On Friday, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced the successful flight-test of the New Generation AKASH (AKASH-NG) missile conducted by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The test, executed at 1030 hrs on January 12, 2024, demonstrated the interception and destruction of a high-speed unmanned aerial target at very low altitude. This verified the functionality of the entire weapon system, including the missile equipped with an indigenously developed Radio Frequency Seeker, Launcher, Multi-Function Radar, and Command, Control, and Communication system.
The Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur off the coast of Odisha served as the location for the flight test. The ministry emphasized that the system’s performance was further validated through data collected by numerous Radars, Telemetry, and Electro Optical Tracking Systems deployed by ITR, Chandipur.
High-ranking personnel from DRDO, Indian Air Force (IAF), Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) observed the successful flight trial. The AKASH-NG system, recognized as a state-of-the-art missile system capable of intercepting high-speed, agile aerial threats, has now cleared the path for User trials, marking a significant milestone in its development.
