Indian Army to induct Akash SAM
19 Mar 2011
New Delhi: The Government of India's cabinet committee on security (CCS) is understood to have taken up the induction of the indigenously-produced and developed Akash surface-to-air missile defence system into the Indian Army. The Indian armed forces are going in for large scale induction and deployment of the indigenous Akash short range surface-to-air missile (SR-SAM) on both the western and eastern fronts of the country's borders.
It is understood that the Indian Army will now place orders for two regiments of the missile system, which has already been inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The IAF has already inducted two squadrons of the missile system and is looking to place orders for another six. Six of IAF's squadrons will be based in the country's north east to counter China. They will be procured at a cost of Rs6,200 crore.
The CCS on Thursday cleared two Akash regiments, with six batteries and hundreds of missiles each, for the Indian Army. The total order for the Army stands at Rs14,180 crore at present.
The 'regiment' is the army equivalent of an IAF squadron.
The low-reaction-time Akash is designed to neutralise multiple aerial targets attacking from several directions simultaneously, with a digitally-coded command guidance system, in all weather conditions.