In a key advancement for India’s indigenous air defence capabilities, the Indian Army on Wednesday conducted successful high-altitude trials of the Akash Prime surface-to-air missile system in the Ladakh sector, according to Defence officials quoted by news agency ANI.
The trials, held at an altitude exceeding 15,000 feet, were conducted by the Army Air Defence Corps in collaboration with senior scientists from the Defence Research and Development Organisation ( DRDO), which developed the system. Officials confirmed that the missile achieved two direct hits on fast-moving aerial targets in the rarified atmosphere of the high-altitude region.
"The Akash Prime system demonstrated its operational readiness by scoring two direct hits against fast, manoeuvring target aircraft under difficult high-altitude conditions," said officials interviewed by ANI.
Designed to improve upon the original Akash system, Akash Prime is equipped with an improved seeker and can engage targets with greater precision in extreme weather and terrain.
Defence officials said the system had already performed effectively during Operation Sindoor, where it was deployed to counter aerial threats from Pakistan, including Chinese-origin aircraft and Turkish-made drones.
The successful trial marks a step forward in the planned induction of Akash Prime as part of the Indian Army’s layered air defence network. Officials noted that the third and fourth regiments of the Akash air defence system are likely to be formed using the Akash Prime variant.
The Akash Prime is part of India’s broader push for self-reliant defence production, especially in strategic domains such as air defence.
The indigenously developed Akash surface-to-air missile air defence system has been instrumental in repelling multiple drone attacks by Pakistan along the western border and the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, defence officials said on Thursday.
The homegrown Akash air defence system
The Akash air defence missile system is a medium-range surface-to-air missile designed to provide area defence against a variety of aerial threats. The system can protect mobile, semi-mobile, and static vulnerable forces and installations.
Equipped with advanced real-time multi-sensor data processing and threat evaluation capabilities, the system enables the simultaneous engagement of multiple targets from any direction.
Its flexible design allows it to operate in group or autonomous modes, using command guidance with phased array radar to guide the missile until interception.
Both the Indian Army and the Air Force have deployed the Akash system extensively along the Pakistan border, strengthening the country’s air defence network.
Crucial role in Operation Sindoor
During the intervening night of May 8 and May 9, the Indian Army successfully repelled a series of coordinated drone attacks and ceasefire violations launched by Pakistani forces along the western border and the LoC, according to an Indian Army statement.
“Pakistan Armed Forces launched multiple attacks using drones and other munitions along the entire Western Border on the intervening night of May 8 and 9, 2025. Pakistani troops also resorted to numerous ceasefire violations along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir. The drone attacks were effectively repulsed, and a befitting reply was given to the ceasefire violations,” the statement said.
Sources told ANI that over 50 Pakistani drones were shot down during a large-scale counter-drone operation along the LoC and international borders.
The Indian Armed Forces also neutralised attempts at large-scale drone and missile attacks on multiple military installations across northern and western India during the night of May 7-8. An Air Defence system in Lahore was reportedly neutralised in the process.
The trials, held at an altitude exceeding 15,000 feet, were conducted by the Army Air Defence Corps in collaboration with senior scientists from the Defence Research and Development Organisation ( DRDO), which developed the system. Officials confirmed that the missile achieved two direct hits on fast-moving aerial targets in the rarified atmosphere of the high-altitude region.
"The Akash Prime system demonstrated its operational readiness by scoring two direct hits against fast, manoeuvring target aircraft under difficult high-altitude conditions," said officials interviewed by ANI.
Designed to improve upon the original Akash system, Akash Prime is equipped with an improved seeker and can engage targets with greater precision in extreme weather and terrain.
Defence officials said the system had already performed effectively during Operation Sindoor, where it was deployed to counter aerial threats from Pakistan, including Chinese-origin aircraft and Turkish-made drones.
The successful trial marks a step forward in the planned induction of Akash Prime as part of the Indian Army’s layered air defence network. Officials noted that the third and fourth regiments of the Akash air defence system are likely to be formed using the Akash Prime variant.
The Akash Prime is part of India’s broader push for self-reliant defence production, especially in strategic domains such as air defence.
The indigenously developed Akash surface-to-air missile air defence system has been instrumental in repelling multiple drone attacks by Pakistan along the western border and the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, defence officials said on Thursday.
The homegrown Akash air defence system
The Akash air defence missile system is a medium-range surface-to-air missile designed to provide area defence against a variety of aerial threats. The system can protect mobile, semi-mobile, and static vulnerable forces and installations.
Equipped with advanced real-time multi-sensor data processing and threat evaluation capabilities, the system enables the simultaneous engagement of multiple targets from any direction.
Its flexible design allows it to operate in group or autonomous modes, using command guidance with phased array radar to guide the missile until interception.
Both the Indian Army and the Air Force have deployed the Akash system extensively along the Pakistan border, strengthening the country’s air defence network.
Crucial role in Operation Sindoor
During the intervening night of May 8 and May 9, the Indian Army successfully repelled a series of coordinated drone attacks and ceasefire violations launched by Pakistani forces along the western border and the LoC, according to an Indian Army statement.
“Pakistan Armed Forces launched multiple attacks using drones and other munitions along the entire Western Border on the intervening night of May 8 and 9, 2025. Pakistani troops also resorted to numerous ceasefire violations along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir. The drone attacks were effectively repulsed, and a befitting reply was given to the ceasefire violations,” the statement said.
Sources told ANI that over 50 Pakistani drones were shot down during a large-scale counter-drone operation along the LoC and international borders.
The Indian Armed Forces also neutralised attempts at large-scale drone and missile attacks on multiple military installations across northern and western India during the night of May 7-8. An Air Defence system in Lahore was reportedly neutralised in the process.
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