Akash Surface-to-air Missile

[LETHALFORCE]

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Stone laid for Akash Missile building - southindia - Hyderabad - ibnlive

Stone laid for Akash Missile building


HYDERABAD: Union minister of state for defence M M Pallam Raju laid the foundation stone for Akash project building at Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL) in Medak district on Friday.
The company bagged an order worth Rs 14,000 crore for supply of Akash Weapon system to the Indian Army.
Speaking on the occasion, Pallam Raju emphasised the need for timely delivery of the products to the Army.
Chairman and managing director of BDL Maj Gen Ravi Khetarpal said that setting up facilities for Akash missiles was one of the major steps of BDL. PK Mishra, joint secretary (missile systems) and others were present.

 

[LETHALFORCE]

Bharat Dynamics Limited Signs Largest Ever Deal With Army for Akash Missiles

Bharat Dynamics Limited Signs Largest Ever Deal With Army for Akash Missiles


The largest ever contract with the Indian Army has been signed by the state-owned Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) for the 'Akash' Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAMs) which will be to the tune of $ 3.1 billion.'Akash' SAM has been developed by Defence Research and Development Orgnization (DRDO) and the Indian Army is ordering two regiments of 'Akash' SAM systems which include 2000 missiles, launchers, radars and ground systems.

The 'Akash' SAM has been on top of the priority list of the Indian Armed Forces as India seeks to protect its vital assets and installations from aerial attack. The 'Akash' missile has a range of 25 kilometres with a low reaction time of 15 seconds. It can shoot down aircrafts, helicopters and UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) travelling at speeds of up to 700 m/sec. The weapon system is capable of engaging targets in all weather conditions.

According to BDL, who is the principal integrator and main manufacturer of the indigenously developed missiles, the order comprises of missiles, support equipment and services. Also, this order is the highest value contract placed by the Indian Army to date and BDL is setting up facilities in Andhra Pradesh, where it has been allocated additional land, as well as in other states.

The Akash SAM has been developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation as part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP). The 'Akash' missile systems consists of a launcher, a missile with a 25-30 kilometres range, a control center, multifunction fire control radar and supporting ground equipment. As of now, the combined order of the Indian Armed Forces for the 'Akash' missile system has reached about $ 5.18 billion since the Indian Air Force had also placed an order to the tune of $ 222.20 million besides the Indian Army order.

As per the plan, BDL will make 500 Akash missiles per year and the first batch for the Indian Army will roll out by September 2012. While BDL will be the main integrator for the Indian Army's order for 'Akash' SAM, state-owned Bharat Electricals Limited (BEL), based in Bangalore, will be the main integrator of the 'Akash' SAM for the Indian Air Force order. According to the Indian Defence Minister A.K Anthony, the order is being split between two-state-run companies to create a healthy competition.

As far as India's Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme goes, the DRDO has developed 'Agni' long range missile, various versions of 'Prithvi' medium range missiles and is about to complete the anti-tank missile 'Nag'. The 'Akash' missile system is the latest to complete all user trials and enter the production and induction phase.

 

[sesha_maruthi27]

We have started to build up arsenal and stock pile of missiles, in case of a sudden attack by the PLA.

Hm........ Lets see how soon these are delivered to the Armed Forces.

 

[Payeng]

The NASAMS air defense system reportedly have a range of 25 km which is a SAM version of AMRAAM, so if the Akash is modified to be a Air to Air version it should have a range of 70-80 km, plus the thrust of ramjet engines, 350mm diameter of the missile can include the most powerful Agat seeker, I think.

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Are you talking abt HAWK SAM System converted to BVR for Iranian F-14 ? you sound like that..

 

[Payeng]

Kunal I am not an expert but new generation missiles like Meteor and R-77 seems to use a ram air induction method to assist in combustion, I am not sure if Akash Missile will leave back visible smoke during its flight course, but if not maybe it can supplement the Astra mk.I or just replace it if proven to be more maneuverable with addition of a Agat seeker.

Their were news in past that an air breathing propulsion was taken as an option for Astra Missile, though it was reported as to increase the range, now latest news indicates that a dual pulse solid motor might be employed for mk.II, so I was just wondering if Akash AAM would make a better mk.I replacement, a missile test proven.

