BALASORE: Two more rounds of medium range nuclear capable surface-toair missile, Akash, were successfully test-fired from a defence test facility off the Odisha coast on Wednesday.
The missile was tested against two unmanned aerial vehicles demonstrating its killing efficiency. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully test-fired weapon system consecutively.
Sources said in last three days altogether six rounds of the missiles were fired from the launching complex-III of Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur-on-sea. The missiles successfully destroyed the targets coordinated by the user.
The missiles were fired against Pilotless Target Aircraft (PTA) Lakshya, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Banshee and Para-barrel, two times each.
Terming the missions ‘fantastic’, Project Director of Akash G Chandramouli said, ‘killing’ would sound more robust than ‘hitting’ the targets.
“All the missiles actually killed the targets coordinated by the user and all the tests were done by the army jawans. The weapon system successfully demonstrated its killing efficiency in different conditions,” he said. Speaking to ‘The Express’, he said for the first time in the history of missile programme, “There were different missions in different altitudes and different ranges. Starting from approaching, receding and crossing at small range, high range, lower altitude and high altitude, the missile had a wonderful demonstration.”
A source from Hyderabad, however, informed that the British-made UAV Bansheereportedly outperformed the indigenous PTA Lakshya while providing battle field support to check technical parameters during the user trials.