Amazing Story of Akash & the Way Forward

India's indigenous Akash missile successfully countered Pakistani air threats, highlighting strides in defence tech, though self-reliance remains limited despite Russia's support, writes Professor Satya Narayan Misra.

- Professor Satya Narayan Misra

THE story of indigenous defence technology proving to be a game changer is often inadequately reported.

On 7th May, the indigenously developed medium-range Akash missile shot down a PAK JF-17 Thunder, jointly developed with China, in the Kashmir region. With a 25-45 km intercept range, supersonic speed, and active terminal guidance, this medium-range SAM can engage up to 4 targets simultaneously with 24 ready-to-fire missiles. It has successfully neutralized Pakistan military's attempts at large-scale drone and missile attacks on multiple military installations across Northern and Western India during the night of 7-8 May, and the AD system at Lahore was neutralized. The S400 defense system, popularly called Sudarshan Chakra, imported from Russia, also became a game changer in pulverizing the Pakistani air attacks and destroying the AD systems in different air bases at Rawalpindi and Lahore, as reported.