Why in News:

• A new generation of Akash surface-to-air missile and Man Portable Anti Tank Guided Missile was successfully flight-tested by the DRDO from an integrated test range off the Odisha coast in a boost to air defence capabilities under the Atmanirbhar campaign

Akash Missile

• • AKASH is a Short Range Surface to Air Missile system to protect vulnerable areas and vulnerable points from air attacks.
  • It can strike enemy aerial targets like fighter jets, drones, cruise missiles, air-to-surface missiles as well as ballistic missiles from a distance of 30 km, operating at a speed range of 1.8 to 2.5 Mach.
    • Mach is used as a unit of measurement in stating the speed of a moving object in relation to the speed of sound. For example, if an aircraft is travelling at Mach 1, it is travelling at exactly the speed of sound.
  • The missile is supported by the indigenously developed radar called ‘Rajendra’.
  • AKASH Weapon System can simultaneously engage Multiple Targets in Group Mode or Autonomous Mode.
  • The Akash missile system has been designed and developed as part of Integrated Guided-Missile Development Programme (IGMDP).

• To read about IGMDP (Integrated Guided Missile Development Program) – https://officerspulse.com/agni-p/

• Recently, it became the  first-ever weapons platform to be exported

Akash NG

• It is a new variant of the Akash missile that can strike targets at a distance of around 60 km and fly at a speed of up to Mach 2.5.
• Like Akash, it is also a surface-to-air Missile. 
• Once deployed, the Akash-NG weapon system will prove to be a force multiplier for the air defence capability of the Indian Air Force. 

Man Portable Anti Tank Guided Missile:

• It is an indigenously-developed anti-tank guided missile.
• It is ‘Soft’ launched from a canister using an Ejection Motor and follows the fire and forget principle.
• It uses a state-of-the-art Miniaturized Infrared Imaging Seeker along with advanced avionics.
• The man portable missile is launched using a tripod is designed for a max. range of 2.5 Km with a launch weight less than 15 Kg.

Other  indigenously developed missile systems in India.

1. Prithvi I

• Prithvi I was one of the first missiles developed under Government of India’s IGMDP. Launched in 1988, Prithvi I is a single-stage, liquid-fuelled missile. A surface-to-surface missile, it has a range of 150 km and a mounting capability of 1000 kg. It was inducted into the Indian Army in 1994.

2. Agni I

• A nuclear-capable ballistic missile, Agni 1 is the first of the five-missile Agni series launched in 1983 by the Defence Research and Development Organisation. It has a range of 700 km.

3. Akash

• Akash is a surface-to-air missile with an intercept range of 30 km. It has multi-target engagement capability and is in operational service with the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force.

4. Nag

• Nag is a third-generation hit-to-kill anti-tank missile that was first tested in 1990. The two-stage solid propellant weapon uses the lock-on before launch system where the target is identified and designated before the weapon is launched. 

5. Trishul

• Trishul is a short-range surface-to-air missile equipped with electronic measures against all known aircraft jammers. It has a range of 9 km and is used as anti-sea skimmer from ships against low-flying attacks.

6. Agni II

• An intermediate-range ballistic missile, the Agni-II was first test fired in 1999. The surface-to-surface missile has a range of 2000 to 2500 km and can carry conventional or nuclear warheads. 

7. Prithvi III

• Prithvi III is the naval-version missile with a range of 350 km. A two-stage surface-to-surface missile, Prithvi III was first tested in 2000. 

8. Brahmos 

• BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile that was first test-fired in 2001. It was developed as a joint venture between India and Russia and is the world’s fastest anti-ship cruise missile in operation.

9. Prithvi Air Defence (PAD)

• India’s ballistic missile defence got a fillip with the development of PAD. The system was tested with a maximum interception altitude of 80 km, and has been designed to neutralise missiles within a range of 300-2000 km up to a speed of Mach 5.0. The technology employed in the PAD was the precursor to the indigenously developed Advanced Air Defence (AAD) interceptor missile which was tested in 2007, as well as the Barak-2 which was developed in collaboration with Israel. 

10. K-15 Sagarika

• It forms the crucial third leg of India’s nuclear deterrent vis-à-vis its submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) capability. The K-15 Sagarika, which has a range of 750 km, was successfully tested in 2008, and was subsequently integrated with India’s nuclear-powered Arihant class submarine. 

11. Dhanush

• Dhanush is a liquid propelled sea-based missile that was envisaged as a short-range version of the Prithvi II ballistic missile. It has a range of 350 km and is capable of carrying nuclear warheads. It was successfully test-fired from a naval warship in 2011

12. Agni III

• Agni III is an intermediate-range ballistic missile developed as the successor to the Agni II. It is an improvement over its previous iteration, and has a range of 3,500-5,000 km, making it capable of engaging targets deep inside neighbouring countries. It was inducted into the armed forces in June 2011, enhancing its strike capability. 

13. Agni IV

• Agni III was developed to strike targets within a similar range but with a significantly shorter flight time of 20 minutes. The Agni IV, which has a two-phase propulsion system is designed to carry a 1,000 kg payload.  

14. Shaurya

• It was initially conceived as a surface-to-surface ballistic missile (SSM) variant of the K-15 Sagarika, that can be stored in underground silos for extended periods and launched using gas canisters as a trigger. The nuclear capability of the missile enhances India’s second strike capability and reduces the dependence on the K-15 ballistic missile which was built with significant Russian assistance. 

15. Nirbhay

• Nirbhay is a subsonic missile which is ancillary to the BrahMos range. It uses a terrain-following navigation system to reach up to 1,000 km. Nirbhay is capable of being launched from multiple platforms on land, sea, and air. 

16. Prahaar

• Prahaar is a surface-to-surface missile with a range of 150 km that was successfully tested for the first time in 2011. Stated to be a unique missile, the Prahaar boasts of high maneuverability, acceleration and accuracy. Primarily a battlefield support system for the Army, the missile can be fired from a road mobile launchers and is extremely mobile in battle situations owing to its lighter build. 

17. Astra

• Astra is a beyond-visual-range (BVR) air-to-air missile (AAM) that was tested successfully in 2011. In terms of size and weight, the Astra is the smallest missile developed by the DRDO. It was envisaged to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft at supersonic speeds in head-on mode within a range of 80 km. 

18. Agni V

• Agni is India’s first inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM), with high road mobility, fast-reaction ability and a strike range of over 5,000 km.

Reference:

1. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/akash-surface-to-air-missile-man-portable-anti-tank-missile-successfully-tested/article35456225.ece