 

[Kunal Biswas]

The thing its Huge to mount under a Aircraft for A2A combat..

India still working on seekers with MBDA..

 

[Payeng]

Wooops I missed the 5x weight issue. Thanks for clearing up.

Another thing I am curious to know is PAC-1 got 4 missiles per launch vehicle while PAC-3 got 16 for the same arrangement with added range, compactness and sophistication any open literature available about this drastic improvement?

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Another thing I am curious to know is PAC-1 got 4 missiles per launch vehicle while PAC-3 got 16 for the same arrangement with added range, compactness and sophistication any open literature available about this drastic improvement?

The PAC-3 upgrade carried with it a new missile design, nominally known as MIM-104F[citation needed] and called PAC-3 by the Army. The PAC-3 missile evolved from the Strategic Defense Initiative's ERINT missile, and so it is dedicated almost entirely to the anti-ballistic missile mission. Due to miniaturization, a single canister can hold four PAC-3 missiles (as opposed to one PAC-2 missile per canister). The PAC-3 missile is also more maneuverable than previous variants, due to 180 tiny pulse solid propellant rocket motors mounted in the forebody of the missile (called Attitude Control Motors, or ACMs) which serve to fine align the missile trajectory with its target to achieve hit-to-kill capability. However, the most significant upgrade to the PAC-3 missile is the addition of a Ka band active radar seeker. This allows the missile to drop its uplink to the system and acquire its target itself in the terminal phase of its intercept, which improves the reaction time of the missile against a fast-moving ballistic missile target. The PAC-3 missile is accurate enough to select, target, and home in on the warhead portion of an inbound ballistic missile. The active radar also gives the warhead a "hit-to-kill" capability that completely eliminates the need for a traditional proximity-fused warhead. However, the missile still has a small explosive warhead, called Lethality Enhancer, a directional warhead which launches a stream of low-speed steel fragments in the direction of the target in order to make the missile cross-section greater to enhance the kill probability. This greatly increases the lethality against ballistic missiles of all types.


The PAC-3 upgrade has effectively quintupled the "footprint" that a Patriot unit can defend against ballistic missiles of all types, and has considerably increased the system's lethality and effectiveness against ballistic missiles. It has also increased the scope of ballistic missiles that Patriot can engage, which now includes several intermediate range. However, despite its increases in ballistic missile defense capabilities, the PAC-3 missile is a less capable interceptor of atmospheric aircraft and air-to-surface missiles. It is slower, has a shorter range, and has a smaller explosive warhead compared to older Patriot missiles.


Patriot's PAC-3 interceptor was to be the primary interceptor for the new MEADS system, which was scheduled to enter service alongside Patriot in 2012.


Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control is the prime contractor on the PAC-3 Missile Segment upgrade to the Patriot air defense system which will make the missile more agile and extend its range by up to 50 % [11]. The PAC-3 Missile Segment upgrade consists of the PAC-3 missile, a very agile hit-to-kill interceptor, the PAC-3 missile canisters (in four packs), a fire solution computer, and an Enhanced Launcher Electronics System (ELES).

MIM-104 Patriot - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Payeng]

Well the wiki page do not explains much regarding the art of miniaturisation the Yankees achieved, as per the PAC-3 with comparision to PAD. 16 missiles in a road mobile vehicle is impressive with the claimed maximum range, I was just wondering where our Scientist are lacking in technological aspect, if anything useful is available in open literature.

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Well the wiki page do not explains much regarding the art of miniaturisation the Yankees achieved, as per the PAC-3 with comparision to PAD. 16 missiles in a road mobile vehicle is impressive with the claimed maximum range, I was just wondering where our Scientist are lacking in technological aspect, if anything useful is available in open literature.

PAD is a very successful deign, On the basis of PAD tech, Agni Prime is deign..

We may not know lot of thing abt our own..

 

[Payeng]

PAD is a very successful deign, On the basis of PAD tech, Agni Prime is deign..

We may not know lot of thing abt our own..

This thing looks promising....

somewhere I have heard India have provided the dual pulse solid motor.

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Its True..

