Overview

• The Army Air Defence and DRDO carried out first-of-production user trials of Akash Prime on July 16 at over 15,000 feet in Ladakh, registering two direct hits on fast-moving aerial targets in a rarified atmosphere.
• Equipped with an indigenous active RF seeker, the upgraded missile delivers enhanced precision against fighter jets, drones and other airborne threats regardless of extreme cold or low-oxygen levels.
• Customized firing parameters and modified trajectory profiles for elevations above 4,500 metres were validated during the trials to address performance shifts caused by thin air.
• Following these successful high-altitude tests, Akash Prime will form the third and fourth regiments of the Indian Army’s Akash air defence units.
• Building on its Operation Sindoor track record, Akash Prime strengthens India’s multi-layered air defence network along sensitive frontiers under the Atmanirbhar Bharat drive.