..:: India Strategic ::. Missile: IAF formally inducts indigenous Akash Air Defence missile

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Editorial

IAF formally inducts indigenous Akash Air Defence missile

Published: July 2015

Gwalior. Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar formally handed over indigenously designed, developed and produced Akash Air Defence missile system to the Indian Air Force (IAF) in a glittering ceremony at Air Force Station Gwalior July 10.

The induction ceremony was held in presence of senior officials from IAF and Secretary Defence (R&D) Dr S Christopher, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) SK Sharma and first Project Director of Akash missile system Dr Prahlada among others.

It is to be noted here that Akash is the first made in India missile system and is a hallmark of sustained focused jointmanship between DRDO, BEL, private sector and more importantly the IAF.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Parrikar lauded the efforts of the DRDO, BEL, public and private industries, inspection agencies and the end user who all worked together to resolve a number of challenges that arose during the production of the Akash missile system. The Defence Minister added that the benefits of the Make in India programme such as employment generation, financial growth, self sufficiency and better defence preparedness were there for all to see.

Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, who formally received the ‘key’ of the Akash system from Mr Parrikar, said that a total of 27 missiles had been fired after inking of the contract to ascertain the serviceability of the system in various conditions and a high success rate had been achieved. He also said that plans were afoot in the IAF for procurement of additional Akash systems.

Akash is a potent supersonic mobile multi-directional, multi-target point/area Air Defence system that can simultaneously engage multiple air targets using sophisticated multi-function phased array radars. The advanced ECCM (Electronic Counter-CounterMeasures) features provide secure communication links with other Air Defence Command and Control networks to handle the counter electronic warfare scenario.

Indigenous development of Akash system has given impetus to the defence industrial base of the country and generated business of more than Rs 20,000 crore. Akash is the outcome of successful partnership between DRDL, the nodal lab in DRDO, along with 13 other DRDO labs, 19 Public Sector Units (PSUs), five Ordnance Factories (OFs), three National Laboratories, six academic institutions and more than 265 private industries across the country.

Earlier, on his arrival at Air Force Station Gwalior, Mr Parrikar was received by Air Chief Raha. He then inspected the ceremonial Guard of Honour against the backdrop of two Sukhoi 30 MKI, one MiG-21 and one Mirage 2000 aircraft. Thereafter he witnessed the live demonstration of the missile system wherein ‘live’ tracking of fighter aircraft was carried out by switching on the radars.

The handing over ceremony was marked by a spectacular display of a drill by the operating crew of Akash Pioneers, the first unit in the IAF to induct this system.