 

[Sridhar]

[h=3]HAPPY HOURS: 2,500 missiles, 112 launchers, 28 MPARs & 100 3-D CARs | Massive Akash SAM system orders boost to desi pride, industries | 1st Sqn in June & 2nd in Oct 2012 | DRDO mum on Mk-II[/h]

Tarmak007 -- A bold blog on Indian defence: HAPPY HOURS: 2,500 missiles, 112 launchers, 28 MPARs & 100 3-D CARs | Massive Akash SAM system orders boost to desi pride, industries | 1st Sqn in June & 2nd in Oct 2012 | DRDO mum on Mk-II

 

[JAISWAL]

Tarmak007 -- A bold blog on Indian defence: HAPPY HOURS: 2,500 missiles, 112 launchers, 28 MPARs & 100 3-D CARs | Massive Akash SAM system orders boost to desi pride, industries | 1st Sqn in June & 2nd in Oct 2012 | DRDO mum on Mk-II

Akash – the fifth and last missile project under India's ambitious Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) had a happy ending with the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Army placing bulk orders in the last three years. The IAF has ordered for eight squadrons (2 + 6) of Akash systems and the Army for two regiments. The combined value for both orders stand at Rs 23,500 crore and Bharat Electronic Ltd (BEL) and Bhart Dynamics Ltd (BDL) will execute the orders.
Akash is a supersonic surface-to-air missile (SAM) system with a range of 25 km, similar to the SAM systems of Russia (Buk) and the US (Patriot). The all weather area/air-defense system is useful for defending vulnerable areas (VA) and vulnerable points (VP) against air targets penetrating from low, medium and high altitudes. All-the-way-powered flight till target interception, multiple target handling, digitally-coded command guidance and fully automatic operation are some of the unique features of the system.
The system was put through an electronic warfare (EW) trials conducted to assess the weapon system's survivability in dense jamming environment expected in a battlefield. Multiple aerial jammers (both noise and deception) were flown simultaneously in attack from different directions on the Akash group deployed in combat pattern. Sources claim that the radars of Akash could hold track of all aerial targets despite the jammers, conclusively establishing the operation of built-in electronic counter-counter measures (ECCM) features.
Though it took 25 years for the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to finally get firm orders for Akash (2008), since the project inception (1983), it is now being branded as the single biggest order placed by the Indian armed forces on a home-grown tactical missile project. The numbers of the current combined orders will definitely make any desi defence devotee proud: 2,500 missiles, 112 launchers, 28 multi-functional phased array radars (MPARs) and 100 3-D Central Acquisition Radars (3-D CARs).
Akash's is a happy hour story for the Indian industries (around 200) too, considering that over 70 per cent of the work is being executed by them. This is in addition to the work-share of 13 DRDO labs, BEL, 19 public sector undertakings, three ordinance factories, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, National Aerospace Laboratories, IITs (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kharagpur) and the Indian Institute of Science.
"For the Indian industries it has been a huge learning curve considering the complexities involved in a weapon system, its integration and aerospace standard procedures. It augurs well for India, as the industries will be fully geared up to undertake production of next-generation tactical missile projects," says G. Chandramouli, Project Director, Akash.
The production centers are currently abuzz with activities to ensure that the first squadron of Akash is inducted into the IAF by June 2012. "The first firing unit will be ready by March, 2012 and the second squadron will be ready by October 2012," sources at the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), said.
While the DRDO officially refused to part with any information on a possible Mk-II version of Akash with a higher range (35-45 km), sources confirmed to Express that the Services have expressed interest. "We have the confidence, tech know-how, capabilities in design, development and production and capabilities of excellent validation and tests. We will have to get a firm written commitment from the Services so that we are sure about the road ahead," sources said.
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[JAISWAL]

Tarmak007 -- A bold blog on Indian defence: An India Shining video on Akash missile system

 

[JayChennai]

The missile is lot bigger than what i thought

 

[Kunal Biswas]

The missile is lot bigger than what i thought

Its outer dimensions are same as a SA-6

 

[asianobserve]

I think India should start considering converting existing BVR A2A missiles into ground lunched air defense systems. The biggest advantages are that these missiles are already in service, they're rather compact and long range.

eg. ground lunched AIM 120: