
- It is currently in service with the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Army.
- Features:
- The system features a launcher, a missile, a control centre, an integral mission guidance system, a multifunctional fire control radar, a system arming and explosion mechanism, a digital autopilot, C4I (command, control, communication, and intelligence) centres and supporting ground equipment.
- It can simultaneously engage multiple targets in Group Mode or Autonomous Mode.
- The missile is 5.87 meters long, 350 millimeters in diameter, and weighs 710 kilograms.
- It features a solid-fuel, ramjet propulsion system, capable of reaching speeds of Mach 2.5 to 3.5 (up to 4,200 km/h).
- It covers a range of 4.5 km to 25 km and can engage aerial threats flying between 100 meters and 20 kilometers in altitude.
- It is a fully mobile system, effective at engaging multiple targets simultaneously with a kill probability of up to 99% with a salvo of two missiles.
- Its sophisticated Rajendra radar can track numerous targets and guide multiple missiles concurrently.
- It is fully automatic, features built-in electronic countermeasures, and is mobile across different terrains.
