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India’s home grown Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) has received yet another boost with the Indian Air Force (IAF) placing an order of two squadrons of the Akash missile from state-owned Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL). This order for the medium range surface-to-air Akash missile will be to the tune of $240 million.
The Akash missile is developed by the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) as part of the IGMDP and the current order is a first in terms of an order for indigenous missile system from the armed forces. BEL has tied up with private majors Larsen & Toubro, Tata Power, Walchand Industries and state-owned Electronic Corporation of India (ECIL) for the production of the missile which will be delivered in three years.
DRDL will overlook the weapon system integration and provide support throughout the 20-year lifecycle of the missile. DRDL will also provide transfer of technology documents.
The IAF had been skeptical of acquiring the Akash missile system since it did not match up to its expectations. For instance, the IAF wanted a smaller, lighter missile with a seeker. The IAF also needed more manoeuvrability and greater range from the missile system. However, the IAF has been assured that the missile system will be improved with every batch and will align with the operating requirements of the IAF.
The Akash missile system is 5.78-metre long and weighs 700-kg. It can destroy targets as far away as 25 km and has a supersonic speed of 600 metres a second.
The Akash missile system is equipped with radars, mobile launchers, control centres, battlefield management software and other support systems. The IAF will primarily use the system for attacks from unmanned combat aerial vehicles, aircraft and missiles.
Akash is the same class as the U.S. ‘Patriot’, Israel’s ‘Barak’ and the U.K.’s ‘SAM’ missile systems. Akash missile has an 85 per cent kill probability and can be fired from both trucks and tracked vehicles. It uses an integral ‘Ramjet’ rocket propulsion system and has a low reaction time.
India had last conducted trials and test firing of the surface-to-air nuclear-capable Akash missile programme in December 2007. The multi-target missile with a strike range of 25 kilometeres and capable of carrying a nuclear warhead of 50 kilograms was test fired from a mobile launcher. The missile targeted a flying object using Pilotless Target Aircraft (PTA) “Lakshya” as support system.
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