BALASORE : Even as the trials of a series of Akash missiles conducted recently were claimed to be a success, two of the nine rounds had, in fact, failed much to the embarrassment of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) that had developed the weapon system.
Defence sources said a total of nine rounds of indigenously built surface-to-air nuclear capable missile, Akash, were test fired from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) off the Odisha coast by the Air Force in five days between November 17 and November 21.
Reliable sources told ‘The Express’ on Wednesday that while seven rounds were a success, two failed. “The two missiles were launched on November 18. In the first round, one fell down seconds after takeoff and in the second round, the system failed to hit the target, a problem that has been there in system since long,” a source claimed.
The successful trials of Akash hitting and smashing the targets like Pilot-less Target Aircraft (PTA), para barrels and Banshee unmanned aircraft, were repeated for the second time after 1994. During these five days, paraflare was used as a target for the first time.
Sources said the present tests were undertaken to gauge the consistency in the battery control centre, the launcher and the accuracy of the radar to identify the incoming objects. Efficacy of the weapon system in identifying friend or foe accurately was also checked.
The DRDO, which started developing Akash in the 80s in collaboration with at least 300 public and private companies, took nearly 20 years to develop the supersonic, mobile, tank-mounted version of the missile system. Though it is touted as the only missile of its kind available globally, the twin failures have exposed shortcomings in the weapon system.
After years of rejection for faults in the missile system, the Army had agreed to induct the modified version of the missile in 2010 but it is yet to do so. The system was inducted in the Air Force on March 3, 2012.
Having a strike range of 25 km, the missile, which has a launch weight of 720 kg, length of 5.8 metre and a diameter of 35 cm, can carry a pay load of 50 kg. It can fly at supersonic speed of around 2.5 mach and reach an altitude of 18 km.
The missile system is uniquely configured and customised both for Indian Army and Air Force. It can be fired from both tracked and wheeled platforms. The missile system has been configured to be part of futuristic network centric operation, most of the operations having been made automated.
