Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

India Test-Fires Surface-to-Air Missile

By VOA News
30 January 2006

India has test-fired another multi-target surface-to-air missile, as part of trials of its airborne warfare systems.

The missile, known as "Akash," or the Sky, has a range of approximately 25 kilometers and can carry a warhead of up to 50 kilograms.

Indian defense officials say the missile performed successfully in Monday's test in eastern Orissa state. They say it was fired from a mobile launcher at the country's main Chandipur coastal testing site, northeast of the state capital, Bhubaneshwar.

It was the third Akash missile test in as many days. On Saturday, two missiles fired from rocket launchers tracked, intercepted and destroyed two airborne targets at a range of about 20 kilometers.

The missile is one of five being developed by India's state-run Defense Research and Development Organization.

Some information for this report was provided by AP.