WATCH - How India's new Akash Prime missiles destroyed two aerial targets at 15,000ft in Ladakh

The Indian Army has achieved a huge milestone with the Akash Prime missile on Wednesday, as it successfully destroyed two aerial high-speed unmanned targets at high altitude in Ladakh sector. India's Defence Ministry took to social media and posted impressive video of the missile being launched.

In a post on X, the defence ministry noted that the Akash Prime is an upgraded variant of the Akash Weapon System for the Indian Army.

The Indian Army Air Defence and DRDO achieved the milestone in conjunction with defence PSUs, including Bharat Dynamics Limited & Bharat Electronics Limited, and other industry partners.

"India has achieved a significant milestone by successfully destroying 2 Aerial High Speed Unmanned targets at high altitude in Ladakh Sector on 16th July by Akash Prime, which is the upgraded variant of Akash Weapon System for the Indian Army," the office of Defence Ministry stated in a post on X. It also shared the video of the Akash Prime missile, being launched at an altitude over 15,000 feet in Ladakh.

Watch video here:

It was the first-ever such trial of Akash Prime at high altitudes. The weapon has been modified to operate in altitudes above 4500 metres, and with the latest upgrades, it has an indigenously developed Radio Frequency seeker, which gives radio signals to track and destroy targets.

The Akash Prime system would form the third and fourth regiments of the Akash air defence systems in the Indian Army. The system also performed very well in thwarting aerial attacks by the Pakistani military using Chinese aircraft and Turkish drones during Operation Sindoor, according to the defence officials.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) on Thursday said, "Based on the operational feedback from users, various upgrades are made to improve the operational effectiveness, demonstrating the advantage of the ecosystem created for the indigenous weapon system."

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh lauded the Indian Army's and DRDO's achievements, saying that it is a significant boost to India's air defence capabilities, particularly for meeting high-altitude operational requirements.