Lighter, deadlier Gen Next Akash Missile flight-tested off Odisha coast

The missile will be offered for export; possibility of sales to east Asian and African countries

The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight-tested the “New Generation Akash Missile” (Akash-NG) on Wednesday at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Balasore in Odisha.

“The flight trial was conducted at 12:45 PM from a land-based platform with all weapon system elements such as multifunction radar, command, control and communication system and launcher participating in deployment configuration,” announced the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The Indian Air Force (IAF) and the army already operate nine batteries of the old Akash missile. This is now being improved into the Akash-NG, which is engineered to shoot down extremely high-performing fighter aircraft — or