TNI Bureau: India successfully test-fired its two medium-range surface-to-air missiles Akash on Monday from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) of Chandipur, about 15 km from Balasore, off Odisha coast.

Both the tests were successful, said MVKV Prasad, Director of the test range. It was test fired from a mobile launcher from launch complex-III of the ITR at around 11:10 AM. This is the third test in past seven days.

The indigenously developed missile can go up to a range of 27 km. It is weight of 720 kg and carries a 55 kg payload. It can fly at a speed up to Mach 2.5 and climb up to an altitude of 18 km.

It can neutralise aerial targets such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), fighter jets, cruise missiles and air-to-surface missiles simultaneously.

Akash was developed during 1990s under country’s integrated guided missile development programme (IGMDP). It was inducted to armed forces in 2008 after several trials. An air-force version of ‘Akash’ missile has also been developed by DRDO.