India reportedly ships first Akash air defence missile system battery to Armenia

India marks another milestone in its defence export as it shipped the first Akash weapon system battery to Armenia. This is the second missile system to have been exported, the New Indian Express reports.

The Akash system, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organization is a surface-to-air missile (SAM) which can hit targets like fighter jets, missiles (cruise, air-to-surface), drones and other aerial assets to a range of 25km.

Manufactured by Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), each battery of Akash weapon system is accompanied by a single Rajendra 3D passive electronically scanned array radar and four launchers with three missiles each, all of which are interlinked.

Secretary Defence Production in the ministry of Defence, Sanjeev Kumar “flagged off the 1st Akash Weapon System Battery to a Friendly Foreign Country.”

“This event reflects India’s growing capabilities in defence technology and manufacturing,” Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) said on Monday.

As the TNIE reported the Union Cabinet approved the export of the Akash Missile System in December 2020.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had said, however, the missile version of Akash to be exported will be different from the system introduced into the Indian armed forces. Defence Minister Singh highlighted that the missile system has over 96 per cent indigenous components.

The missile was inducted into the Indian Air Force in 2014 and in the Indian Army in 2015.

In 2022, Armenia inked a deal with India to procure 15 Akash missile systems worth around Rs 6,000 crore. It must be noted that Armenia has become the first foreign country to buy this missile system.