India test fires medium-range missile

India on Friday successfully test-fired its Akash medium-range surface-to-air missile from a defence base in Odisha.

The indigenously-developed missile, with a 27 km range and an effective ceiling of 15 km, was test-fired from the Integrated Test Range of Chandipur in the coastal district of Balasore, 230 km from Bhubaneswar. "It was test fired by the scientists of (state-run missile system manufacturer) Bharat Dynamic Limited and (state run defence electronics company) Bharat Electronics for the armed forces," test range director MVKV Prasad told IANS. "The test was successful," he added.

The 700-kg all-weather missile can carry a 60-kg warhead at speeds of up to Mach 2.5. It can operate autonomously and simultaneously engage and neutralise different aerial targets. It can be launched from static or mobile platforms, enabling flexible deployment by the armed forces.

Preparation are underway for a few more tests of the missile from the same base within next fortnight, Prasad said.