India demonstrates unmatched ‘Astrashakti’ as ‘Akash’ unit neutralises four targets in one go

India became the first country in the world to demonstrate the ability to engage four targets at once with its single firing unit theAkash surface-to-air (SAM) weapon system, defence officials told news agency ANI.

"India demonstrated the firepower of the indigenous Akash missile system, where four targets (unmanned aerial targets) were engaged simultaneously by a single Akash firing unit. The demonstration was conducted by the IAF during Astrashakti 2023 at Suryalanka Air Force Station on December 12," they said.

How India's ‘Akash’ engaged four targets at once?

The officials told ANI that during the recently held Exercise Astrashakti 2023,four targets coming from same direction in a close formation were split to attack their own defence assets from multiple directions simultaneously.

Astrashakti literally means power of weapons.

"The Akash firing unit was deployed with Firing Level Radar (FLR), Firing Control Centre (FCC), and two Akash Air Force Launcher (AAFL) launchers having five armed missiles," they said, according to ANI.

The targets were assigned to the Akash Firing Unit to neutralise. The firing commands were issued and engagement with the fourtargets occurred as per system capability.

"Two Akash missiles were launched from two launchers and the same launcher was assigned for next two targets. A total of four missiles were launched within a short span and all four targets were successfully engaged at maximum range (around 30 km) simultaneously," they said.

What does it mean?

According to data by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India has been the world's largest arms importer since 1993.

In the recent years, New Delhi has made consistent efforts to turn the tide by pushing weapon exports of India-made weapons. In 2022, India clinched a deal with Philippines to export Brahmos supersonic cruise missile. New Delhi is in talks with over a dozen countries for export of Brahmossupersonic cruise missile.

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The successful demonstration of Akash missile system would add to India's weapon-export initiatives.

The Akash Weapon System is indigenously designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and produced by defence public sector units along with other industries.

Akash has been deployed by the Indian Air Force and the Indian Army for the last decade.

Recently, DRDO chief Dr Samir Kamat inaugurated a replica of the missile at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Mumbai to attract youngsters towards defence research and development.

(With inputs from agencies)