Two Akash missiles test-fired, one fails

 The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian armed forces jointly test fired on Monday two surface-to-air Akash missiles from the Interim Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Odisha’s Balasore district.

While the first test was a failure, the second one was a success. With the Monday’s twin tests, the nuclear capable short range anti-aircraft missile has been test fired from the Odisha facility four times in the last five days. The tests conducted on May 24 and 26 were successful.

On Monday’s double missile tests, sources said an Akash was test fired from a mobile launcher parked on launch pad number three of the DRDO run premier missile testing centre at about 10:47 am.

It failed to hit its target — a pilot less microlite Lakshya aircraft-  earlier launched from the launch pad number two.

Subsequently, the second missile was test fired at around 10:55 am.
This time the slick 5.7 metre-long missile successfully hit the target over Bay of Bengal.
Akash, weighing about 60 kg, has a strike range of 25 to 30 kms. It has the capability to carry both nuclear as well as conventional warheads of up to 720 kg. The missile, often compared to patriot missile of the USA, has already been inducted into Indian armed forces.

All the four tests conducted during the last five days were routine user trials. If DRDO sources are to be believed, another test of the Akash is on the cards in the next few days.