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FEATURE/REPORT |
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In Service Now |
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The fully-automated Akash Mk1 has an 88 per cent kill probability within a
specified kill zone |
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By Prasun K. Sengupta |
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Following a 25-year R&D effort costing Rs 10 billion (USD 200 million),
series-production of the 25km-range Akash Mk1 extended short range air defence
missile system (E-SHORADS) is now being ramped up to meet the increasing demands
of both the Indian Air Force (IAF) — its launch customer, and the Indian Army.
Now being inducted into service, the Akash Mk1’s air force variant will first be
employed for base air defence (thereby replacing the existing S-125M Pechoras),
and will later on be deployed for providing ground-based air defence of some 500
vulnerable areas and vulnerable points dotting the country. The first IAF order
for two squadrons, valued at Rs 12.21 billion, was placed in May 2009 and
comprised 250 missile rounds, 36 wheeled launchers (built by TATA Power’s
Strategic Electronics Division), nine battery command centres, nine Rajendra
L-band passive phased-array target engagement radars, and nine S-band Rohini 3-D
central acquisition radars. The second order from the IAF, valued at Rs 42.79
billion (USD 925 million) came in November 2009 for an additional two squadrons
of the E-SHORADS, which included 750 missile rounds. This was followed in
January 2010 by the third order, this time for six squadrons. Prime contractor
for the IAF-specific Akash Mk1 E-SHORADS is the ministry of defence-owned Bharat
Electronics Ltd (BEL), with Hyderabad-based Bharat Dynamics Ltd being the
principal sub-contractor.
The Indian Army too is expected to soon place an order for up to nine Regiments
of Akash Mk1, valued at 125 billion (USD 2.8 billion), approval for which was
obtained in June 2010 from the MoD’s the Defence Acquisitions Council (DAC). The
Union Cabinet Committee on Security on March 17 cleared the induction of an
initial two Akash Mk1 Regiments valued at Rs 14.18 billion, each with six
Batteries. |
When inducted into service by the army, the Akash Mk1 will replace the existing
27-year-old NIIP 2K12 Kub/Kvadrat medium-range surface-to-air missile (MR-SAM)
systems. The army-specific variant of the Akash Mk1’s missile launcher and the
Rajendra PESA radar will all make use of the hull of a T-72M main battle tank in
order to achieve superior cross-country mobility. Akash Mk1’s semi-active
missile round has a launch weight of 720kg, length of 5.8 metres, and a diameter
of 35cm. It can engage aircraft flying 25km away and at altitudes up to 18km.
The Rajendra radar can detect 100 targets and track 64 of them, while
simultaneously engaging eight of them at the same time. A typical Akash Mk1
Regiment can provide air defence missile coverage of 2,000 square km. The
fully-automated Akash Mk1 has an 88 per cent kill probability within a specified
kill zone and has even intercepted a target with a 0.02 square-metre radar
cross-section (a fighter has a two square-metre RCS. The Defence R&D
Organisation (DRDO) is now developing the Akash’s Mk2 variant, which will
commence its flight-test regime next year. Designed as a MR-SAM, Akash Mk2 will
also have faster reaction time and a range of 37km.
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MAY 2012
Issue
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