Indian Army inducts missile system

NEW DELHI, May 6 (UPI) -- An indigenously developed short-range surface-to-air missile system has been inducted into service by the Indian Army.

The Akash missile system, designed and developed by the country's Defense Research and Development Organization, has a maximum range of about 15.5 miles.

"The event [induction ceremony] marks the beginning of the new era for the Army Air Defense towards its drive for modernization to counter the challenges posed by the enhanced air threat due to rapid improvements in the avionics field," said India's Ministry of Defense. "This will also give a boost to the all-round capability enhancement and operational effectiveness of the army to meet all the contemporary and emerging challenges of negating the enemy's air threat."

The ministry said two army regiments are scheduled to receive six batteries each of the missile system that can simultaneously engage multiple targets.

About 96 percent of the missile system's components are produced locally. MBDL is the system lead integrator for the Army. Other major system providers are BEL, ECIL, HAL, TATA Power SED, and L&T.