A Global First As India's Akash Missile Engages 4 Targets At Once At 25km Range

India demonstrated the capability of the Akash missile system to engage four aerial targets simultaneously at a range of 25 kilometres.

New Delhi: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) said on Sunday that India demonstrated the capability of the Akash missile system to engage four aerial targets simultaneously at a range of 25 kilometres. The DRDO stated that India is the first country to have such a capability. The firing was done from the system inducted in the Indian Air Force in 2019, it said.

"India became first country to demonstrate the capability of engagement of 04 aerial targets simultaneously at 25Km ranges by command guidance using single firing unit. The test was conducted by @IAF_MCC using Akash Weapon System," the DRDO said in a post on 'X'.

"Akash Weapon System is designed & developed by DRDO and produced by BEL/BDL along with other industries. Current firing was done from the system inducted in Indian Air Force in 2019," DRDO said in a another post.

The capability of the home-grown missile system was displayed at the 'Astrashakti' military exercise on December 12, as reported by news agency PTI. The exercise was held by the Indian Air Force.

The Akash is a short-range surface to air missile. It is primarily used for protecting vulnerable areas and points from air attacks. The missile has a range of up to 25 km The missile system is one of the key platforms that India is exporting to friendly foreign countries.

The other key platforms that India has been exporting are Dornier-228 aircraft, 155 mm Advanced Towed Artillery Guns (ATAGs), Brahmos missiles, mine protected vehicles, armoured vehicles, ammunition, thermal imagers and various components of avionics and small arms, as reported by PTI.