Akash first test a success

BALASORE: The Indian Army on Thursday successfully conducted a user-specific trial of surface-to-air anti-aircraft missile Akash from a defence base off the Odisha coast. This was the first test of the missile after it went into production for use by the Army and the IAF.Defence sources said the indigenously developed missile in full operational configurations was launched at about 11.08 am from a specially made launch pad near the launching complex-III of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Balasore district. As per the requirement, a launch pad was prepared to give the IAF a real time situation. The missile was fired minutes later after a pilot-less target aircraft (PTA) which was used as a target was flown from the launching complex-II. A defence official said the mission boosted the air defence shield of the country as the missile successfully hit a toe body suspended from the PTA. “The test was to gauge the flight consistency and effectiveness of the missile.The mission was successful as the missile destroyed the toe body as per the coordination. It travelled around 7.3 km before hitting the target,” an official claimed. The flight of Akash was captured by electro-optical tracking systems. Five more tests will be conducted in the next few days. Akash is a medium-range surface-to-air missile and it can reach targets 25 km away. It is essentially an anti-aircraft weapon.