The Indian Air Force on Wednesday test-fired three surface-to-air Akash missiles — two of them in ripple mode — from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur, Balasore district, Odisha.
All the three missiles tore apart their targets — a contraption called tow-body flown by the pilotless target aircraft (PTA) Lakshya. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed both Akash and Lakshya.
G. Chandramouli, Project Director, Akash, said the first missile was launched in a low-altitude, far boundary mode, that is, the missile flew at a height of 700 metres and attacked the tow-body of Lakshya, which was flying 20 km away from the Test Range.
The IAF launched the next two missiles in ripple mode, that is, the second missile lifted off from its launcher five seconds after the first one did so. “The first missile destroyed the target. The second homed in on the destroyed parts, falling down,” said Mr. Chandramouli.
The missile can engage targets such as fighter aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, helicopters and cruise missiles, flying 25 km away.
