India tests new surface-to-air, anti-tank missiles for Army, Air Force amid stand-off with China

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on Wednesday successfully flight-tested the Akash-NG, the new generation surface-to-air missile, which would give a boost to air defence capability of the Indian Air Force.

The DRDO also successfully flight-tested indigenously developed “low weight, fire and forget” Man Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM) on Wednesday. The missile, which was developed for use by the Indian Army was launched from a man portable launcher integrated with thermal sight and the target was mimicking a tank. The missile hit the target in direct attack mode and destroyed it with precision. The test has validated the minimum range successfully an all the mission objectives were met. The missile has already been successfully flight tested for the maximum range, according to a press-release issued by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The two weapon systems developed for the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force were tested as a display of India’s military might even as its soldiers continued to be engaged in an eyeball-to-eyeball stand-off with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army along the disputed boundary between the two neighbouring nations in eastern Ladakh.

The Akash-NG missiles were flight-tested from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) off the coast of Odisha. The flight trial was conducted from a land-based platform with all weapon system elements such as multifunction radar, command, control and communication system and launcher participating in deployment configuration.

In order to capture flight data, the ITR deployed a number of range stations like, Electro-Optical Tracking System, Radar and Telemetry. The flawless performance of the entire weapon system has been confirmed by complete flight data captured by these systems.

“During the test, the missile demonstrated high manoeuvrability required for neutralising fast and agile aerial threats,” the MoD stated in New Delhi.

The missile system was developed by the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) in Hyderabad in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories.

The Akash-NG weapon system was developed for use by the Indian Air Force to intercept high maneuvering low Radar Cross-Section (RCS) aerial threats.

It was first launched a day before the Republic Day this year.

Once deployed, the Akash-NG missiles will prove to be a force multiplier for the air defence capability of the IAF, the MoD stated.

The officials of the production agencies of the Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) of Bengaluru and Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) of Hyderabad also participated in the trials on Wednesday.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the DRDO for the successful tests of both the Akash-NG surface to air missile as well as the MPATGM.