Military

India`s Akash missile test-fired successfully again

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New Delhi, Jan 14, IRNA -- India`s indigenously built medium range 
surface-to-air missile `Akash` was test-fired on Wednesday from the 
Interim Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur-on-sea, about 13 km in Balasore 
in the eastern Indian state of Orissa for the second time within two 
days. 
The multi-target missile, having a range of 25-km, fired from a 
mobile launcher at 2:0 p.m (local time), hit a target dropped from an 
AN-323 aircraft, reported Press Trust of India. 
The missile, which was test fired on Tuesday was also directed at 
a moving target. Weighing about 650 kg, it has the capacity to carry a
50-kg payload. 
Akash, one of the five missiles under various stages of 
development by India`s Defense and Research and Development 
Organization (DRDO), has the capability to strike several targets 
simultaneously. 
The missile, often compared to US`s `Patriot` missile, has a 
state-of-art radar named `Rajendra` which can keep track of 64 
aircraft within a range of 40 to 60 km. 
The missile uses integrated two-stage ramjet propulsion 
technology. 
2160/AH/210 
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