The Indian Air Force successfully test-fired the Air Defense Missile System during Exercise Astra Shakti-2023 on 17 December 2023.
- This test was conducted at Air Force Station SuryaLanka.
- The air defense system has been developed by a unit of the Maintenance Command of the Air Force.
- This air defense system was field tested for the first time.
- During testing the missile system successfully met all its objectives under many different conditions.
SAMAR air defense missile system
- Missiles with speed of 2 to 2.5 Mach can be destroyed by this air defense system.
- This defense system has two launching platforms and depending on the threat situation, both the missiles can be launched simultaneously.
- The air defense system has been developed by the 7 BRD unit of the Maintenance Command of the Air Force.
India first country with capability to hit 4 targets simultaneously::
- The Indian Air Force successfully used the Akash weapon system during the Astrashakti 2023 exercise.
- During this, Akash Air Defense System hit four targets simultaneously. The surface-to-surface Akash air defense system succeeded in destroying four unmanned targets simultaneously with a single firing.
- With this demonstration, India has become the first country to demonstrate the capability to engage four targets simultaneously at such a distance by command guidance using a single firing unit.
Akash Missile:
- Akash is India's first indigenously developed medium range surface-to-air (SAM) missile.
- It can aim in multiple directions, at multiple targets.
- This missile can be launched from battle tanks or trucks through mobile platforms.
- It has a probability of accuracy of hitting the target up to 90%.
- Development of the Akash SAM was initiated by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) in the late 1980s as part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP).
- This missile is operated by indigenously developed radar 'Rajendra'.
- This missile can hit targets at a speed 2.5 times the speed of sound and can detect and destroy targets at low, medium and high altitudes.
SAMAR - Surface to Air Missile for Assured Retaliation