Akash air missile inducted into Indian Army

The Indian Army on Tuesday May 5th 2015,inducted the ‘Akash’ missile system into its arsenal, to protect the country form aerial threats. Each regiment of Akash missile in the Indian army consists of 6 launchers with each launcher having 3 missiles.

Indian Army had placed orders for 2 regiments worth of rupees 19,000 crores.

• The first regiment will be ready by July 2015 and second by 2016.
• Akash missile is medium range surface-to air, anti-aircraft defence system and it forms the India’s first home made missile designed by DRDO .
• Though it has taken little long to be designed, it will replace Russian missiles which the Army has been using since 1970’s
• Bharat Dynamics Ltd or BDL has built this missile which is having a striking range of 25kms with the capacity to carry warhead weighing 60kgs.
• It is fully automated missile system that is designed to detect and destroy a target on its own.
• It has got capacity of targeting aircraft from a low altitude of 30 metres to a maximum upto 20kms.
• Mr Dalbir Singh Suhaag,chief of the Indian army stressed  that the modernisation of army is very important  and air defence weapon system is one of the  seven major areas as a part of modernisation.
• This induction of Akash air missile into the army would mark the beginning of an new era.
• The Army variant of Akash missile is mainly designed for its easy mobility, so that it can easily be moved where ever its necessary.
• The Airforce variant of Akash missile has already been inducted in the year 2009.

Information about Indian Army

• Indian Army forms the largest component of Indian Armed Forces.
• It was founded in 1st April 1895.
• Its headquarters is in Delhi Cantonment.
• The President of India serves as the Commander-in-chief of the army but the leader is COAS OR Chief of the Army Staff.
• The COAS at present is  General Dalbir Singh Suhag .