Bengaluru: India is all set to carry out a series of user specific tests of surface-to-air, anti-aircraft missile Akash from a defence base off the Odisha coast from Wednesday. This will be the first test of Akash missile after its induction in the Air Force on March 3.

A reliable source told ‘The Express’ on Tuesday that the indigenously developed missile would be flight tested from a make-shift launcher on helipad near launching complex no. III of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur-on-sea. The test would be conducted by the Indian armed forces.

At least six trials have been planned this month. While the test schedules have been finalized for May 23, 25, 27, 29 and 31, of the six trials, the missile would target Pilot-less Target Aircraft (PTA) three times and the parachutes the rest of the times.

“Preparation for the mission has reached at final stage. The air force team from Kaleikunda air base on Tuesday successfully carried out a range precision exercise. Both the Akash team and PTA team are ready for the tests,” said a defence official.

Akash is a mobile, multiple-target handling and medium range Air Defence missile developed under Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP). The missile system is uniquely configured and customised both for Indian Army and Air Force. It has a strike range of 30 km and 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. The missile, which has a launch weight of 720 kg, a length of 5.8 metres 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 can reach an altitude of 18 kms.

The missile is supported by multi-target and multi-function phased array fire control radar called 'Rajendra' that is capable of tracking 64 targets and guiding up to 12 missiles simultaneously. The Akash system is comparable to the Patriot system of the US. It can destroy manoeuvring targets such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), fighter aircraft, cruise missiles and missiles launched from helicopters.

All eyes are on the fresh trials of the missile as it was earlier discarded by the Army due to reported faults in the system though after a series of rectification and advancement the missile was inducted in the army in 2008 and in air force recently.

DRDO chief V K Saraswat said already some nations are interested to import the Akash surface-to-air missile. “But I think we can not export the misisle as a large number of Akash systems are required for our country. So we have made no commitment. We would also carry out flight trial of Long Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LRSAM) soon,” he said.

However, after the successful trials of medium range Akash, the armed force has planned to induct two Akash regiments, containing nearly 2000 missiles, to replace its antiquated Russian missiles in this class. The air force has also planned to induct around 1000 Akash missiles in its eight squadrons.