Page 29 - ADT MAY / JULY 2024 Digital Magazine | GBP

UPGRADED AIR DEFENCE

India is turning towards indigenous alternatives

to meet its air defence needs

By ATUL CHANDRA
B ecause of the large land System (VSHORADS). commencement of user

mass and the need to
trials of the Akash-NG (New
defend its borders against
two hostile neighbours, the Indian Akash SAM Generation) SAM whose
maiden test launch took
The Akash SAM system was
armed forces have some of the developed by the Indian Defence place in January 2021.
largest requirements anywhere in Research & Development A succesful test fire of the
the world for Air Defence (AD) sys- Organisation (DRDO) and was Akash-NG in January, this year
tems.The indigenously developed formally inducted into the army paved the way for user trials
Akash (Sky) Surface to Air Missile and air force in 2014 and 2015 with the IAF. The flight-test was
(SAM) system has emerged as a respectively. The Akash SAM conducted against a high-speed
success story with large orders from system has a range of 25 km and unmanned aerial target at very
both the Indian Army and Indian Air currently features indigenisation low altitude. During the flight-test,
Force (IAF). levels of 82%, which are planned to the target was successfully inter-
increase by 93% by 2026-27. The cepted by the weapon system and
India has also opted for joint-de- Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) destroyed. The test validated the
velopment of SAM systems with had cleared the export of the Akash functioning of the complete weapon
Israel which are also now in service. SAM system to friendly nations in system consisting of the missile
There also now appears to be a December 2020. with indigenously developed Radio
preference to opt for an indigenous Frequency Seeker, Launcher, Multi-
solution to meet the requirements At present all efforts are Function Radar and Command,
for a Very Short Range Air Defence focussed towards the Control & Communication system.
ASIAN DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY MAY - JULY 2024 | 29