Chanakyaa
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India's indegenous Akash air defence system is the reason India rejected the US offer of the PAC-3, Israel's offer of the Arrow-2, Russia's offer of the latest S-300 and S-400 and the European MBDA offer of the Aster 30 air defence systems.
The Akash (Sanskrit for Sky) is a medium-range, theatre defence, surface-to-air missile. It operates in conjunction with the indegenous Rajendra surveillance & engagement radar. This system will replace the SA-6 / Straight Flush in Indian service and will provide air defence system to counter SRBM / IRBM threats in addition to airplane threats along the Pakistani and Chinese borders.
The Akash uses state of the art integral ramjet rocket propulsion system to give a low-volume, low-weight (700 kg launch weight) missile configuration, and has a low reaction time - from detection to missile launch - of 15 seconds allowing the missile to carry a heavier 60 kg fragmentation warhead triggered by proximity fuse.
It reaches a speed of Mach 1.5 in 4.5 seconds, Mach. 2.8-3.5 at 20g in 30 seconds after ramjet motor is ignited. Its range (for most effective performance) varies 27-30 kilometres.
The 5.6 m long sleek missile has a launch weight of 700 kg and can carry 60 kg of warhead and the radar is capable of tracking 64 targets and guide upto 12 missiles simultaneously in a fully autonomous mode of operation.
The Akash is to bepurchased by the Indian air defence command and is for sale to customers abroad.
Having successfully tested it more than 45 times, the DRDO is confident that Akash will be effective against low-flying missiles, aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles.
Unlike the Patriot, Akash can be launched from static or mobile platforms, including a battle tank.
What makes it superior to Patriot, apart from the mobility of its platform, is that it has thrust during the entire course of its 35-second flight. Patriot has thrust only for 12 seconds, after which the missile coasts, thus making it less accurate than Akash.
The Akash :
One Akash battery is composed of three tracked vehicles (tracks, like those on a battle tank), each of which would have four missiles, plus a vehicle carrying the Rajendra multifunction phased array radar. The Air Force version is on wheeled vehicles.
The missile can be deployed either in autonomous mode or group mode. In the autonomous mode, it will have a single battery functioning independently. For surveillance, it would need an additional two-dimensional radar. In this mode, it can be used for defending moving columns or singular installations. A single battery can simultaneously engage four targets, and against each target a maximum of three missiles can be fired, thus increasing the hit probability.
In group mode, there would be a number of batteries, deployed over a wide area. The batteries would be linked to a group control centre (GCC). The Rajendra three-dimensional radar, indegenously developed by the DRDO (defence Research & Development Organisation) would provide a single integrated air picture to the group control centre, telling it not only the distance at which the enemy plane has been located but also its altitude. One GCC can command and control a maximum of eight Akash batteries at the same time. One GCC can also receive radar surveillance information from other sources, and be linked to higher echelons of air defence. Once the target, either an enemy aircraft or a missile, is detected the missile would align to the radar beams and virtually travel on those beams (guided by onboard precision-homing system) towards the target at three-and-a-half times the speed of sound.
The DRDO is reportedly toying with the idea of developing an integrated missile shield, which would be able to cover an area of at least 200 sq. km in the next five to six years. Akash, or the technologies developed for Akash, would be at the heart of the system. Its radars could be placed on a civil aircraft, much like an AWACS system, to provide early warning of incoming missiles.Current development include a possible increase in speed, maximum altitude and range.
The Akash, at 0.26 million $, is cheaper than Patriot, and with Bharat Dynamics willing to manufacture it, there should not be a problem of service support, something which the Americans, given their history of imposing sanctions, may not be able to guarantee.
The DRDO is hopeful of orders of at least 1,350 missiles from the Army and another 3,000 from the Air Force.
ORDERS and INDUCTION ::
[QUOTE]Indian Air Force
In December 2007, the Indian Air Force completed user trials for this missile. The trials, which were spread over ten days were declared successful after the missile hit the target on five occasions. Multiple targets handling capability of Akash weapon system was demonstrated by live firing in C4I environment. Before the ten day trial at Chandipur, ECCM Evaluation tests were carried out at Gwalior Air force base and mobility trials were carried out in Pokhran. The IAF had evolved the user Trial Directive to verify the Akash's consistency. The following trials were conducted: Against low flying near range target, long range high altitude target, crossing and approaching target and ripple firing of two missiles from the same launcher against a low altitude receding target.[19]
The Indian Air force was satisfied with the performance of Akash after extensive flight trials and has decided to induct the weapon system. An order for two squadrons were placed initially, with these being inducted in 2009. The IAF found the missile performance to be satisfactory and was expected to place orders for 16 more launchers to form two more squadrons for India's northeast theater.[1][17][20] On March 30, 2009 Tata Power's Strategic Electronics Division (Tata Power SED) announced that it had bagged the INR 1.82 Billion order for the 16 additional Akash launchers to be delivered in the next 33 months.[21] However, in January 2010 it was revealed that the Indian Air Force had ordered for six additional squadrons. The first two squadrons will consist of 48 launchers each[22] while future squadrons will vary in number depending on the IAF.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) ordered the additional 750 Akash medium-range surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) from state-run defence behemoth Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) at a cost of Rs 42.79 billion ($925 million).
More orders are expected from the Indian Army in addition to the above orders. IAF orders may also rise as it phases out its Pechoras and if the Indo-Israeli JV to develop a MRSAM (Medium Range SAM) for the IAF continues to be put on hold, while a similar program for the Indian Navy proceeds unimpeded.[23][24][25]
In February 2010, the Indian Air Force accepted the Akash missile system as a substantial part of its arsenal, raising orders to eight squadrons of the type.[26]
Indian Army
After long delays, the Indian Army has warmed up to the Akash missile, and is considering ordering several Akash squadrons for its strike forces./QUOTE]
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