Defence PSU Bharat Electronics made Akash missile has been inducted into Indian Air Force at a ceremony held at Air Force Station, Gwalior. The induction of Akash into the Indian Air Force was marked by the symbolic handing over of the ‘key’ of the weapon system by Mr S K Sharma, Chairman & Managing Director, BEL, to the Defence Minister, Mr Manohar Parrikar, who in turn handed over the key to Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, Chief of the Air Staff.

Akash Missile

• Akash is pertinent to note that Akash is the first made-in-India missile system
• Akash is a role model for Public-Private Partnership.
• It is a massive, state-of-the-art missile system, which has been realised through professional project management spearheaded by BEL.
• The Radars, Control Centres, Simulators, associated maintenance vehicles and the integrated software for the System are supplied by BEL.
• The missiles are from BDL, Squadron Control Centre from ECIL and the launchers are supplied by Tata Power SED and L and T.
• The missile system can target aircraft upto 30 km away, at altitudes upto 18,000 metres.
• It has the capability to neutralise aerial targets like fighter jets, cruise missiles and air-to-surface missiles.
• Akash is a potent supersonic mobile multi-directional, multi-target point, area Air Defence system.
• The advanced ECCM (Electronic Counter Counter Measures) features provide secure communication links with other Air Defence Command and Control networks